Come Home: All she wants is for her big brother to come home again.
Name Pronunciation:
Ghanna= Gone-ah
Gramon= Grah-mon(as in Monday)
Jeje= Jay-Jay
…
(Ghanna)
I was shaking.
My hands slipped, the clay on the spinning wheel shifted, and just like that my bowl was ruined. It was the third one that day to meet such a fate.
I sighed, bringing the wheel to a stop. It was a beautiful day outside, perfect for working on pottery. The sun was just covered by the clouds, and the wind was blowing a cool spring breeze through the town. My open workshop was a clutter of pottery and clay dust, the wonderful earthy smell wafting towards me with each gust of wind. There were enough pieces ready for a kiln firing that the pieces that I destroyed would not be missed. But that did not excuse my clumsiness.
I couldn't decide why I was so nervous. Maybe it was because my little Jeje was starting her first days of school, or perhaps it was to do with mother being sick? I knew deep down it had nothing to do with those two things, but I liked to pretend that it was. It was easier to believe in a lie than face the true reason I was an emotional mess. In truth, it was because of my brother. I had been told just this morning that he would be returning home. One would think that such an occasion would make me happy, but I only felt a sense of dread. This would be the first that I had seen him since Jeje was born six years ago. I had seen him a handful of times when he called, but it just was not the same.
He changed every time he left. Every time he returned I recognized him less and less. Every time he ascended to the skies I lost another part of my big brother. The last I had seen him I could hardly believe that he was the same person that had protected me and my mother, the same person that taught me how to play "pebbles" as a child despite the situations surrounding us, the same person who saved us all from that place… He was different now. He was… darker somehow. Like someone had tainted his spirit. Mother reassures me constantly that he is still the same man deep down, but I could not stop doubting that assurance. I just couldn't see it.
When mother told me he was coming home I felt sick to my stomach, first in dread and then in shame. I should not feel such a way towards my big brother. I love him dearly, even if all I have left of him and who he used to be are memories. Mother said that something was the matter the last time that he had called, and that only fueled my dread further. She said that he had just been through a tragedy and that he was distraught. Deep down I suppose I was afraid that when I saw him again he would be like Cloy. Perhaps this was the last straw and he would snap like our brother had before him. As much as I couldn't stand to see my brother slowly disappear, I don't think I could handle my only other sibling losing his mind to darkness.
It was with these thoughts in mind that I had retreated to my workshop in hopes of producing some work to sell in the coming months. With winter ending everyone would be looking to replace their kitchenware that had broken over the cold months. I was lucky to be in this trade. I loved the work, and it kept me busy. Before I met my husband, Gramon, I was learning to weave cloth with my mother, but when I married I decided to pick up the trade of my husband's family. Mother was not too disappointed, as she was apprenticing several other young girls at the time.
It took many years of practice before I made anything worth selling. Gramon would tease me when my bowls would collapse or my cups were too thick. Cheeky man. I love him though.
When my brother first met Gramon, the two of them did not get along. Gramon disapproved of him leaving me, my mother, and my brother to work in space. And my brother did not believe that Gramon truly loved me. They quarreled much, and it took a physical confrontation between them before they worked things out. They get on just fine now, you would never even know that they were at odds to begin with.
I had tried explaining my fears to my husband, but he had assured me just as my mother had. The two of them are so alike it baffles me.
So, there I was, avoiding everyone and covered in clay. My arms were covered in it, and it had even splashed onto my clothes. I would have to get cleaned up at some point, but something told me that it wouldn't matter. Yondu had never really cared about dirt anyways…
It was midafternoon when I heard the space craft overhead. Others in the street looked up at it in awe as it passed over the town. I put down my basket of things by the front door, calling for Gramon to collect them and put them away as I went to meet my brother in the field. He always landed his flying machine in the field next to the lake. I guess it was the first thing he wanted to see when he came home.
It took only a few minutes to weave my way through the streets towards the fields. Despite the dread I was feeling I practically ran all the way out to meet him. The large lowering door to his ship was just opening when I arrived. Kraglin stepped out first, I recognized him instantly, and sadly I realized that I had seen the strange looking alien more times than I had seen my brother in the last ten years. Yondu often sent Kraglin to our planet to conduct business, his excuse for not coming in person being that he was too busy. Kraglin stepped off the platform and started towards town without missing a beat. Next came a smaller alien, a woman. She stood just to the side of the ship when she emerged, looking a bit lost. For a moment I despaired, thinking that my brother had changed his mind about coming. I was proven wrong though when I saw his strangely unfamiliar form walk down the ramp last.
He paused as his feet hit the grass, turning to listen to the woman alien, who stepped forward towards him. Her hand reached out to touch his arm as she spoke. Yondu waved off whatever she had to say, pointing her in the direction that Kraglin had gone. She hesitated, but obeyed whatever order she had been given.
