Two Against Two

Chapter 18

Rob's Apartment, Paris, France.

December 23, 1990-5:00 P.M. CET

(Linnie's PoV:)

I'm sitting outside on the balcony alone, watching the sunset. I'm still feeling upset about the family not being together on Christmas.

Even though Mom told me on the phone that the family will be having a late Christmas, once we're all together, it still doesn't make it right, because Christmas should be a time of joyful celebration, where families are together and happy. I'm also still worried about the safety of my little brother, Kevin.

The cold, sickening feeling that hit my stomach, once Mom told the family the news that Kevin was home alone, feels stronger; as if it's warning me something bad is about to happen to him.

I soon hear the door swing open, and I listen to the sound of footsteps stomp against stone balcony. "Is that you, Meg?" I ask, without having to look back and see. I know she would come out here, because of the bond we share.

"Yeah. I just came out here to see if you were okay, sis. I thought to bring you your coat, since you left it in our room. I thought you might need it, with it being so cold," my sister replies, with a hint of worry in her voice. She then hands me my coat and sits down beside me. "I know you're worried about Kevin, but what else has you so upset, sis?"

I just look down and reply, "I'm just upset about how the family won't be together to celebrate Christmas,"

"I overheard you mention that to Mom on the phone earlier, but I didn't realize you felt so strongly about this. Is that why I'm sensing all the anger inside you?" she asks me, hoping.

I turn to look at my twin, seeing the concerned look in her eyes. "Yes. Sorry about allowing my own emotions slip into the bond we share, and causing you to worry about me,"

I'm feeling rather relieved that my anger masked the cold, sick emotion I was feeling about Kevin. Megan would be worried, if she knew about that. That's why I'm trying to suppress that feeling, so she doesn't ask about it. Lying to her is impossible, with the bond we both share.

"That's okay, Linnie. I thought it was something much worse that had you all upset." she tells me, sounding relieved. She must not feel my anger, anymore, but I'm now sensing distress radiating from her.

"What about you, Meg? Something's obviously bothering you, besides Kevin," I ask.

"I guess you sense what I'm feeling now, since your anger has cooled off," I just nod, in the affirmative.

"Well, Linnie, I'm sick of Paris, sick of having to eat disgusting French food, and I just want to go home, because I miss it so much. Why is Dad making us stay here in this cooped-up apartment, when we should be following Mom's example, in trying to get home, for Kevin's sake?" Megan asks me, trying to withhold herself from crying.

"I don't know, Meg, about why Dad is making us stay here. Maybe we should let him know how we really feel about everything, like how we told Mom on the phone?" I suggest.

"I say we let him know right now, Linnie, because I don't think I can handle another day, staying here; especially if Buzz is going to keep harassing us with his pranks," Megan tells me, as she gets up and heads for the door that leads back into the apartment.

"Megan, wait for me!" I holler after her, get up from my chair, and quickly catch up with my sister.

Megan and I quickly notice all of our cousins are on the living room floor, playing a board game of some kind; our brothers are watching TV; and our Aunts and Uncles are chatting with one another.

That's when we spot Dad on the phone, looking frustrated. He must be trying with the police again about Kevin. Megan and I glance at one another and nod.

We make our way to where Dad is, and he sees us. He holds up his finger and mouths, "I'll be with you in a second," We both watch Dad, who's trying to convince the police back at home to send another cop to check on Kevin.

He soon hangs up the phone, looking defeated, and mouths, "Maybe Frank is right about the police, after all," We have no clue what he's talking about. He soon turns his attention to us and asks, "What can I do for my two lovely daughters?" He causes Megan and myself to giggle.

"Sounds like you were having a rough time with the police," I state, while Megan just nods in agreement.

"Just trying to make sure your brother is okay, but the police still think it's a hoax. So, I've given up on them for help. The only option left is waiting for your Mom to get home and call us,"

Megan just looks at me, as if she's pushing me to tell him about the suggestion we discussed. "There may another option, Dad, besides waiting on Mom," I start to tell him.

He just curiously looks at me and says, "I'm listening with all ears,"

He takes us into more of a private setting, so no one else can hear. That's when Megan and I cry to Dad about everything—from our worries about Kevin, my feelings about how the family should be together on Christmas, and our homesickness. We also tell him that we should be following Mom's example of trying to get home.

