"Sydney, I can't tell you that. You'll have to try asking him again."
"Why can't you tell me? You always tell me things. Do you think I'm too little to understand?"
"No, I certainly don't think you're too little. I know how smart you are - I see your school reports all the time. Your father doesn't work with airplanes, Sydney. He..."
"He doesn't? So why is he lying to me?"
"Please, just listen Sydney. You aren't supposed to know this. Your father...his job has something to do with a factory, but I don't think he sells what they make. It seems like he works there himself. That's all he's ever told me. What he does is very private, or it's supposed to be. Don't tell him I told you. You aren't supposed to know."
"Why not? How much trouble can there be from a factory job?? It still doesn't make any sense. I've seen him come back with bruises before! Where would he get those in a factory like that? He doesn't build anything, he goes to work in a suit! People who work with their hands don't wear suits!"
Edith sighed. "Sydney, I was not supposed to tell you anything, I can't say anymore." She pulled slowly over to the curb. "Now, you had better go talk to your father, if you're wanting to. He only has two days left here."
"Two days?" Sydney sighed and agreed to talk with him. It was going to be hard to stay quiet about this new information, but she thought she could handle it.
The first thing out of her mouth was, "How long are you going to be gone for now?" It wasn't in a gentle tone, either.
"Sydney, please."
Her father was quiet for a moment. She sat in the chair across from him, very still, glaring. She very much wanted to yell at him and ask why he lied to her, but she knew that she couldn't do that. It would only make him angry and that could mean the end of Edith. Edith had been with her since babyhood, and she was her only "mother" now.
Jack spoke up again. "I know you don't want me to go, and I'm sorry. I have to go when my bosses tell me it's time. I should be back in about three weeks."
"Again? My birthday is in a month and a half. Are you going to miss it again? Please try to come home, Dad. You seem to miss it every year!"
This was something Jack had been hoping Sydney wouldn't bring up, because honestly, Jack didn't know if he would have to leave again by then.
"I can't promise you anything," he told her firmly.
"Yeah, I know. You never can promise anything."
"Sydney, it would be more hurtful for you if I did and then broke them. It would happen a lot. You know how it goes. You should be used to this by now."
"Yeah," she replied.
"I'll try my best."
"Sure you will."
"Sydney!"
"All right."
"Good. Now go do your schoolwork."
Sydney wanted to say "fine" before stalking off to her room, but the best she could manage was a glare that she knew wasn't as mean-spirited as she'd like.
As soon as she was in her room with the door closed, all of her anger bubbled over. Before even thinking about it, she had swept all the books off of her shelves, and thrown everything breakable in all directions. Several pieces of glass deflected upward and cut her face, but Sydney didn't even feel it. It was then that Jack came banging on the door.
He didn't bother waiting for her to answer. He barged in and looked at the mess she had made.
"What is the meaning of this???"
"I HATE YOU! GO AWAY! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!" she screamed. This brought out Edith, who was in the laundry room folding clothes.
"What's going on?" she asked, afraid that Sydney had told him.
"I don't know. She's thrown everything on the floor in here. I'll try to figure this out. If I need help, I'll call." Jack managed to say these words gently. Edith was therefore reassured that things would be all right for now, and went back to her work.
While her father was distracted, Sydney had made a bigger mess of the room. He now advanced on her, and did the only thing he knew might work: he pinned her arms to her sides.
"Dad, let me go!"
"No, I won't. Not until you say you'll stop destroying things!"
But Sydney would not settle down. Instead, she tried to wriggle away to grab something to throw at him. She was reaching for the vase, but he managed to hold her tightly again.
"Sydney! You're acting like a two year old!"
"I don't care! I hate you! Let me go!" That was when she started biting him. He let go in pain and called for Edith.
As soon as Edith entered, Sydney knew she was in trouble.
"Young lady, sit yourself down and apologize to your father. NOW! What do you think you are, some kind of animal?? Biting people. You should be ashamed of yourself!" Sydney listened this time, but her apology came out very muffled. "Speak up, so he can hear you."
"I heard it. It's all right, Edith. Thank you for the help. I think Sydney and I need some more time alone -- if the tantrum is finished."
"It is, I promise. I won't bite you again." Suddenly she seemed ready to cry. Edith stepped out again, and Jack knelt in front of Sydney.
