"Stand straight!" Mark whispered to his brother as they were waiting for the bus. "People will think you're tired and weak, or worse, that you have scoliosis.
And we still might have a slight chance of being taken aboard, but only if we look strong and healthy, with good genetic --" He stopped short when he saw D-Caf
standing straight and tall. "Well, finally. I thought you'd look like the hunchback of Notre-Dame forever."
"I didn't slouch," D-Caf said quietly. "But I didn't want to tower over you, either."
"Oh, that," Mark sighed. "You shouldn't have bothered. You should face the facts, that, yes, now you're bigger and stronger than me. More intelligent, too. It's
a fact. And you mustn't try to hide it. Now, in this situation, our lives depend on both our skills. I need you as much as you need me."
D-Caf nodded solemnly. Too bad, he thought. It shouldn't have to be this way. Other parents didn't need their kids' help until they were very old. Then again,
when you were boarding a crowded space shuttle to save your life, you probably needed all the cooperation you could get from your family.
"And it's not only that, Hamster," said Mark, as if he had read D-Caf's thoughts. "It's that I've always tried to be sincere to you, and I wish you could be
sincere with me as well. I don't blame you, I just hoped you wouldn't have to pretend in front of me."
"I didn't pretend," said D-Caf, more or less honestly. "I just wanted to keep things normal. You know, so *I* wouldn't be the one directing *your* life."
"I can understand. Well, at least I think I do. I hope I do."
"I'm pretty sure you do." D-Caf knew how well Mark knew him. When he'd been younger, D-Caf had told his
brother everything he felt; and even now, he told
Mark things he wouldn't have told anyone else. And, as far as D-Caf could tell, Mark had always understood him.
"I'm glad you think so," Mark replied. "I try to understand you, I try to be as normal a parent as possible. But I know that no matter what either of us does,
our relationship can never be normal. It's useless even to try. All we can do is to keep it at least sincere."
"Yeah, that's the next best thing," D-Caf smiled. And inside, he felt relieved. After all, other kids could be sincere to their parents, too. It was one of the
things that made for a normal relationship.
And we still might have a slight chance of being taken aboard, but only if we look strong and healthy, with good genetic --" He stopped short when he saw D-Caf
standing straight and tall. "Well, finally. I thought you'd look like the hunchback of Notre-Dame forever."
"I didn't slouch," D-Caf said quietly. "But I didn't want to tower over you, either."
"Oh, that," Mark sighed. "You shouldn't have bothered. You should face the facts, that, yes, now you're bigger and stronger than me. More intelligent, too. It's
a fact. And you mustn't try to hide it. Now, in this situation, our lives depend on both our skills. I need you as much as you need me."
D-Caf nodded solemnly. Too bad, he thought. It shouldn't have to be this way. Other parents didn't need their kids' help until they were very old. Then again,
when you were boarding a crowded space shuttle to save your life, you probably needed all the cooperation you could get from your family.
"And it's not only that, Hamster," said Mark, as if he had read D-Caf's thoughts. "It's that I've always tried to be sincere to you, and I wish you could be
sincere with me as well. I don't blame you, I just hoped you wouldn't have to pretend in front of me."
"I didn't pretend," said D-Caf, more or less honestly. "I just wanted to keep things normal. You know, so *I* wouldn't be the one directing *your* life."
"I can understand. Well, at least I think I do. I hope I do."
"I'm pretty sure you do." D-Caf knew how well Mark knew him. When he'd been younger, D-Caf had told his
brother everything he felt; and even now, he told
Mark things he wouldn't have told anyone else. And, as far as D-Caf could tell, Mark had always understood him.
"I'm glad you think so," Mark replied. "I try to understand you, I try to be as normal a parent as possible. But I know that no matter what either of us does,
our relationship can never be normal. It's useless even to try. All we can do is to keep it at least sincere."
"Yeah, that's the next best thing," D-Caf smiled. And inside, he felt relieved. After all, other kids could be sincere to their parents, too. It was one of the
things that made for a normal relationship.