CH. 50 Goodbye And Hello
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Humble Opinion for posting this. This is my version of 'A Father Should Be." Read and review.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Jem or any of the other characters or the rights to the show. It's just fun, and no profit is earned.
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"She wouldn't even eat the carrot cake?" Jerrica looked incredulous. Kara stared out the window, not taking part in the conversation. Instead, she thought about the possibilities. Ba Nee had been depressed ever since the school Art Show, and Kara fully understood why. The girl wasn't thinking about possible outcomes, she just wanted her father. The adults in the house, however, had to think about consequences. Ba Nee might find her father alive or she might not. If he was alive, it could be either good or bad, depending on what kind of person he was. She never considered for a moment, though, that it might be better not to know. Having reached a decision, she interrupted the conversation.
"So let's find the man so she can know for sure," she said. The others looked at her and shared a glance with each other, before nodding. Jerrica went to her home office and retrieved all the information she had about Ba Nee and her parents. There wasn't a lot.
Jerica spread out the few documents she had pertaining to the Vietnamese girl, on the kitchen table and they began making a list of the facts they had. "We know so little about Ba Nee's father. He was a soldier in Viet Nam and he married Ba Nee's mother, Kiyo Chin, there, but they were separated. Kiyo Chin died before reaching America, but before that, the name she gave for the father was Martin."
"And the red hair?" Kara asked, glancing up from a the immigration documents she was reviewing.
"Ba Nee claims that her mother told her that her father has red hair," Cheyna answered.
"Not much to go on," Jerrica frowned worriedly. "I can only think of one person who might help us, Riot."
"Why Riot?" Aja asked.
"His father is an officer in army intelligence," Kara supplied. "He may be able to get the information we need."
Jerrica nodded, standing up. "He might not help Jerrica," she smiled, "but I'm sure he'll help Jem."
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As Kara and Riot didn't get along, she did not accompany Jem to see him. He knew of her role in mending fences between him and his father, but he wasn't sure why she had done it, or how to feel about it.
Jem found him at his home and was quickly invited inside. Riot was always happy to see her, and she felt a bit guilty playing on that. He led her to the well maintained and stylishly decorated living room and offered her a seat. The place was spotless yet still managed to look comfortable and lived in. She hadn't really taken it in on her previous visit, being focused on Riot. Knowing his obsession with appearances, however, it didn't surprise her. She smiled winningly and decided to get straight down to business.
Knowing that it might be a sore subject, she decided to come directly to the point. The request surprised him, but it was for a good cause and clearly meant a lot to her. So, for Jem, and to acknowledge the debt, he agreed to ask his father for a favor. He took the file with all of the information available on Ba Nee's missing father, and promised to try.
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Colonel Llewelyn put down his paper when he heard the knock on the door. It was Saturday morning, and he wasn't really expecting anyone. "I'll get it," his wife called, heading toward the door. She had improved dramatically after he and Rory had made their peace. She still tired easily, and the doctors had prescribed bed rest and certain medications, but she hadn't let it slow her down too much. He kept an eye on her, but didn't insist she take it easy.
When he heard his son's voice at the door and his wife's happy cry, he set aside his paper and stood up. "Rory? What brings you here?" It was a far more civil greeting than he'd gotten last time, and his son seemed nonplused for a moment. "Checking up on your mother?"
"Partly," he admitted. "I also needed to speak to you."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I…need your help with something." He gestured to the kitchen table. "Please, have a seat, and I'll explain." The colonel sat down at the cleared table and Rory set down a manila envelope and told him about Ba Nee before emptying the contents on the table.
"There's not a lot here," his father observed.
"I know. I'm hoping you could help find this Martin, or at least narrow the search."
The colonel considered for a moment, eyeing the collection of documents before him. It wouldn't really be against the regs, and it would help the two of them put the past behind them. "Alright. Let's see what we can make of this." He picked up the papers and spent a few moments glancing over them. "Hm. The only solid, confirmed date is the girl's birthday. Counting back from that, he was in An Loc between…" he rose and fetched a pad of paper and a pen, then returned, scribbling some dates on the pad. "They got married, which would mean he was single when he went over." More scribbling. "There may be a record of the ceremony if it was conducted by an army chaplain, and the date range limits the number of units he might have been assigned to." He wrote down three off the top of his head, knowing there would be more, but he could check the official records later.