"Now, what was all of that about? You can tell me, I'd rather you did. I won't get angry at you. Just tell me what's the matter."
Sydney finally looked up, but she had a question first. "I didn't make you bleed, did I, Daddy? I know I should never bite anyone, but..."
"You're leaving again! In three days you're leaving again! We've barely had any time to do anything, and you're leaving! I hate you! Why don't you just go away forever! That would be better for both of us!" Edith heard this in the hallway and cringed. Despite what Sydney thought, her father was very valuable.
"No, it wouldn't, Sydney. I do miss you while I'm away, don't you know that?" Sydney was so surprised, she said nothing for almost a minute. Then:
"You ... you do? Really?? You hardly know me, Dad. How could you miss me?"
"Because you're my daughter, and I wish I knew you better. Don't you miss me, sometimes?"
A single tear at last wandered down her cheek. "Yes. It gets lonely. Edith loves me, but Mom is already gone and you're hardly here. When we sit there having dinner I keep looking at your empty chair, and it makes me so angry that you can't be at home!"
"I don't like it either. I'd be here if I could, honest I would. I can't blame you if you think I don't love you, but I do."
Sydney couldn't believe what she had heard. Her father had never said those words before in her life. She was speechless. Her lips froze together, and she couldn't speak the words back to him. He understood though, and felt a great relief. He was afraid of her reaction, but now he saw that it wasn't bad. She wasn't having another tantrum, at least. She looked very surprised and he could tell she wanted to say it back but couldn't.
At last she was able to speak again. "Dad, could something happen to you, like what happened to Mom? I mean, you fly so much."
"It could, but there is risk with everything, Sydney. I could get killed just walking down the street, you know."
Sydney looked frightened, which hadn't been his intention.
"I mean ... you never know when something might happen, to anyone. So you just have to live your life, be reasonably careful, and whatever happens, happens. It's terrible, what happened to your mother, and I miss her too. I don't plan on leaving you like that, but if something should happen, I've made arrangements. You won't be alone, Sydney."
"I didn't think so. But I don't want to live with someone else. I want you to live here with me, all the time. Just this once, can't you stay? Please??"
"Why can't you tell me? You always tell me things. Do you think I'm too little to understand?"
"No, I certainly don't think you're too little. I know how smart you are - I see your school reports all the time. Your father doesn't work with airplanes, Sydney. He..."
"He doesn't? So why is he lying to me?"
"Please, just listen Sydney. You aren't supposed to know this. Your father...his job has something to do with a factory, but I don't think he sells what they make. It seems like he works there himself. That's all he's ever told me. What he does is very private, or it's supposed to be. Don't tell him I told you. You aren't supposed to know."
"Why not? How much trouble can there be from a factory job?? It still doesn't make any sense. I've seen him come back with bruises before! Where would he get those in a factory like that? He doesn't build anything, he goes to work in a suit! People who work with their hands don't wear suits!"
Edith sighed. "Sydney, I was not supposed to tell you anything, I can't say anymore." She pulled slowly over to the curb. "Now, you had better go talk to your father, if you're wanting to. He only has two days left here."
"Two days?" Sydney sighed and agreed to talk with him. It was going to be hard to stay quiet about this new information, but she thought she could handle it.
The first thing out of her mouth was, "How long are you going to be gone for now?" It wasn't in a gentle tone, either.
"Sydney, please."
Her father was quiet for a moment. She sat in the chair across from him, very still, glaring. She very much wanted to yell at him and ask why he lied to her, but she knew that she couldn't do that. It would only make him angry and that could mean the end of Edith. Edith had been with her since babyhood, and she was her only "mother" now.
Jack spoke up again. "I know you don't want me to go, and I'm sorry. I have to go when my bosses tell me it's time. I should be back in about three weeks."
"Again? My birthday is in a month and a half. Are you going to miss it again? Please try to come home, Dad. You seem to miss it every year!"
This was something Jack had been hoping Sydney wouldn't bring up, because honestly, Jack didn't know if he would have to leave again by then.
"I can't promise you anything," he told her firmly.
"Yeah, I know. You never can promise anything."
"Sydney, it would be more hurtful for you if I did and then broke them. It would happen a lot. You know how it goes. You should be used to this by now."
