1.
When my mom died me and Sokka were pretty choked up about it. She was killed by some jacked up foreigner who burned her alive. Up until now I could never forget the smell of kerosene. After she died things weren't the same. My dad became more serious and he actually stopped using that horrible whale perfume thing my mom really likes and Sokka became a man—or at least that's what he made himself believe.
Me? I went with the flow to stay strong for everyone and was the same as ever. Well…not completely. I guess I took on more responsibilities. I was now the one who was supposed to cook, clean and make sure that Gran-Gran hasn't peed or pooped in her undies (she has a serious bladder and digesting problem—it's like she can't hold it when she feels the need). So I guess it was me who grew up earlier. Even before Sokka (but he doesn't like to think so).
My dad is great, really. I love him and he tries so hard to play both roles of mom and dad. It is really sweet of him….but sometimes I kind of wish I did have my mom or at least some girl who doesn't use her undies as a toilet or doesn't have amnesia to talk to. It gets really awkward talking about boys or "lady stuff" for that matter. Nothing as horrible could erase the memory of when I first had my "monthly period" and during the time my dad gave me the "talk" and he had to talk about ovaries and boy parts and…..well you get the idea.
When my dad told us that he was leaving it felt as if something heavy hit my chest. I already lost my mother and losing him was even more painful. He said that he needed to go to the north to get more money. See, we living in a really cruddy neighborhood. The population doesn't reach five hundred and so everyone basically knows everyone. It's never sunny since the sky is always covered in a never ending blanket of clouds. We aren't exactly on the brink of poverty but we are titter-tottering to that way.
Sokka pretended to take it like a perfect adult and grown-up while I cried and sniffled.
As if.
In the evening, I heard him sobbing on his pillow and talking to his Mr. Wolfey. I just didn't have the heart to tease him. Poor Sokka….sometimes I just don't get why he had to be a "man". I guess it's his idea of taking the role of an elder brother. If only he knew.
It was ironically an unusually sunny day when dad left. Somehow the sun broke through the clouds. That kind of angered me a little; it was as if nature found it funny to tease us by making it sunny during a really sad day. I had taken into great pains to prepare him the best breakfast ever in honor of his going away. All of his favorites were there: fried eel eyes, fish guts and crispy seal skin. Sokka was already gnawing through his portion.
Dad came in wearing his favorite blue jacket mom made for him with his ski cap on. When Sokka looked at him all ready to go with his suitcase he looked at dad stolidly and he looked as if he was constipating but I knew that he was desperately trying to hide the tears.
"Do you need to go to the bathroom son?" dad asked.
I couldn't help but chortle a laugh. Gran-Gran unfortunately chose the time to defecate in her undies.
"Oops, it's a creamy one," she said with a self-satisfied smile.
I totally lost my appetite but Sokka didn't seem to be affected in any way whatsoever. He continued to chow down on his food in an attempt to hide the fact that he was about to start bawling like a big baby.
"It smells like a creamy one," my dad said.
"Ugh! Dad! Gross! Can't we not talk about it with food under our noses and during your farewell breakfast!" I growl.
At the word "farewell" Sokka makes a sound that was a cross between a choke and a nervous chuckle.
"Well, it's almost time," Dad says quietly.
I tear up and Sokka's eyes became watery.
"For us to go," he added smiling now. I wanted to scream at him. How could he be smiling at a time like this? We weren't going to see our father for a very long time! And he'll just smile!
"I can't hold it anymore!" Sokka wailed. Dad looked at him curiously. "Dad you can't go! I mean I don't care that we have to eat lizard poop for desert—''
"It's called compost pie," I inserted adding the more dignified term for everyone's favorite desert. (It's really good).
"—and we have no proper water system then I don't care! Because dad…wait—''
"Us?" I said interrupting Sokka.
"Remember the test you took for the Roku International High School?" my dad said.
Sokka scrunched up his nose. He is still obviously trying to remember but so am I. Then I vaguely recall dad coming home with two red envelopes with a bunch of papers filled with test questions inside. He said that his company gave it to him and thought that his kids would like to give it a shot. Me and Sokka answered it but didn't really think much of it. Besides the tuition is outrageous.
