A Step Further
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"Gorsogof said they speak English" Luka repeated. It was the one thing Ria had been worried about all morning, that she wouldn't be able to communicate with the children.
"A little English, she said a little English" Ria reminded him, smoothing her demin skirt down. She'd wanted to "look nice" but casual, so as she would not "intimidate" the children.
"And don't make me remind you not to call them children" she added, handing him a tie she'd deemed worthy, "If they're early in their teens it will just make them mad"
"You already told me all this, Ria" Luka reminded her gently, taking the brush she was struggling with from her hands. She never had been able to do her own hair.
"Just calm down, I'm sure they'll love you" Ria humphed a little but calmed down. They were waiting in the sitting room, trying to look as if they weren't, when the bell rang. Boris opened it of course, but Ria and Luka were waiting just behind him in the foyer. Luka sucked in a breath when he saw them. They both looked so much like Dominic. Caroline was tall, for a 14 year old, and slender, with long, straight black hair and gray eyes. Dominic was only a couple inches shorter, with the same black hair and brown eyes Dominic had had.
"Caroline, Frederic, this is your uncle, Dr. Kovac" Gorsogof introduced them in Croatian.
"You can call me Luka" Luka told them, stretching out a hand. Frederic took it, but not before glancing at his older sister, who nodded her permisson.
"It is nice to meet you Uncle" he responded slowly. Luka smiled at him symatheticly. How would it be to meet an uncle you've never known, knowing you'd be going home to live with him in a few short days. He couldn't imagine it would be nice.
"Caroline" he nodded at his niece who attempted to smile back, but he could see the wary look in her eyes.
"This is my wife" he said, pulling Ria into the small group, "Her name is Gabriella, but we call her Ria" Ria didn't know what he was telling them about her, but she caught her name and so she smiled.
"Hello. It's very nice to meet you, Caroline, Frederic" she offered.
"It is good to meet you, Ria" Caroline answered in passable English, which caused Ria's smile to broaden into a grin.
"Should we go into the dining room and have some tea?" Ria suggested, speaking slowly so her new neice and nephew could understand her. She gestured in the right direction, but let Caroline and Frederic lead the way, aware that this was, after all, their house. When they were all seated and Boris had served the tea, Ria attempted to start a conversation.
"What subjects do you enjoy in school?" she asked, watching their facial expressions. Before answering, Frederic always glanced at his sister, who always performed some small gesture to encourage to go on.
"I prefer mathematics" the young boy answered with a heavy accent, but he was understandable.
"And you, Caroline?" Luka inquired, trying to keep himself in the conversation, because he knew if he did not try hard to take part in it, Ria would take over the whole thing.
"I don't know the word in English" she responded quietly, sipping her tea, but she added it in Croatian.
"Ancient history" Luka translated, "Do you prefer Egyptian or Roman or Greek or Chineese?" he asked, all in English. Caroline took a moment to consider it.
"Egyptian I suppose" she replied.
"And what do you do when you're not in school?" Ria asked. The children just shrugged.
"What was the question?" Gorsogof asked. Luka repeated it.
"Ah, Caroline is in ballet, and Frederic is very fond of football" she answered for them, and Luka told Ria.
"Really? I used to do a bit of both when I was younger" Ria told them with all the charm she could muster. Niether of the children seemed to respond. A somewhat uncomfortable silence fell in the dinning room. It was broken by the just audible wailing of Ailleen, waking to find herself alone in their room upstairs. Both Caroline and Frederic looked up startled.
"It's just Ailleen, our daughter" Luka informed them. Caroline seemed to perk up.
"They didn't tell us you had a daughter, Uncle" she said in Croatian, perhaps tired of trying to remember her English.
"How old is she?" Frederic wanted to know. Luka was surprised at the vigor they were showing. He'd never have guessed his daughter would bring about such a change in them, but then he felt he was in for a life time of underestimating that particular female.
"3 months" he answered happily.
"May we see her?" Caroline inquired excitedly.
"Of course" Luka answered and they all went up to meet Ailleen. Caroline and Frederic cooed over her, and Ria even let Caroline hold her for a while. After about an hour, Gorsogof said she had to go, but the rest of them spent the day playing with Ailleen, who had started bubbling and laughing only recently. Ria and Luka occasionaly shared a look of amazement, but were thankful that Caroline and Frederic liked their daughter so much. After some poking and prodding, Ria finally got Luka to agree to bring up a somewhat touchy subject at dinner.