I seized the moment to look at my brother. He was shorter than I remembered. I had probably gotten used to being around Gramon, who was much taller than Yondu. By a head at least. But he also seemed stronger looking. Through his slightly fitted black shirt I could see that he had put on a bit more muscle since I had seen him last. Last time I saw him he had been so skinny, mother threatened to force feed him. I guess up in space there aren't many people willing to take care of each other… In any case, it was nice to see him physically healthy at least.
It was only a moment before his eyes found me, and I assume he was assessing me as I was him. His hands clenched into fists, an old nervous habit I guess he still had, and he slowly made his way towards me. As he got closer I could see him even better. There were more scars on his arms, and I assumed there were more that I could not see. There were more frown lines around his mouth and eyes as well. Overall, he looked tired.
When he was finally standing in front of me I didn't know what to do. Once again, I could hardly recognize the man in front of me. He was so different from the boy I had once known. I wished I could run away, but when I looked up at him I could only stand there and cry. He was home. Despite what the universe had changed him into, he was still my brother. And he was home. Finally…
"Ghanna…" he whispered, one hand reaching out carefully to wipe away a tear from my cheek. He looked like he was at as much of a loss for actions as I was. We stood there for a solid minute in silence, just looking at each other before he finally moved, pulling me into a tight hug. "F*cking hell, I've missed you Ghanna." He said, his voice cracking as he said my name. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, a part of me never wanting to let him go again.
"Why haven't you come home more often?" I demanded through sobs, burying my face against his chest. Being so close to him I could feel his heartbeat. It was pounding in his chest like a drum.
Yondu chuckled, the sound dark and devoid of any sort of joy. "Because I'm an a**hole." He held me tighter, and I could hardly breathe. His sudden overwhelming presence after so many years of absence was tearing me apart. I was still so afraid to find out how much of him had disappeared this time. How much more had my brother changed?
"D*mn, your hair's gotten long." Yondu broke the silence, his fingers playing with the ends of said strands.
I laughed quietly, pulling away just enough to see his face. It was only then that I realized he was crying too. "I could say the same of you." I brushed the back of my fingers over his cheek, feeling the prickly stubble.
"Yeah, I guess I need to shave." He sighed, finally releasing me. I wish he hadn't let me go. It was comforting to feel him. To have him in my arms and to know that he wasn't out there somewhere in the universe getting shot at or stabbed. To have him home, for however long he'd stay.
I forced a smile on my lips, grabbing his hand in mine. "Come on, mother will be waiting." I said, dragging him along the pathway back to town.
Yondu's reunion with mother was not much different. There was much hugging, and even more tears to be had. Mother cried so loudly when she saw him walk through the door, it was like a part of her soul had come flooding back into her body. She ran to him, and captured him in her embrace. Her joy at seeing him alive and well in front of her had rendered her unable to speak coherently, so she just held him close and cried. Yondu, being careful, maneuvered her to sit on the couch in the front room. Try though he might he could not calm her, and soon he was reduced to apologizing in between shaky breaths.
"I'm sorry mum…" his hands clasped hers as he knelt down in front of her. "I'm so sorry…"
I watched from the doorway, just observing him from the distance. In some ways he never changed. He never swore in front of mother. Never. Not even in Xandarian. Most of us were fluent in the language, but when he came home he only spoke Centaurian with mother and Gramon. They were little things, but it was nice to see that they had not changed.
Other things had. I could already see it. Even kneeling, he held himself in a defensive position. His eyes darted minutely in the direction of any loud noise coming from outside the house. He was on guard, in our home. For some reason, he did not feel safe here.
"Mama!" I started, Jeje's loud greeting pulling me out of my thoughts. My little girl ran into the room, a smile spread across her little face. She was so full of life, so full of curiosity and wonder. "I saw a giant thing in the sky!" She exclaimed, wrapping her little arms around my legs as she beamed up at me.
I smiled down at her, running my hand over the small fin on her head. "I know, I saw it too." I said, glancing back over at Yondu who had gone deathly quiet at my daughter's arrival. "Jeje," I knelt down, taking her hands in mine, "there's someone here that you should meet. You met him once before in the glowing box. Do you remember?" I didn't think that she would, she had only been maybe four years old. However, I was proven wrong when she lit up like the morning sun.
"Uncle Yondu!" She turned around, noticing him for the first time. Yondu's serious exterior was quickly replaced with a welcoming smile as Jeje all but jumped into his arms.
"Hey squirt!" Yondu responded by lifting her up in the air and spinning her in a circle. My heart skipped a beat in worry, for only a moment, until my Jeje was again safely on her own two feet. "How'd you get so big?" Yondu demanded, crossing his arms sternly. "Last I was here you were no bigger than a loaf of bread!" Jeje laughed, the sound spreading to mother as she looked on at the scene, having finally regained herself. "How old are you now?"
"I'm six!" Jeje exclaimed proudly, holding up six of her small fingers to show him.
"Six?" Yondu feigned shock, scratching his head. "I coulda swore I missed more birthdays than that. Well, I guess that just means I don't have to give you all of your presents then…" Jeje lit up, her eyes becoming wider than plates.