"You passed!" he yelled in excitement
Gran-Gran squealed with glee and said, "My bladder is working with excitement."
Then in afterthought she added, "You better wrap this conversation up if you don't want my poop mixing with pee."
Sokka was jaw slacked then he flushed scarlet. He began to mumble, "Well I wasn't really about to cry because that wouldn't be manly at all…..dirt in my eye…..Katara I think you put too much salt in the fish guts…"
"My fish guts are fine!" I snapped then said, "So wait we're coming with you? But—but—I thought the tuition was too expensive!"
"That's why I needed a new job!" Dad said winking at me.
There was a great big pandemonium when he said that. Me and Sokka forgot all decorum (not that we have much) and we started dancing and singing around the table. Then Gran-Gran also started dancing but that's when we noticed that some brown gook was dripping off her skirt.
"Wait! What about Gran-Gran? Who's going to clean her undies? Or scrub her pimpled backside? Or…" Sokka shuddered. "….massage her feet?"
"Don't worry about that! Ms. Kreuk from next door agreed to care for your Gran-Gran," Dad said.
"Why would she want to take up an old lady who does nothing but poop all day?" Sokka said in a hushed tone.
"Oh, Ms. Kreuk is quite lonely and she always says that Gran-Gran reminded her of her own sister," Dad said cheerfully.
Sokka and I eyed each other happily. So it was a good thing that the day had become sunny after all. Dad said that our plane left at nine in the evening so we had plenty of time to pack. He also said that everything was arranged, our visas and passports and he wanted to surprise us. Despite me being happy I was still a bit worried.
I mean sure we'd be in the same city but me and Sokka would be in dorms and I've heard plenty of stories from Roku International high school and none of them were good. I heard that they could get pretty racist in there and the school social hierarchy was something that was like breathing to them. And also I wasn't sure if me and Sokka were prepared to take on the academics of an upscale school. We learned our letters through the Old Head, the town's school teacher and that doesn't exactly mean we're scholars.
But still, we get to be near our dad and I don't have to worry about cleaning Gran-Gran's undies. And it would be nice seeing kids our age. Me and Sokka don't really don't have anyone who was our age group. Most were either younger than us or older than us.
As I go in my room I peek in Sokka's room and see him hugging Mr. Wolfey and putting it in his duffel bag. He whispered, "He isn't going after all! We're going to school!"
I smile and was about to tease him when I thought better of it and just went into my room. I went about my clothes and began to sort it through. Dad said that we'll be going to a warmer country where it is always sunny so we don't need our thick jackets and fur lined coats. I tried to picture it but somehow I can't. Imagine a country where the sun shines all the time!
It turns out that I only have a few clothes suitable for that country's weather. After sorting through all my clothes I discovered that I only had two sleeveless tops and no pair of shorts at all. I looked at morosely at all my sweaters and jackets and decided that unless I want to go to the first day of school in my bra and panties then I might as well wear what I have.
Sighing I folded them neatly. Dad would never be able to afford new clothes for us. At least not yet. He is still struggling after the first down payment. I pack all my remaining clothes and began to pack other stuff I might want to bring.
I bring my mom's necklace, our family picture and a few CDs. Then taking a deep breath I lug all my bags out to the living room where Sokka had already placed his. He looked extremely excited and jumpy.
"Whoa! You two are excited!" Dad said entering the living room.
Sokka's bag as always was packed in disarray and the sleeves of one of his thick jackets poked out through the zipper.
"Sorry that you have to go to school wearing that. I swear we'll get some new clothes afterward," Dad said.
"Nah! It's cool dad," Sokka said hurriedly attempting to fix his duffel bag.
"Well, you better say goodbye to your Gran-Gran. I'll have her saddled in with Ms. Kreuk already," he said. Gran-Gran came wheedling in.
We both hugged her and she gave us big sloppy kisses—the sloppiest to Sokka. Then we walked with her to Ms. Kreuk's house and we all say goodbye all over again. Sokka's face gets wet with saliva again.
"Nobody could clean my whities like Katara nor could anybody duplicate Sokka's magic hands," Gran-Gran told Ms. Kreuk. Me and Sokka internally cringed.