"I suppose you have a lot of questions about us" he started. Caroline and Frederic stopped eating and simply looked at him.
"Has your father ever told you anything about me?" he asked quietly, afraid they'd say they'd never even known they had an uncle until their father died.
"Of course." Caroline answered, as if it was a stupid question, "He said you were a succesful doctor in a big city in America" Ria was missing out on the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind, she just kept eating happily.
"Chicago, in Illinois." Luka told them, "It's winter there now. I hope you like snow"
"Not so much, but it snows here too" Frederic answered.
"Do you have any other questions about me, or Ria perhaps?" Luka inquired as directed by his wife. Caroline and Frederic seemed to debate that question together, with out ever actually saying anything.
"Well, a couple of things I guess" Caroline finally answered very quietly. Luka only waited for them to voice their question.
"Do you really want us, Uncle, or are you just taking us because it was in Papa's will?" she blurted out, shocking Luka. Now the conversation had Ria's attention.
"What did she ask?" she demanded.
"She wants to know if we really want them, or if we're just doing it because it's in Dominic's will" he told her.
"Of course not!" Ria exclaimed loudly, "We do want you, very much!" she added adamantly. It seemed her announcement was lost on the two teens though, and so Luka set about translating it for them.
"Caroline, Frederic, I know I've never visited you before. I always meant to, you know, I just never seemed to get around to it. That does not mean, however, that I do not want you to come live with me. Ria and I are very excited that you're going to be part of our family" His niece seemed to digest this, and then nodded, excepting his answer.
"Then we have one more question" she said.
"How long before we move to America?" Frederic answered. Luka hadn't thought about it before. He asked Ria what she thought.
"Well I suppose it will take a while to get everything settled, at least a few weeks" she answered.
"Yes" Luka replied in Croatian, "I think it will be a while. Not, at least, until after Frederic's birthday" Caroline and Frederic's eyes lit up, and Luka knew that had been what they were worried about.
"After all, if we leave too soon all your friends won't be able to come to the party" he added. Caroline and Frederic shouted "Yay" and leaped out of their chairs to engluf Luka in a hug.
"Well," Ria observed cooly, "I guess that made them happy."
The following story is under the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Unauthorized copying and/or use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: ER no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
"Gorsogof said they speak English" Luka repeated. It was the one thing Ria had been worried about all morning, that she wouldn't be able to communicate with the children.
"A little English, she said a little English" Ria reminded him, smoothing her demin skirt down. She'd wanted to "look nice" but casual, so as she would not "intimidate" the children.
"And don't make me remind you not to call them children" she added, handing him a tie she'd deemed worthy, "If they're early in their teens it will just make them mad"
"You already told me all this, Ria" Luka reminded her gently, taking the brush she was struggling with from her hands. She never had been able to do her own hair.
"Just calm down, I'm sure they'll love you" Ria humphed a little but calmed down. They were waiting in the sitting room, trying to look as if they weren't, when the bell rang. Boris opened it of course, but Ria and Luka were waiting just behind him in the foyer. Luka sucked in a breath when he saw them. They both looked so much like Dominic. Caroline was tall, for a 14 year old, and slender, with long, straight black hair and gray eyes. Dominic was only a couple inches shorter, with the same black hair and brown eyes Dominic had had.
"Caroline, Frederic, this is your uncle, Dr. Kovac" Gorsogof introduced them in Croatian.
"You can call me Luka" Luka told them, stretching out a hand. Frederic took it, but not before glancing at his older sister, who nodded her permisson.
"It is nice to meet you Uncle" he responded slowly. Luka smiled at him symatheticly. How would it be to meet an uncle you've never known, knowing you'd be going home to live with him in a few short days. He couldn't imagine it would be nice.
"Caroline" he nodded at his niece who attempted to smile back, but he could see the wary look in her eyes.
"This is my wife" he said, pulling Ria into the small group, "Her name is Gabriella, but we call her Ria" Ria didn't know what he was telling them about her, but she caught her name and so she smiled.
"Hello. It's very nice to meet you, Caroline, Frederic" she offered.
"It is good to meet you, Ria" Caroline answered in passable English, which caused Ria's smile to broaden into a grin.
"Should we go into the dining room and have some tea?" Ria suggested, speaking slowly so her new neice and nephew could understand her. She gestured in the right direction, but let Caroline and Frederic lead the way, aware that this was, after all, their house. When they were all seated and Boris had served the tea, Ria attempted to start a conversation.