"Presents?" she gasped, bouncing up and down on her little feet. My thoughts reflected her words, but not in the same tone. I looked at my brother wearily, but he refused to acknowledge my stare.
Yondu crouched down beside her again, reaching for his dropped satchel as she looked on in excitement. "Now, all the stuff in here is for you…" he started, "but there's one thing in here I want you to promise you'll be very careful with. You can't leave it outside, and you can't let other people play with it. Okay? Can you promise that?"
"I promise!" Jeje said, her hands clasping together in her failed attempts to contain her enthusiasm.
"Okay then." Yondu shuffled through the bag, pulling out a long cylindrical object. Jeje stared in awe at its reflective silver surface, having never seen something so strange on our world.
"What is it?" she asked, reaching out cautiously to run a finger over the several small holes that went down its length.
"It's a flute." He handed it to her, watching her cradle it carefully in her arms. "I remember you said you like to sing with the birds in the morning. This will make you sound like them if you play it right."
Jeje looked thoughtful for a moment, then thrust the flute back at him. "Show me!" Her eyes were sparkling, like all the stars in the night sky were reflected in them. She adored him, with a love that I had once had for him as well. She was too young to realize what things he did, what things he had done. She knew him as the Uncle who lived in the sky and worked with strange beings.
I walked carefully closer, taking a seat next to mother on the couch as Yondu raised the flute to his lips. I was only half paying attention, my worries for whatever lay left in that bag keeping my thoughts captive. I wish he had told me he was going to bring her things from off world. Or at least let me approve them first. What if they were dangerous? He wouldn't know what children could have! He'd been separated from any sort of family life for too long to be aware of anything like that, I was sure.
My train of thought was brought to an abrupt halt when I heard the sound coming from the flute. Jeje had fallen silent as he started playing, realizing with awe that it was an instrument. I looked at the object with sudden interest, analyzing its form. This flute was strange. How could something so strange produce such sound? And on another note, when had my brother learned to play an instrument?
We had instruments on our world, but none of them that had sounds so pure. Yondu manipulated the flute to play sounds so light and cheerful, and others that made my stomach twist with guilt to know that my brother could create something so sorrowful sounding. Every bit of it held Jeje captivated. When he finished his song she clapped and cheered, bouncing up and down again. Yondu gave it back to her, pushing her small fin backwards affectionately. She laughed, shaking her head to bounce it back in place.
"Now, it ain't going to be easy, but if you play a little bit every day you'll be singing with the birds in no time." He smirked, adding a little more quietly. "Make sure you annoy your mother with it as much as possible for me when I'm gone."
"I promise." Jeje whispered, snickering as she took the flute back. She joined myself and mother on the couch, looking at the instrument with no interest in whatever still lay in the bag. I was a bit relived.
"Yondu, I can make up the guest bedroom if you'd like. How long will you be with us?" Mother asked, speaking up for the first time.
To this Yondu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up. He leaned against the wall lightly and crossed his arms. "I don't really have a set timeframe. Kraglin's dealing with the business end. I'm technically here on medical leave-"
"Medical?" I glanced him over, looking for any wounds I could have missed when I first saw him. But he seemed fine…
He tapped the side of his head, his smile from before completely gone. "Mental." He clarified. "We had an incident on the Eclector a while back, and it's…" he looked down at the floor between his feet, his frown deepening. "It's messed with my head a bit. Doc said I should go home. Be with family, try to clear my mind and whatnot." He scuffed his boot across the wood absentmindedly. "Don't worry about the guestroom mum. I won't be staying too long, and I'll be spending my nights on the ship with my crew."
"But what if you stay for dinner and it gets too dark and mom won't let you go outside?" Jeje asked, a legitimate question in her eyes because she wasn't allowed out after dark.
Yondu smirked. "Well, I guess in that case I'll just crash on the couch."
Conversation fell after that, growing quite awkward as we adults stared at each other, unmoving. Jeje, bless her soul, was oblivious to the tension. She started playing on her instrument experimentally. She herself cringed at some of the noises she made. Yondu, his arms still crossed and leaning against the wall, settled for watching her with an amused look. But, I was surprised to see a sadness settle in his eyes. It was a moment before I realized that this was his first time being around my daughter in any way memorable. He had seen her once as a baby, and once over a video call, but that had been it. Could he be feeling guilty over not being around?
I shook the thought from my mind, trying not to project my feelings of the situation onto him. I believed he should feel guilty about it, that didn't mean that was what he actually felt.
Mother got up from the couch, stifling a cough as she did, and mentioned getting dinner started. I moved to help, but she waved me away. It appeared that she wanted me to spend time with my brother.
I stared at him, and he in turn ignored me for my daughter. With mother gone he took up her place on the couch, sitting on the other side of Jeje. I watched in silence as he gave her some instruction, guiding her through a sequence of musical sounds. I was puzzled. Over the years I'd seen Yondu turn into a monster of sorts, and I was nervous that he would continue to do so, yet watching him interact with my daughter made me question everything that I had been feeling when he arrived. He was kind with her, patient even. That was a word I never thought I could use to describe my brother. At least, not any more. I remember a time when I was a child that he could be such a person. But that time was long gone.