Finally, he set down the pad. "This should narrow the search. I've got a sergeant at the base who loves challenges like this. If anyone can pull the records out, she can. She's on duty today. If you like, we can go see her after lunch."
"Thanks, dad," Rory grinned. "You have no idea how much this will mean to her."
His father smiled faintly. "I think I may have some idea."
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"Sergeant Langley? This is my son, Rory. I'd like you to help him with a quick project."
Langley nodded and accepted the file from the colonel's son as he explained the project. It wasn't actually a quick project. Not all records from that era had been converted to computer files, but she was able to pull most of what she needed from her system. The colonel had done a fine job of narrowing the search parameters and that helped quite a bit. She recognized his handwriting and had had a lot of practice reading his scrawl.
"Only two men fit with the last name, Martin, but it could be a first name as well." She quickly entered the new search parameters and was pleased to see it only added one more name to the list. "Here you go," she pulled the list off of the printer. "Three men and their last known addresses."
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"Wow!" Kimber enthused. "Riot really came through."
"Okay," Jerrica said passing out the names. "Aja, you and Kara check out Martin O'Carolan. Kimber, take Rio and check out Leonard Martin in Nebraska. Cheyna and I will go to Las Vegas and talk to Andy Martin."
They split up and were soon traveling, each with a copy of the file and pictures of Ba Nee. Kara and Aja made their way to a veterans' hospital in L.A. When they explained their reasons for coming, they were directed to the office of Dr. Sakai, a middle-aged Japanese man with thick glasses and a kind face. He listened to their story and looked over the file Aja offered him.
"You must understand," he finally began, "that Martin was in bad shape when he was brought to us. He was a prisoner of war and…" he hesitated. "There are gaps in his memory that might make verifying a family connection difficult." He shook his head. "I am pushing ethical bounds telling you that much, but under the circumstances, you should probably know."
"It's possible Ba Nee is his daughter," Kara said. "He deserves the chance to know for sure. To find even a piece of what he's lost, it could do him a world of good. Isn't that worth bending the rules a bit?"
Sakai nodded. "Yes. It is. He pulled a pad from a desk drawer and glanced at his computer screen. "This is the last address I have for him. I hope you find what you are looking for." He wrote down the address and tore off the page, handing it to Kara.
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The address was in San Francisco, only a few hours up the coast, so Kara and Aja opted to drive. Taking Kara's car, they headed north; speaking little, there wasn't much point in speculating about the man. They would know soon enough.
The address turned out to be a small house on the north side of the city, but O'Carolan wasn't there. A neighbor who was mowing his lawn across the street told them that O"Carolan owned an art gallery a few miles away, but didn't know where, precisely. A few minutes with a phone book got them the address.
It took a couple of tries, but they found the gallery. Parking in front of the building, the two women went inside. Oil paintings lined the walls and they took a moment to stare at them. It seemed that Martin O'Carolan had a lot of artistic talent. It was a moment before they noticed a red-haired man in a blue button-down shirt and kakis watching them from near an easel. They had evidently interrupted a new painting.
"Are you Martin O'Carolan?" Kara asked.
"I am. Can I help you?"
"We hope so," Kara began. Then she spied a particular portrait. "Would you explain?" She asked Aja. "I need to check something." She moved off without waiting a reply, drawn toward a portrait of a very familiar face. The woman in the picture was an older version of Ba Nee. No mistake. "Hello Kiyo Chin," Kara whispered before turning back to catch the end of Aja's explanation.
"-we were hoping you might be her father."
"That's quite a story," he said thoughtfully, "but to the best of my knowledge, I cannot be her father, especially since I was a prisoner of war."
"You still can't remember what happened?" Aja asked.
"You…know about that. Well, even if I could remember, it doesn't mean I'm her father."
"I think there's a good chance you are," Kara said, entering the conversation. She pointed at the picture. "Who is that?"
"She's no one," O'Carolan shrugged. "Just a face I see in my dreams, sometimes."
