Maat S'chn T'gai
Chapter Four - T'Sura
New Vulcan
April 2264
T'Sura
She was the eldest granddaughter. As such, it was her duty to see to her grandmother's comfort. She was in charge of running the household, and she took her duty seriously. She planned the menus, with her sister's help, and they did all the shopping and cooking and cleaning. Twice a week they carried the laundry out to the facility chosen by their grandmother. On Monday, it was the sheets and the towels, and the other household linens. On Thursday, it was the clothing. They carried it out in the morning, and went to pick it up in the late afternoon, bringing it home and putting it away immediately.
She took pride in the appearance of their home. And when people came to call on her grandmother, she served tea, and light refreshments, as custom dictated. She always had something in the stasis unit for just that purpose.
She was well organized. She knew it was unseemly to take pride in one's accomplishments, but secretly, she did. The household ledgers were neat and clean, and the columns of figures always added up perfectly. And she always stayed within the budget her grandmother had given her. Always.
She felt lucky that she and her sister had been visiting with their grandmother on that horrible day. Otherwise, they would have perished, with their parents and their brothers. She was glad to be alive, even with their lives changed so much. There was still much to be thankful for. Every evening, after all her chores were finished, she lit the incense and settled before the firepot, and meditated for an hour. It helped to keep her calm, and focused.
She would have liked to have attended the Vulcan Science Institute. She had been only one year away from applying when catastrophe struck. Kaiidth. By the time they had a new one built, she would surely be too old. And most probably bonded. But she could still read, and did. Every book she could get her hands on. Perhaps some day, she would have the leisure to attend some of those evening classes they had started to hold. She would not dwell on it. It would do her no good.
She was not outgoing like her sister. She was much quieter. Perhaps she was even shy. She had certainly been accused of hiding in her room, more than once as she grew up. She had never had any problem keeping herself contented, with books and new things to learn.
She had been bonded as a child, as had her sister. Neither of them had felt anything much for the boy that had been chosen for them. She had rarely seen him, not felt his thoughts, even as they approached their teens. He had not seemed that interested in her, either, nor in the science she found so fascinating. When the bond broke, she had experienced only a momentary pang, and the small emptiness that resulted had healed within weeks. She wondered what it would be like, to be bonded as an adult. Surely her grandmother meant to find someone for her. The clan was far too small now, they must rebuild. She hoped that whoever her grandmother chose would let her continue to read, and study. She hoped he would be kind, and gentle. She hoped her grandmother would consult her, before she made up her mind. But she knew her place, and her duty. It was practically all she had left. But the idea of being bonded, of having her own children, drew her. She did want children, and not just to augment their broken clan. She wanted to hold them, and teach them, and watch them grow. She knew how few unbonded young women there were, in comparison to the number of men. She was of an age now, where it would surely come before too long. And if her grandmother did not act, surely the men would begin to come, and attempt to strike a bargain. She did not want to be haggled over, like something in the market. Not at all. She certainly did not want to go to the highest bidder. She did not want to leave her grandmother, and her sister, nor her uncle Sarek or her kinsman Selek and his new bride. She wanted to stay with her family, but she did not think this would be possible. Kaiidth. It seemed to be the story of her life.
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Kaiidth = what is, is.