I wiped a tear away from my eye before either of them could notice.
"Uncle Yondu, what's it like living in the sky?" Jeje spoke up suddenly, holding her instrument carefully in her lap. Yondu seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but recovered quickly.
"It's very cold." He said, scratching absently at the stubble on his chin. "And the people aren't very nice." Jeje giggled. "But there's a lot to see and many places to go. The stars go on forever, and there's more of them than you could ever count."
Jeje looked down at her hands, her voice abruptly quiet. "I wish I could go with you…"
Yondu looked up at me for the first time in ages, his eyes just as wide as mine. "Why would you want to do that?" he asked, his tone cautious.
I watched my little girl shift in her seat, her embarrassed behavior making me worry. "I like stars… and-" she bit her lip, her expression sad, "-I want to know what it's like, living in the sky… Everyone tells me it's silly, but if you do it, it can't be bad…"
"Well," My brother started, glancing briefly towards me again, "maybe, when you're older, your mother will let me take you for a trip in my ship?"
If Jeje wasn't watching me with such hopeful eyes I would have glared a hole through my brother's head. "We'll see." I said, with as little edge as I could muster. There was no way, in heaven or hell, that I would allow Jeje to go with Yondu into space. I didn't need him filling her head with crazy ideas and making her believe that she should be anywhere other than here on this planet with her own kind. Perhaps he realized my train of thought, he switched the topic quickly to Jeje's studies, asking when she would be starting school. She launched into a long explanation of her starting school, and in her excitement, she completely missed her uncle's shoulders drooping.
Yondu ate dinner in silence, in fact he was very quiet for the rest of the evening. He responded only when prompted, and his words were kept short. A shadow had come over him after Jeje's request, or more specifically my indirect refusal to allow it. I don't know why it was upsetting him, or if that was truly the reason he was so quiet. I honestly didn't know what to think.
Gramon joined us half way through dinner, covered in clay and powders, and he greeted Yondu with warmth and friendliness. The two spoke briefly, but that too ended with Yondu's silence.
"Yondu…" Mother spoke up after Jeje had left with Gramon to go back home, and she and I started to clear the table. "What is troubling you?"
My brother sighed, and it was as if a piece of his soul left him in that large breath. "I wouldn't even know where to begin…" he tapped his fingers on the table top for a moment before standing, pushing in his chair and the ones next to his as he moved away. "Dinner was amazing mum, thank-you." He embraced her briefly, kissing her cheek as he did.
"You're leaving?" That was quick. I thought, crossing my arms. I would have expected him to at least have the courtesy to stay longer for mother's sake.
"I'll be back in the morning. It's getting late into the shift. I need to speak with Kraglin before he gets too tired to report." He explained, emptying the contents of his satchel out onto the table before slipping the strap over his shoulder. "Give these to Jeje for me will you? After you sort out which ones you think are going to make her want to jump world of course…" That last bit was said with no small amount of bitterness, and he said nothing more in farewell before he left.
I huffed, feelings of indignation rising up inside me. How dare he get mad at me for wanting to protect my daughter! She didn't belong in his world. His world was dangerous and unpredictable. He himself said that the people who lived in space were not good people, why was he mad at me?
I growled, slumping down into a dining room chair. Mother was now busying herself with the dishes, and I was left alone to look over the objects that Yondu had brought from off-world. Most of them appeared to be little trinkets, or toys, none of which seemed dangerous at all. There were three books, written in Xandarian, which appeared to be a series of stories. Also not dangerous. The last object was a box, decorated with colorful stones. It was rather large, about as wide as my two hands put together and a few inches tall. It was smooth to the touch, with no sharp edges or other dangers, and upon opening it I was met with an assortment of carefully stored jewelry. They were extravagant, and I could only imagine how much all of it had cost. There were necklaces, bracelets, and rings. All of them were made of different materials, and came in different colors and sizes. There was also a note, written on a scrap of paper on top of it all. Unfolding it, I was surprised to find that I still recognized Yondu's handwriting.
Jeje, I've been collecting these for you since I first saw you as a baby. I know that I haven't been around much, and I know I can't make up for lost time, but I wanted you to know that I was thinking about you. You are my precious niece, and I want you to have the best. Much love, from your uncle Yondu.
I placed the note back in the box and closed it, my stomach twisting.
I didn't sleep well that night. My mind was too consumed in turmoil to rest. Gramon did his best to talk to me, he really did try, but I did not want to talk. I was torn between so many different emotions I did not know what I could say. So I lay awake as my husband slept soundly beside me, staring at the ceiling.
A part of me wished that Yondu hadn't come home. It was easy to pretend that he wasn't changed if he wasn't around. But with him here, it became impossible to ignore just how much he had changed. I could hardly bear to see him here and feel that my brother was so far away. When he left to work in space all those years ago, I said goodbye to my brother. The man who was here now, while still my brother, was not him. He was dark, angry, violent, and dangerous. His behavior with my daughter had briefly thrown me for a loop, as it had been strange to see, but if there was one thing I knew about Yondu it was that he was a good actor when he wanted to be. He may have behaved in front of Jeje, but that didn't change what he was.