"Yeah," she replied.
"I'll try my best."
"Sure you will."
"Sydney!"
"All right."
"Good. Now go do your schoolwork."
Sydney wanted to say "fine" before stalking off to her room, but the best she could manage was a glare that she knew wasn't as mean-spirited as she'd like.
As soon as she was in her room with the door closed, all of her anger bubbled over. Before even thinking about it, she had swept all the books off of her shelves, and thrown everything breakable in all directions. Several pieces of glass deflected upward and cut her face, but Sydney didn't even feel it. It was then that Jack came banging on the door.
He didn't bother waiting for her to answer. He barged in and looked at the mess she had made.
"What is the meaning of this???"
"I HATE YOU! GO AWAY! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!" she screamed. This brought out Edith, who was in the laundry room folding clothes.
"What's going on?" she asked, afraid that Sydney had told him.
"I don't know. She's thrown everything on the floor in here. I'll try to figure this out. If I need help, I'll call." Jack managed to say these words gently. Edith was therefore reassured that things would be all right for now, and went back to her work.
While her father was distracted, Sydney had made a bigger mess of the room. He now advanced on her, and did the only thing he knew might work: he pinned her arms to her sides.
"Dad, let me go!"
"No, I won't. Not until you say you'll stop destroying things!"
But Sydney would not settle down. Instead, she tried to wriggle away to grab something to throw at him. She was reaching for the vase, but he managed to hold her tightly again.
"Sydney! You're acting like a two year old!"
"I don't care! I hate you! Let me go!" That was when she started biting him. He let go in pain and called for Edith.
As soon as Edith entered, Sydney knew she was in trouble.
"Young lady, sit yourself down and apologize to your father. NOW! What do you think you are, some kind of animal?? Biting people. You should be ashamed of yourself!" Sydney listened this time, but her apology came out very muffled. "Speak up, so he can hear you."
"I heard it. It's all right, Edith. Thank you for the help. I think Sydney and I need some more time alone -- if the tantrum is finished."
"It is, I promise. I won't bite you again." Suddenly she seemed ready to cry. Edith stepped out again, and Jack knelt in front of Sydney.
"Now, what was all of that about? You can tell me, I'd rather you did. I won't get angry at you. Just tell me what's the matter."
Sydney finally looked up, but she had a question first. "I didn't make you bleed, did I, Daddy? I know I should never bite anyone, but..."
"You're leaving again! In three days you're leaving again! We've barely had any time to do anything, and you're leaving! I hate you! Why don't you just go away forever! That would be better for both of us!" Edith heard this in the hallway and cringed. Despite what Sydney thought, her father was very valuable.
"No, it wouldn't, Sydney. I do miss you while I'm away, don't you know that?" Sydney was so surprised, she said nothing for almost a minute. Then:
"You ... you do? Really?? You hardly know me, Dad. How could you miss me?"
"Because you're my daughter, and I wish I knew you better. Don't you miss me, sometimes?"
A single tear at last wandered down her cheek. "Yes. It gets lonely. Edith loves me, but Mom is already gone and you're hardly here. When we sit there having dinner I keep looking at your empty chair, and it makes me so angry that you can't be at home!"
"I don't like it either. I'd be here if I could, honest I would. I can't blame you if you think I don't love you, but I do."
Sydney couldn't believe what she had heard. Her father had never said those words before in her life. She was speechless. Her lips froze together, and she couldn't speak the words back to him. He understood though, and felt a great relief. He was afraid of her reaction, but now he saw that it wasn't bad. She wasn't having another tantrum, at least. She looked very surprised and he could tell she wanted to say it back but couldn't.
At last she was able to speak again. "Dad, could something happen to you, like what happened to Mom? I mean, you fly so much."
"It could, but there is risk with everything, Sydney. I could get killed just walking down the street, you know."
Sydney looked frightened, which hadn't been his intention.
"I mean ... you never know when something might happen, to anyone. So you just have to live your life, be reasonably careful, and whatever happens, happens. It's terrible, what happened to your mother, and I miss her too. I don't plan on leaving you like that, but if something should happen, I've made arrangements. You won't be alone, Sydney."
"I didn't think so. But I don't want to live with someone else. I want you to live here with me, all the time. Just this once, can't you stay? Please??"