Our Dad just looks at us; first, in sorrow, and then in amazement. "I never realized you girls felt that way. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"We didn't want to insult Uncle Rob after he was so nice to invite us and let us stay at his apartment for Christmas," I explain to him. Megan and I look down, feeling guilty about hurting Uncle Rob's feelings.

"Girls, while I admire the respect you have for your Uncle Rob's feelings, you still should've told me sooner about this, because it's not healthy to keep things bottled up inside. It's also my job, as your father, to help my children deal with any problems they may have. So, don't be afraid in the future to come to either me or your Mother for help about anything. Having six children has taught your Mother and I a lot about what it means to be a parent. One of those things is keeping an open mind,"

We're unknowing that Dad was thinking about one of the biggest mistakes he and Mom made with Christine, which was making snap judgments, before hearing Christine's side of the story.

"So, does this mean we get to go home?" Megan asks Dad, who's feeling hopeful that the answer will be "yes".

Dad smiles. "Yes, Megan, I think it's time we go home. Let's share the news with your brothers, and then explain to your Uncle Rob that we're going home,"

We all head back to the main room to share the news with the rest of the family. Jeff is happy, when Dad tells him the news about the family going back home to Chicago earlier than expected. "It would be great to sleep in my own bed again," Jeff tells Dad.

Buzz, on the other, takes the news not too well. Apparently, he also says too much, when he whines to Dad, "There are still things I haven't seen in Paris yet: Notre-Dame Cathedral, nude beaches with hot French babes… Uh-oh. I think I said the wrong thing,"

The family just looks at Buzz in disgust; especially Aunt Leslie and Aunt Georgette, who are covering Fuller's innocent ears. Dad becomes upset with Buzz and takes him into the backroom for a lecture.

"Looks like Buzz's mouth got him in trouble, yet again," Megan snickers.

"That learner's permit will be collecting dust, if he keeps it up," I snicker back.

Buzz isn't looking too happy, when he and Dad come back into the room. Buzz takes a seat on the couch to pout, while Dad explains to both Uncle Rob and Uncle Frank about the family leaving early. Uncle Rob tells Dad he understands the situation about Kevin, and that the family is welcomed back anytime.

Uncle Frank tells Dad that he and his family are staying, until after New Years. He asks Dad to watch over his car, and Dad reassures him that he will. Soon enough, the family is packing all of our belongings for the trip back home. In the room where we sleep, Aunt Georgette and Heather are helping us pack for our trip back home.

"Girls, it was a pleasure having you here. I wish you didn't have to leave so soon, but I understand why you have to go," Aunt Georgette tells us, remembering the discussion she had with us in the kitchen; the night we couldn't sleep, when we first came here.

"We're going to miss you, Aunt Georgette, and thanks for inviting us and everything. We had a good time," Megan and I both tell her, knowing we won't be seeing her or Uncle Rob for a long time. They're going to be stuck in Paris, with their home back in New York City undergoing massive renovations, that will properly take three years to finish, at the most.

"I'm going to miss you both, as well," Aunt Georgette replies, trying to withhold herself from crying. She checks around the room, making sure nothing of ours is forgotten. Heather soon speaks up, before realizing too late that Aunt Georgette is in the room.

"Megan and Linnie, I just wanted to tell you that I will be moving out of the guest room and into my own apartment, when I return to Chicago in late January for school," Aunt Georgette gives Heather a quick look. Apparently, she's surprised by the news, like we are.

"Have you told your Uncle Peter these plans about you moving? It would not be nice of you to just leave out of the blue, without giving him some advanced notice of your plans, Heather. It was very generous of him to let you stay at his home for free, while you attended college,"

"I was waiting to tell Uncle Peter after the holidays were over, Mom," Heather replies, defensively.

"I think you should go tell him right now, young lady," Aunt Georgette scolds Heather. "Your Father and I will be having a chat with you later about this sudden news you forgot to tell us about and your manners,"

"Yes, Mom," Heather replies, as she sulks out of the room to go find our Dad.

The whole family is soon all packed and ready to leave for the airport. Dad is lucky to book a same-day flight back to Chicago. The rest of the family showers us with many hugs and farewells for a safe trip home, before all of us get into the limo that's taking us to the airport.

The airport experience this time around is not as crazy, like the experience, when the family arrived here. Megan and I just smile at one another, once the whole family is seated on the plane. The plane itself takes off from the runway.