When I walked outside my front door the next morning I had to rub my eyes to be rid of my sleepiness. The air was still somewhat cold, as the sun had yet to rise fully into the sky, which helped me stay awake as I walked through the village. I had decided at some point in the night to make my way to Cloy's fish stand in the morning, planning to make something good for breakfast for Jeje before school. My eldest brother's shop was down by the lake's edge, and it was always stocked with the best fish.
Cloy was not well. His mind had been lost to darkness long ago, but he made his way in life through his trade, learned from his father before our people were taken and imprisoned. He went out on the water early each morning to check his nets, and brought his haul back to the shack to prepare to be sold during the day. He did this every day, not breaking from routine for years. It was the only way for him to remain somewhat sane…
There was already a small crowd of people when I arrived, buying their fish to prepare the morning meal for their loved ones just as I had planned on doing. However, the crowd was much larger than it normally was. They were gathered around the store front, watching with interest what was going on just inside the shop. I wrinkled my forehead in confusion, trying to push through the crowd to see what was so interesting.
When I managed to find a place to stand and see what was going on, I froze, my stomach turning. Yondu was there, standing with Cloy at the cutting board, filleting fish like he could do it with his eyes closed. The two of them seemed to be in some sort of competition, working to see who could fill orders the fastest. Cloy was smiling, something I rarely saw him do so brightly, and laughed when Yondu accidentally let a fillet slip from his fingers as he went to wrap it in paper.
"You may have the skill to do the work, but I have years of experience on my side little brother." He smirked, wrapping his own stash of fillets and handing them to their purchaser.
"Yeah, you got me there." Yondu said, grabbing another fish and setting to work on it. He worked the knife like it was an extension of his arm, completely comfortable with gutting and cleaning with it. I wonder how many times he's gutted a person… The thought popped into my head before I could think twice about it, making my stomach turn further.
"Hey Ghanna!" Cloy greeted me with a wave when he noticed me standing there, flashing me a smile. Yondu glanced up at me when he heard my name, his own smile faltering. "You need the usual today?" Cloy asked, seemingly oblivious to our brother's change in demeanor.
"If that wouldn't be any trouble." I said past the lump in my throat, handing him the exact currency I would owe. Cloy always said I didn't need to pay because I was family, but I never felt quite right about it. He worked hard, harder than most, so he deserved the money he made. "Yondu." I acknowledged him, so as not to be rude as Cloy went about my order. I had decided that while he was here, no matter my feelings about it, I had to at least be civil. It was apparent from last night that if anything he was at least trying to do the same.
"Ghanna-" he started to say something, but cut him off quickly.
"Jeje loves the books." I admitted, feeling my chest tighten when I thought about how quickly I had assumed Yondu's gifts to be dangerous. "She can't wait to learn to read them."
He nodded, looking back down at the fish he was slicing open. "She'll like them. I actually had to read through a few different series of books to find one suitable for her." Once again, his words took me by surprise. He didn't seem to notice, as he handed the next customer their completed order. "You'll have to let me know if she wants more. The author has a few other series published, I think."
"You're going to spoil that girl rotten, little brother." Cloy smirked, nudging him with his elbow.
"Well, that's the idea, now isn't it? I'd buy her a f*cking library if she wanted one." He said, his attention turning away from me completely.
Cloy rolled his eyes, slicing open another fish along its belly. "Of course you would. She's Ghanna's daughter, I wouldn't expect anything less."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, feeling several pairs of eyes turn to me within the crowd. Most people in the village knew that the three of us were related, but rarely were they ever able to see us all together in one place. Our family was a bit famous because of Yondu, whether that was a positive or negative thing depended on who you asked. So naturally, people wanted the latest gossip.
Cloy glanced at me skeptically. "Really? You think he'd do any less for Jeje than he did for you growing up? You were his whole world, it's all he ever talked about…" he trailed off, his mind going back to the past briefly before he could stop it. But surprisingly, he pulled himself out of it. "He did everything for you, sacrificed everything for you, if you think he'd do anything else for Jeje, you're insane." At this he gave me a look, something I couldn't quite identify. But it definitely felt like he was accusing me of something. Of what, I couldn't be sure. His older eyes bore into me with meaning, but before I could question it he handed me my order and went back to interacting with his customers.
I glanced briefly at Yondu as I left, and found him looking down at his cutting board, his expression torn. He chewed the inside of his cheek, a hand reaching up to run over the metal fin that sat atop his head. He sighed, the motion almost undetectable, and got back to work.
I had to swallow around a hard lump in my throat as I left.
The rest of the day proceeded averagely. If it weren't for the thoughts of my brother nagging me at the back of my mind, it would have been a completely normal day. Jeje ate breakfast and ran off to school, Gramon went to load the kiln and start the first firing of our pieces, and mother went about collecting plants to dye her strings for weaving. I spent my day mixing glazes for the second firing of the pieces in the kiln. It wasn't until just before the sun started to set that I saw Yondu again.