"She also looks like an adult version of Ba Nee," Aja said. "Won't you please come with us and at least meet her? If there's even a chance, then you owe it to yourself and her."
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Aja was surprised to see the Roadster back already. "Looks like Jerrica and Cheyna got back first," she noted as Kara parked. "You think the other car is Andy Martin's?"
"We'll see," Kara shrugged, looking at O'Carolan. "We had no way of knowing which of the three names on the list might be her father. Looks like Andy Martin wasn't sure either."
"That's odd," Aja said. "We didn't have a lot of information, but how many American soldiers married a Vietnamese woman named Kiyo Chin?"
Kara glanced at her, startled; then frowned as she glanced at the car. "Let's go find out."
"I would remind you," Martin said as they approached the front door, "that I am not at all sure I am the right person."
"I know," Kara answered, placing a hand on his shoulder, "but I have a feeling, and after coming all this way, the least we can do is be sure." Martin nodded and followed her inside. They found Aja approaching a vexed looking Cheyna.
"I take it you brought Andy Martin back?" Aja asked.
"Yeah," Cheyna nodded. "Kinda wish we hadn't."
"What's wrong?" Kara asked, growing concerned at the other woman's tone.
"Where should I start? Finding him in a third rate casino losing all his money again? The way he brushed me and Jerrica off and then poured on the charm for Jem? If he's her father, Ba Nee is better off without him."
"He may not be," Kara tried to reassure her. "Let's make sure."
Cheyna shook her head. "He's certain he is."
"He knew the details?" Kara asked. "Kiyo Chin, their marriage and such?"
"Well…I don't know, he doesn't like to talk about it, but he's sure he's her father."
"Did you tell him Kiyo Chin's name or did he bring it up?" Aja asked.
"Um… neither," Cheyna said, looking confused. "Every time we try to question him about it, he changes the subject or says it's too painful to talk about."
Before any of them could comment on this, they heard feet on the stairs and Ba Nee laughing. She made an appearance with a grinning red-haired man who made straight for the front door. Kara moved to place herself in front of them. "Andy Martin?"
"Yep, that's me! 'Scuse me, got a lot of catchin' up to do with my little Bonnie." He tried to go around her. She blocked him.
"Not before I confirm that you're her father," Kara said firmly.
"I do appreciate you lookin' out for her," the man interrupted, "and in your place I'd do the same, but there's not a doubt in my mind." Again he tried to go around her.
"Answer one question," Kara told him, "and you can go. "Who performed the wedding between you and Hoài Mi?" The man blinked in surprise, and thought a moment. She didn't take her eye off the man, and hoped no one would comment.
"I don't remember. It was an army chaplain, a lieutenant, but I don't remember his name." He shook his head. "It wasn't a very big ceremony, like my mama would've wanted, just me, Hoài Mi, a chaplain and a couple of witnesses."
"Ba Nee's mother was named Kiyo Chin," Kara told him. He started, realizing he'd been tricked and looked around. O'Carolan, Jem, Aja, and Cheyna had him hemmed in, watching him suspiciously. His grip on Ba Nee's hand tightened a bit and Ba Nee started to protest and tried to pull away. Kara could see the man weighing his options and realized he might hurt Ba Nee if he thought it would get him out of there. "Let's call this a misunderstanding," she suggested. "We were all so excited at the prospect of finding her father; we didn't stop to consider that lots of soldiers married Vietnamese women."
Andy Martin seemed to come to a decision and released Ba Nee's hand. The girl backed away, and O'Carolan discreetly pulled her behind him. "I guess I did get ahead of myself," he said, taking the way out Kara had offered him.
"I'm sure you're a busy man," Kara offered. "We won't waste any more of your time." She stepped aside and opened the door, making it clear he was to use it. Nodding and grumbling under his breath, Andy Martin left the mansion. Kara didn't relax until he was in his car and driving away.
"That was quick thinking," O'Carolan said, relaxing himself now that the other man was gone.
"For a second there," Aja sighed, "I thought you were going to start a fight."
"While he had Ba Nee?" Kara asked, sounding a bit irritated. "Give me a little credit."
"Sorry," Aja said, noting the tone. While Kara accepted jokes about her temper with good grace, most of the time, Aja knew she'd never put anyone else at risk, especially one of the girls.