"What subjects do you enjoy in school?" she asked, watching their facial expressions. Before answering, Frederic always glanced at his sister, who always performed some small gesture to encourage to go on.
"I prefer mathematics" the young boy answered with a heavy accent, but he was understandable.
"And you, Caroline?" Luka inquired, trying to keep himself in the conversation, because he knew if he did not try hard to take part in it, Ria would take over the whole thing.
"I don't know the word in English" she responded quietly, sipping her tea, but she added it in Croatian.
"Ancient history" Luka translated, "Do you prefer Egyptian or Roman or Greek or Chineese?" he asked, all in English. Caroline took a moment to consider it.
"Egyptian I suppose" she replied.
"And what do you do when you're not in school?" Ria asked. The children just shrugged.
"What was the question?" Gorsogof asked. Luka repeated it.
"Ah, Caroline is in ballet, and Frederic is very fond of football" she answered for them, and Luka told Ria.
"Really? I used to do a bit of both when I was younger" Ria told them with all the charm she could muster. Niether of the children seemed to respond. A somewhat uncomfortable silence fell in the dinning room. It was broken by the just audible wailing of Ailleen, waking to find herself alone in their room upstairs. Both Caroline and Frederic looked up startled.
"It's just Ailleen, our daughter" Luka informed them. Caroline seemed to perk up.
"They didn't tell us you had a daughter, Uncle" she said in Croatian, perhaps tired of trying to remember her English.
"How old is she?" Frederic wanted to know. Luka was surprised at the vigor they were showing. He'd never have guessed his daughter would bring about such a change in them, but then he felt he was in for a life time of underestimating that particular female.
"3 months" he answered happily.
"May we see her?" Caroline inquired excitedly.
"Of course" Luka answered and they all went up to meet Ailleen. Caroline and Frederic cooed over her, and Ria even let Caroline hold her for a while. After about an hour, Gorsogof said she had to go, but the rest of them spent the day playing with Ailleen, who had started bubbling and laughing only recently. Ria and Luka occasionaly shared a look of amazement, but were thankful that Caroline and Frederic liked their daughter so much. After some poking and prodding, Ria finally got Luka to agree to bring up a somewhat touchy subject at dinner.
"I suppose you have a lot of questions about us" he started. Caroline and Frederic stopped eating and simply looked at him.
"Has your father ever told you anything about me?" he asked quietly, afraid they'd say they'd never even known they had an uncle until their father died.
"Of course." Caroline answered, as if it was a stupid question, "He said you were a succesful doctor in a big city in America" Ria was missing out on the conversation, but she didn't seem to mind, she just kept eating happily.
"Chicago, in Illinois." Luka told them, "It's winter there now. I hope you like snow"
"Not so much, but it snows here too" Frederic answered.
"Do you have any other questions about me, or Ria perhaps?" Luka inquired as directed by his wife. Caroline and Frederic seemed to debate that question together, with out ever actually saying anything.
"Well, a couple of things I guess" Caroline finally answered very quietly. Luka only waited for them to voice their question.
"Do you really want us, Uncle, or are you just taking us because it was in Papa's will?" she blurted out, shocking Luka. Now the conversation had Ria's attention.
"What did she ask?" she demanded.
"She wants to know if we really want them, or if we're just doing it because it's in Dominic's will" he told her.
"Of course not!" Ria exclaimed loudly, "We do want you, very much!" she added adamantly. It seemed her announcement was lost on the two teens though, and so Luka set about translating it for them.
"Caroline, Frederic, I know I've never visited you before. I always meant to, you know, I just never seemed to get around to it. That does not mean, however, that I do not want you to come live with me. Ria and I are very excited that you're going to be part of our family" His niece seemed to digest this, and then nodded, excepting his answer.
"Then we have one more question" she said.
"How long before we move to America?" Frederic answered. Luka hadn't thought about it before. He asked Ria what she thought.
"Well I suppose it will take a while to get everything settled, at least a few weeks" she answered.
"Yes" Luka replied in Croatian, "I think it will be a while. Not, at least, until after Frederic's birthday" Caroline and Frederic's eyes lit up, and Luka knew that had been what they were worried about.
"After all, if we leave too soon all your friends won't be able to come to the party" he added. Caroline and Frederic shouted "Yay" and leaped out of their chairs to engluf Luka in a hug.
"Well," Ria observed cooly, "I guess that made them happy."