He was sitting up in the branches of a tree with his legs propped up flat in front of him, Jeje sitting atop his knees, fifteen feet off of the ground. My heart raced, seeing the distance that my daughter was above the ground. She'd break her legs if she fell! And that was if she didn't break anything else…
I was about to shout at my brother to get my daughter down from that tree, but realized quickly that startling him when they were both so high up was not a good idea. I instead bit my tongue and stalked across the street to confront him face to face. I was half way to them when a third figure appeared.
It was that woman from the ship. She climbed down from a higher branch, coming to sit on the branch beside Yondu. She smiled brightly at Jeje, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she listened to whatever my daughter was saying. Something about the scene caused me to pause, confused at the close proximity that the woman was in to my brother. I had not thought of it before, but this was the first time he had ever brought a woman to our world. I was under the impression that he did not hire women aboard his ship. So, who was this woman sitting with him now, smiling, and laughing with him?
She was the first to spot me at the foot of the tree, and she nudged Yondu in the arm to draw his attention away from whatever story Jeje was retelling. Once again, his smile fell when he saw me. That might have had something to do with the scowl I was giving him though. I was not happy.
"Caught in the act." He muttered, shaking his head. "Alright, fun's over Jeje. Time to get down before your mother has a conniption." He said, grabbing her arms to help her stand up on his legs.
"A what?" she asked, her little high pitched voice full of confusion.
Yondu chuckled quietly. "Nothing.. you ready?" Jeje nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. And I about had a conniption when it became apparent that Yondu was just going to drop off of the tree. He wrapped an arm around Jeje, and swung off of the branch with the other arm, holding himself dangling from the tree for a moment before releasing and dropping to the ground, all the while keeping a tight hold on Jeje. The woman was much more sensible, finding a way to climb down, but I hardly noticed that.
I didn't acknowledge him, I didn't think I could without shouting at him in front of Jeje. I took my daughter's hand in mine and lead her away, leaving him in my dust.
When we arrived home I sent Jeje to clean her room and went out to the kiln to speak with Gramon. He was busy sorting out the different pieces of pottery within the kiln when I arrived, covered in dust and charcoal. He recognized my irritable mood the moment I arrived and asked what was the matter. I recounted the situation I had discovered Jeje in just minutes prior, and he shrugged.
"What's so wrong about Jeje spending time with her Uncle? He's not going to let anything bad happen to her."
"She could have fell!" I huffed, crossing my arms.
Gramon gave me a skeptical look, mirroring my stance. "I highly doubt Yondu would have let her fall. And even if she did, he has better healing procedures on that ship of his than we'll have on this planet for a long time."
I shook my head, feeling frustrated. "How can you not be upset about this?"
My husband leveled me with a look, his voice growing a bit firm. "Because I don't have it out for your brother like you seem to." He turned back to his work, but continued. "You've done nothing but give him cold treatment since he's got here. Cloy came by earlier to ask about you. Apparently Yondu said something to make him think you didn't want him here, and honestly I think he might be onto something."
"Of course I want him here. He's my brother!" I objected.
"Well, you don't seem to happy to have him around to me."
"I wouldn't expect you to understand Gramon, he's not your brother-"
He turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. "Ghanna, he became my brother the day I married you."
I huffed, feeling my blood raise to my face.
I left home feeling no better than I had before. So, both Cloy and Gramon thought that I didn't want Yondu around? That wasn't true. I wanted him here, I was just having a hard time adjusting to his presence. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.
Dinner with my husband and daughter was awkward for me that night. Apparently after Jeje was finished with school, Yondu had been waiting for her to walk her home. She spent the entire meal telling stories about their time that day, and how he told her stories about his adventure in the stars. All the while her eyes sparkled with excitement, causing my stomach to clench and me to lose my appetite. Gramon gave me a hard look when I tried to change the subject, and I suspect he was thinking about our earlier conversation. So I stayed quiet and let Jeje prattle on about her day.
"Yondu's girlfriend is pretty." Jeje said suddenly, looking thoughtful. "She has hair like you do mommy!"
Girlfriend? The food in my mouth suddenly lost all flavor. Was that who that woman was? Had my brother…met someone? Why hadn't he said anything? I chewed slowly, not hearing Jeje continue to gush about the female alien. I had long ago given up on the idea of Yondu ever meeting someone he would want to court. The only women on our world that showed him any interest, or vice versa, were only interested in him because of his aloofness. They were all skanks, who wanted to mate with him and be done with him. He had never met someone he had interest in settling down with. But I had only seen him interact with women on-world, it made sense that he would have met many women off-world.
I couldn't deny the stab of disappointment in his choice of woman. I had hoped that he would court someone of his own race at the least. Maybe then he would stay here where he belonged.