"We're finally going home," we both say, feeling both excited and happy…

Interstate 65, Indianapolis, Indiana

December 23, 1990-11:15 A.M. EST

(Kate's PoV:)

A huge smile forms across my face, when I see the skyline of Downtown Indianapolis on the horizon. "Home…" I mutter, as I think about the sweet memories this place gave me.

"Kate, you all right?" Gus asks me, while keeping his eyes on the road.

"I'm fine, Gus. I'm just remembering some happy times," I tell him, as I readjust my body in the seat to where I'm feeling comfortable.

"Is that why you're smiling?"

"Yes," I confirm, turning my head towards him. "You see, I used to live in Indianapolis. It's where I went to college, met my husband, got married, and gave birth to my two oldest children."

"Memories like that can make anyone smile," Gus laughs. "I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but how many kids do you have, in all?"

"I don't mind answering your questions, since it helps keep the boredom away. To answer your question, I have six children—three boys and three girls. What about you, Gus? Do you have any kids?"

"I have one boy. He's around eight years old. Shy as a mouse," Gus laughs.

"That's how old my youngest child is—the one I'm trying to get home to," The guilt about leaving him home alone returns. "We left Kevin home alone by mistake during the mad rush in getting to the airport. I'm just afraid he's going to resent his father and I, for leaving him behind, and do something drastic, like run away." I break down, crying.

"Don't cry, Kate. I don't think your youngest is going to run away, because you left him behind. In my honest opinion, he would be happy to see you," Gus tries to reassure me.

"It's more than just leaving him home alone. The night before the family was supposed to leave for Paris, Kevin got into a huge fight with his older brother, Buzz, over pizza, creating a huge mess of spilled milk and soda. I punished Kevin for the entire incident, without letting him explain his side of the story.

"That's a big mistake, on my part, especially taking Buzz's explanation at face value. I think the mistake could've been avoided, if I wasn't so exhausted, and if I had my dog, Fred, there to help me keep in order; especially in a house with fifteen people. I'm just a horrible parent," I sob.

"I don't think that sounds bad, compared to the mistake I made with my son, Philip. I can tell you, if you want to hear it. I don't mind,"

"Sure," I'm trying to think how his mistake could be any worse than the one I made.

"Well, it happened about two years ago at my Father's Funeral,"

"I'm so sorry, Gus," I interject.

"It's okay, Kate, but thanks. My father and I had a very close relationship, and, of course, I was very distraught, to the point where I didn't want to live, anymore, when he passed away. At that time, I thought I couldn't go on with life, without him.

"So, the day of the Funeral came. I just broke down, sobbing, once I saw my Father, lying there in the casket. It was as if reality had just smacked me in the face, and he was really gone. My wife had all her attention on me, in trying to calm me down.

"Once the service was over, my wife and I just left the gravesite, where my Father was buried. We both were so distraught and crying, that we left our son behind at the cemetery all alone. It was not until later that night, when the wife and I came to our senses, and realized we forgot our son at the cemetery. Our son was still there, just staring at the fresh patch of dirt that covered the spot, where his Grandfather was just buried. He didn't speak to us again, until two months later,"

I'm speechless after hearing the story. "I know I dampened the mood with that story I just shared. So, I was wondering if you don't mind telling me the rest of your kids' names to brighten up the mood."

"I'd be happy to," I reply, smiling. "Well, you already know Kevin is my youngest. Before him, are my twin daughters, Megan and Melinda, who are thirteen. Then, there's Jeffrey, who's fifteen. Then comes the oldest of my sons, Buzz, whose real name is James, and currently sixteen. Lastly, my oldest daughter, Christine, who just turned twenty-four on the first of this month," I have to withhold myself from crying again after thinking about another birthday I missed celebrating with my oldest daughter.

"You're blessed to have such a diverse set of children. Your oldest daughter must be a big help with your youngest one,"

I have to choke in a sob after hearing that. Christine would've been a wonderful big sister to Kevin, considering how she loved her baby brother very much, for the brief time they were together.

"Actually, Gus, it's been seven years, since I last spoke to or seen my oldest child,"

"I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't know,"

"It's okay, Gus. It's just my oldest ran away from home, when she was sixteen, because of a fight her father and myself had with her. We punished her about going behind our backs, and attending a concert she was prohibited from going to with her cousin, because of the dangers of traveling so far from home."