"Well, at least that's over with," Jem cut in. "It seems we only have two candidates left."
"One, actually," Mrs. Bailey interrupted, surprising them as no one had noticed her approach. "Kimber called to say Leonard Martin was certain he wasn't the man."
"One then," Jem amended.
"I'm sorry to say," O'Carolan said, "that I can't confirm it. I… don't remember much about my time in Viet Nam. I'm willing to do what I can to help learn the truth, though. There are ways to confirm it."
"Blood test?" Kara asked, and then nodded. "It's a good idea." She glanced at Ba Nee. 'I'm sorry we can't simply know, Ba Nee, but we don't want to disappoint you."
Ba Nee nodded. She looked unsettled by what had just happened, but kept sneaking glances at O'Carolan. "Let's be sure."
"Maybe," Jem offered, "we can help you remember. We know a little about Kiyo Chin and the information we pulled together to find you and the others on that list might jog your memory."
"I do have more motivation than before," he admitted, looking at Ba Nee.
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"It sounds like perfect timing to me," Minx said over the phone. "I'll come by after the party for Ba Nee. How is she doing?"
"Happy as can be," Jerrica answered. "Confirming that Martin O'Carolan was her father was easier than we thought. It's done Martin a world of good too."
"I'm glad to hear it. I just know the surprise I have planned will be a happy one too."
"I hope so," Jerrica answered, trying not to sound dubious. "I know this means a lot to you, Minx, but Kara isn't really one for surprises. You sure you want an audience for this? Or that she would?" She had pried as much as she could without outright refusing, but Minx remained smugly silent on the nature of her surprise, confident that Kara would be thrilled. Kara thrilled wasn't something Jerrica had ever seen, and she wondered silently what it would look like. Minx was hard to refuse when she got like this, and maybe, Jerrica reflected, it would be as welcome a surprise as she believed. She made her decision. "Martin wants to be on the road by three, so come by a little after with your surprise. We'll see how it goes."
"Thank you, Jerrica!" Minx's grin was practically audible.
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Everyone had turned up to wish Ba Nee farewell. Even the Misfits had turned up with gifts. Jem had been leery at first, but they seemed sincere. Stormier was all smiles, and even Pizzazz was on her best behavior. Roxy gave Ba Nee a book, saying she'd liked it and thought Ba Nee might. It took Kara a moment to remember that it had been Ba Nee who had given Roxy her first beginning reader.
Kara and Jo, who had been invited as well and had been taking pictures, had watched them discreetly, but they hadn't caused any problems. By silent agreement, she and Riot had been civil, but mostly kept their distance. She was a bit puzzled by the look on his face when she occasionally caught him watching her but didn't think it would be worth the effort to find out what was on his mind.
Finally, Ba Nee and her father were ready to leave. She gave them each a hug good-bye and left with a smile on her face for her new home. The cleanup was delayed for a short time with talk among the guests, but Kara slipped off to the kitchen to start getting ready for the chore ahead. That was how she missed Minx's arrival.
Kara and Becky, one of the Starlight girls, were the only ones in the kitchen when Minx came in. "Kara?"
"Minx?" Kara looked around, surprised to see her there. She hadn't been at the party, and it was a bit late to be arriving now.
"I know the party for Ba Nee is over," she smiled. "I actually came to see you."
"Oh? What about?"
"I've got a surprise for you, something I just know you're going to love."
Kara thought a moment, wondering what the somewhat erratic blonde had come up with. She knew the woman meant well, but her efforts to help people had met with mixed reviews, and Kara hoped she wouldn't have to work too hard to seem pleased with whatever Minx had done. It was best to be supportive, most agreed, as long as Minx didn't go overboard. "What sort of surprise?"
"Come and see," Minx smiled, gesturing toward the door and smiling hugely.
Kara had never cared much for surprises. Most, in her experience, were unpleasant ones, but it was hard to say no to Minx when she got like this. With a bemused smile, she let herself be led into the room where the guests were still gathered. "All right, Minx. What's this surprise you're so eager to show me?" She stopped in her tracks at the sight of the man waiting for her.