Gramon decided to stay home with Jeje when I left to visit mother, and brave seeing my brother again. This time around I was filled with questions. I wanted to know who this woman was that my brother was infatuated with. Of course, I realized that Jeje might have just been assuming things with Yondu and the woman, as it wouldn't have been the first time, but now that the thought had taken root in my mind I wanted to know for sure.
Mother had just finished cleaning up dinner when I arrived, and had sat back down at the table to listen in to Yondu's conversation with Kraglin and Cloy. My brother had apparently brought the Xandarian man, and the woman from earlier, to dinner with him but mother didn't seem to mind. She smiled as she watched her sons interact with the off-worlders, entranced by the story that Kraglin was telling.
I slipped into the room without drawing attention to myself, taking a seat next to Cloy as Kraglin finished his tale in a bout of laughter. Yondu rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he leaned towards the woman to whisper something to her. She made a noise like a snort, choking on laughter at whatever he had said, her face turning red. I watched the two of them, careful not to stare directly at them, throughout the evening. It truly did appear that they were close, and I was beginning to wonder if Jeje was right and they were some strange form of lovers. Knowing Yondu, he wouldn't be one for anything I would consider a normal relationship.
I sipped on my drink, my mother had dished them out to everyone a few hours after I had arrived to keep conversation going so that they'd stay longer. I knew her methods, she may have been a sweet old lady, but she could be manipulative when she wanted to be. I smiled at the thought, swirling the liquid in my cup thoughtfully.
Yondu was smiling an awful lot, his mood very cheerful in the company of his crew. After the stunt he pulled with Jeje earlier that day I had yet to speak with him directly, only commenting on what others at the table said during the course of the evening, but my curiosity had run its course, and I was ready for some answers. Maybe in his current mood, he'd be willing to share some.
I decided to be somewhat tactful, speaking in our language so as not to involve the alien woman in our conversation. "Yondu," He turned to me, bringing his own drink to his lips as he gave me his full attention. "Are you courting that woman?"
His eyes grew wide, and he choked on his drink. Kraglin, whom I had forgotten knew our language, burst into laughter as Yondu continued to cough. The woman looked confused, and concerned at the ferocity at which Yondu was reacting to what I had said. She cast me a confused look before turning back to him. Obviously lost as to what to do, she cautiously pat him firmly on the back, helping to dislodge whatever liquid had made it down into his lungs.
After the fit had subsided, Yondu waved the woman away, and he stared at me incredulously from across the table. "Why in the world would you ask a question like that?" He replied, taking a much more controlled drink to ease the irritation in his throat.
Cloy spoke up from beside me, breaking his silence for the first time in a while. "It does seem to be a legitimate question, little brother. You have never brought a woman here before, it seems odd that you would now if she did not hold some significance to you."
"Exactly." I agreed, casting the woman a glance. She was watching us all in confusion, not even Kraglin was helping her understand what was going on as he was still too busy laughing. "You two have been whispering to each other all night, what are we supposed to think?" Yondu sputtered, obviously at a loss for what to say, but the denial he wished to express what written plainly across his face.
"Oh, leave him alone you two." Mother chided, her eyes twinkling. "He'll tell us these things when he's ready to." She stood, smiling mischievously as she pushed her chair in.
"Mum!" Yondu groaned, burying his face in his hand. "It ain't like that. She's just here for moral support." Mother shook her head in good humor, leaving us alone to go fetch something in the kitchen.
"Moral support?" I wrinkled my brow at him, the lightheartedness of the conversation turning serious in my mind. He paused, as if he hadn't realized he had said those words out loud, before nodding. "Why would you need to bring someone for moral support here? This is your home." My mind went back to yesterday, when he had appeared on guard in our own mother's house. He had been tense, here.
"This ain't my home." He said quietly, looking directly at me. It was like a stake through the heart to hear him say it, as much as I had already suspected it.
"Yes, it is." I said firmly, not leaving any room for debate. "This is where your family is. This is where your people are. This is your home."
Yondu shook his head. "Family ain't just the people you're related to. You can choose family, and adopt family. And my crew are my people. My family and my people are out in space, just as they are here. I am just as much a Ravager as I am a Centaurian, Ghanna, and that ain't about to change."
I stood, my chair falling backwards in my passion. "You don't belong out there!" I whipped my arm in the direction of space. "You belong here. Right here!" My hand slapped the table, and I glared as my brother also stood. "You are not one of them! You are one of us!"
"No I'm f*cking not!" Yondu snapped, startling the members of his crew as he switched from our language to Xandarian. "I ain't one of you! I ain't even related to you! I do everything I do because I-"
"What?" I felt my voice squeak in my throat. Cloy stood up suddenly, and I could feel his arms wrap around me firmly. I felt dizzy, like my blood had all drained to my toes. My ears started to ring, and all I could see was Yondu being pulled away from the table by that woman. He fought against her, stepping around the table to stand in front of me. Whatever was being said, I could not hear it.
Yondu wasn't… my brother?