"Well, I'll try my best," Ms. Kreuk said kindly. I knew that Gran-Gran was in good hands.
"Well, we're a little too early but no worries. Let's spend the whole day around town," Dad said.
We spent the whole day around town which didn't last too long. You can go around our town in just thirty minutes. Dad decided that we'll got to the seaport earlier than expected then just allow time to pass by. We were going to take a boat to an Earth Kingdom city at five then an airplane after that. Dad was just driving when his phone rang.
He pulled over and answered it. As soon as he was done talking he said, "Sorry but Ms. Kreuk phone me. It turns out that we forgot to leave your Gran-Gran some medicine."
He says that the time was still plenty so we pull over to the town hospital. The town hospital was really just a white washed building with about three floors and seventy rooms. With our population no one really felt the need to expand it. The only Pharmacy is located in the hospital after an incident involving bangers selling bogus medicine that resulted the death of at least fifty people.
Now all the medicine is regulated in one building and getting medicine is a really long process. The doctor who penned the prescription must resign the paper again as proof that the person buying it is not some sort of addict or something. I guess they really learned their lesson after the whole sham medicine fiasco.
Dad told us to go anywhere and me and Sokka started exploring. I've always wanted to be a doctor. Healing and helping people fascinated me.
"Let's go to the operating rooms," I said grabbing Sokka's hand.
"Are you kidding me Katara! That's the very last floor! What if dad's ready to go?" Sokka demanded.
"Please. It will take at least thirty minutes just to buy Gran-Gran's medicine," I sniffed primly. I then strode to the stairs without waiting for Sokka's reaction.
"I don't get what you like seeing people cut other people up so much," Sokka said shaking his head.
"Cutting those people up helps them," I snapped as we climbed the stairs. Honestly, for a "man" Sokka can be so childish sometimes.
The first thing Sokka does when they reach the floor is grab a surgeon's coat that lay on a chair. He tried it on and said goofily, "Look Katara!"
"Sokka! Stop mocking surgeons! They are highly regarded," I said.
Sokka just continued to pretend as if he was one. Then he pretended to hold a knife and he said in a sinister voice, "Let me cut you up!"
"You're such a dork!" I squealed in annoyance. My cheek started to color. I wanted to be a surgeon! And he was mocking the very position I so mostly admire.
"First, I need to open your stomach then I'll get your liver and make it into liver balls!" Sokka said pretending to be some sort of crazed villain—he really didn't sound like it. He then ran and I hurried after him.
"Sokka! Put that down! You know how much we respect surgeons! Do you know that you could get in trouble for this!" I said urgently. But Sokka just continued to run.
"Sokka! I'm serious!" I yell.
"I kill you!" he said in a nasally voice now. He continued to run in screaming laughter.
"Sokka!"
"Lighten up Katara!" Sokka shot back.
"It's not funny! You are so immature!"
"Don't be such a wet blanket!" Sokka said but his last two words were muffled since I gave a great leap and tackled him into the next room.
"Ouch!" he murmured.
"Exactly. Now tell me how awesome surgeons are again," I said victoriously two hands on his shoulders.
"What? No way!"
"Say it!" I snapped squeezing his shoulders.
"Fine! Surgeons are incredibly cool and awesome and in no way disgusting!" Sokka screeched. I let out a satisfied chuckle and hopped off him. Sokka began muttering angrily.
"Oh don't be such a wuss! That didn't even hurt—''
"Katara…."
"What?"
"Look!" Sokka said pointing a finger ahead of us.
We had stumbled into a patient's room. A patient lay there with tubes all over his body. I was about to quietly edge away when Sokka held my arm and continued pointing.
"Sokka, it's rude to point!" I hissed mortified and embarrassed if the patient was about to wake up. I'm surprised he hasn't with all our yelling.
"Look!" he continued stubbornly. I sighed and looked at the patient and I gasped.
He was a boy who was about my age or maybe he was a year or so younger than me. He was bald and he lay there looking peaceful. But what astonished me the most was that a boy his age had tattoos! It was all over his arms and there was one prominently tattooed on his head.
It was an arrow.