"She must've left home at some point after her father and I went to bed, because we didn't know she was missing, until the next morning. We've been searching for her ever since, with no luck in finding her. It's like she disappeared off the face of the Earth, and I feel like it's my fault she ran away from home," I start sobbing again.

"What do you say that for, Kate? Sounds like she's the one to blame for defying you. So, don't blame yourself,"

"The issues with Christine go a lot further back than the concert. Moving away from Indianapolis to Chicago was what really started everything. Christine didn't like the idea of having to pack up, leaving her friends and cousins behind for a strange place—where she was alone and didn't have many friends. That's the first hint something was wrong, but her Father and I didn't bother to help her adjust.

"The second hint was her slow behavior change, that didn't really show itself, until she was thirteen. We didn't bother to ask for her side of the story, whenever she got in trouble, or try to help her, in any way. We just punished her. Her working so hard in school, to the point of graduating early, was another cry for help that we missed.

"We were proud of her, but we should've asked why she was spending a lot of her free time studying. Though, we didn't. The arguments between her, her Father, and I, in hindsight, was a another cry for help that her Father and I just brushed over,

"I think the point I'm trying to get at, is that we gave our daughter the impression we considered our own lives and the newest additions to the family to be more important than taking the time to help with the issues Christine was trying to cope with. I think she left home, because we gave her the idea she wasn't wanted, anymore, since, in her eyes, we had rejected her for her siblings, and didn't care about her or her feelings,"

"That's horrible, Kate. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Did Christine ever give any hints that she was resentful, having to leave her friends and cousins behind?"

"When I think about it, she did mention that she didn't want to leave her cousin, Tia, behind, when we told her that we were moving to Chicago. She always brought up that point during every argument we had. Interestingly enough, Tia was the cousin, who Christine attended the concert with.

"We didn't even know at the time that my husband's brother had been living in Chicago for over a year, until Christine mentioned that she bumped into Tia at one of her local hangouts. My husband and Tia's Father had a fallout over Peter leaving Indianapolis for Chicago, and they haven't spoken to each other since. That fact was kept secret from our children, until recently,"

"Was that around the time Christine had gone to the concert, without your permission?"

"Yes, because Christine had asked for our permission to attend the concert on the day she encountered Tia. Of course, you already know how that turned out. My God, how could I have been so blind?"

"What is it, Kate?"

"You remember how I mentioned Christine got the impression we didn't care for her feelings?"

"Yeah,"

"Christine must've thought, in her own mind, that included keeping her away from Tia, since she didn't know about the falling out between her Dad and Tia's Dad. Her running into Tia must've gave Christine the impression that we were trying to keep she and her cousin separated deliberately, and that we purposely hid the fact that we knew Tia's family was living in Chicago for over a year."

"That idea must've been the driving point that triggered Christine into running away. This could've all been prevented, if her Father and myself paid more attention to Christine, and if we just told her about her Father's falling out with his brother,"

"It will be okay, Kate," Gus tells me, finally understanding my worries about Kevin running away from home, and feeling sympathy about my situation with Christine.

The tension is quickly broken, when Joe, Gus's assistant bandleader, knocks on the sliding window that separates the back of the van from the driver's section. "Is everything okay back there, Joe?" Gus asks after I slide open the window.

"Everything is fine, Gus. It's just the band is wondering if we're going to stop somewhere and eat anytime soon,"

"There's a Denny's and a White Castle at the next exit," I chime in, remembering.

"Joe, ask the band if Denny's or White Castle will be okay,"

Joe briefly converses with the band and pops his head back up front. "The band doesn't care, as long as it's food,"

"Joe, tell the band we'll be getting off the interstate really soon, since the exit is up ahead,"

"Sure thing, Gus," Joe returns to the back to share the news with the band. A loud chorus of musical instruments soon plays, startling me, while causing Gus to laugh.

"Those silly guys. Thanks, by the way, Kate, for mentioning those places, because the last where-to-eat sign I saw mentioned a McDonald's being about seventeen miles away,"

"It's no problem, Gus. You're doing me a big favor by giving me a ride home to Chicago," I smile. The van soon hits the exit and pulls into the parking lot that separates Denny's and White Castle…

END