I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes as my senses started flooding back. Yondu wasn't my brother. All these years I had never realized. But it made sense. He didn't look like my mother, or Cloy. But why? Why would they lie? Why would they want to keep that from me? No. It couldn't be true. It can't be true…
"Yondu, stop." The woman implored, tugging on his arm. "Stop before you say something you're really going to regret."
"I knew I shouldn't have come back here." Yondu growled, shrugging her off.
"Captain-" she tugged at him again, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Yondu, it's getting late. We should get back to the ship." She was giving him a look, as if they were communicating with their eyes, and finally his posture slackened to something calmer. He glanced back at me, but I could not read his eyes.
The three of them left without another word, leaving me to slump into my chair that Cloy had righted for me.
I cried. I fled my mother's house and hid in the ceramic workshop. Curling up in a corner I wept until my eyes went dry. And sometime during the night I fell asleep.
I was awoken the next morning by my husband, who looked at me with such knowing eyes. He picked me up and carried me home. At some point, he told me that my br- Yondu, was leaving. He had come by the house some time that morning to break the news that he didn't plan on returning. Thank goodness Jeje wasn't awake to hear it. The news hit me in a strange way. In some ways I hadn't seen my br-Yondu in many years. He had changed beyond recognition. But now, now I had no chance of seeing him ever again.
I went about the household chores in a bit of a daze as Gramon continued to speak. He probed me for information as to why this was happening, as he did not know what had happened the previous night. He was urging me to try and convince Yondu not to leave this way, but I just could bring myself to.
I was sitting at the table just before noon, when Yondu was supposed to leave, and my husband tried for the umpteenth time to convince me to speak with him. "He's your brother, Ghanna! He'd do anything and everything for you, why will you let him leave?"
"He does not want to be here, I won't try to convince him anymore." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Yondu can leave and never come back for all I care."
"Yondu is… leaving?" My heart stilled as a small, broken sounding voice came from the kitchen doorway. Jeje looked up at us, tears welling up in her eyes. "But… he just came home… tell him to stay!"
"Jeje-"
"He can't leave!"
"Jeje!" I tripped over my chair as I jumped up to follow my daughter as she fled the house. Gramon helped to pick me up and we both chased after her.
I love my daughter. She is full of emotion and love, but unfortunately those things filled her with enough energy to evade us until she reached the fields where Yondu's ship was staying.
"Uncle Yondu!" I heard her scream his name, her voice heavy from her crying. "Uncle Yondu, no! Don't leave!"
"Jeje, come back!" I called her once again, worried that the ship would take off and harm her. However, as we neared, I saw Yondu speaking with his crew outside the ship. He turned when he heard my daughter scream his name again.
"Uncle Yondu, you can't leave…" Jeje, threw her arms around his legs, nearly tackling him to the ground. "Don't leave…"
He didn't look at me, he didn't look at the woman standing with him when she touched his arm, his eyes were glued to Jeje. She kept repeating herself, tears streaming down her face. He looked at a loss. Slowly, he knelt down, taking her hands in his.
"Now what's all this crying for, little princes?" He wiped her cheeks carefully, a bitter smile pulling at his lips. "Yer ol' uncle Yondu ain't worth cryin' over."
"You can't leave…" she sniffed.
"But I have to." He explained, ruffling her fin. "My boy got himself into a sticky situation and I've gotta go pull him out of it..." Jeje sniffed, rubbing her nose on the back of her hand. "Ya understand?" She nodded.
"When will you be back?"
At this he was at a loss for words.
"You will come back, won't you?"
He bit his lip, hard. "Yeah…listen hon…" he cut himself off, something in his eyes changed, and he sounded much less somber the second he spoke up again. "Yeah, of course I'll be back!" He proclaimed, scooping my daughter up in his arms as he stood up. Jeje squealed in surprise as he twirled her around. When she stopped crying he put her back on her feet, giving her a genuine smile. "There ain't anything in the galaxy I wouldn't do for ya, sweetheart. Don't you ever forget that."
"So you'll come home again?"
"Of course." He chuckled.
"Really soon?"
"As soon as I can. I promise."
I looked on at the pair, a heavy feeling in my heart. I didn't know what to make of it. In this moment I could see the Yondu I used to know. The caring, kind Yondu that left all those years ago to go pirating among the stars. And I was frozen. I couldn't speak. I could only watch mutely as he turned away from my Jeje and walked with that woman to board his space ship.
He boarded his ship, and he left. I just stood there! I should have said something! I should have run to him, given him a hug and told him that he was my brother and that he always would be, no matter what. I should have told him that I loved him, and that I wanted him to come home again soon. I should have done something! But I couldn't have predicted that I would never have another chance...
...
As sad as it is, some things are never resolved. We all live with regrets concerning loved ones...
Anyways! Sorry for the wait, this one took me a while to get out the way I wanted it to. Don't worry, this isn't the last we'll see of Yondu's family. I'll be sure to include them in some future stories. I might actually post a story attached to this one (Come Home 1.5 of sorts) where we see a little into Yondu's side of things during all of this. :)
Leave a Review if you feel so inclined :) Have a great day!