Chapter 14 - Skipper's Story
October 9, 1997 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
My son Grubbery was assisting the little blonde devil in putting on her rollerblades. "Hi Dad," he said. "Kay and I are just going rollerblading for a couple of hours okay?"
"No Grubbery," I replied, glaring at Michaela. "It's not okay. The lawn needs mowing, my car needs washing and your room is a mess! On top of that, you have to go to England next week to work on the new Christmas album. You boys need to practice!"
Michaela smiled. "I'll wash the car and help clean the room Grub! That way we can get on with the rollerblading sooner....." Michaela was already starting to remove the blades.
"No, no, no....." I protested. "It's Grubbery's work. You go off and have fun."
"But -"
"I insist," I said. "Now be off with you."
"Okay," Michaela said reluctantly, and she skated gracefully out of the garage.
Grubbery looked at me. "Dad, Neuton washed your car just last week and Tay mowed the lawns yesterday. Our room is perfectly neat and we practice every day. Why won't you let me rollerblade with Michaela?"
I led Grubbery into the house. "We are going to have a family meeting. I didn't want Michaela to feel awkward so I sent her off."
Grubbery sat down at the table with the rest of the family. I frowned. "Michaela has been staying here for two weeks. We've all gotten to know her and I think there are a few things we all agree on -"
"She's pretty," said Elizabeth.
"She's clever," said Kestrel.
"She can't cook!" said Grubbery, cracking up.
"She's exactly like me," Tweedle-Tay suggested.
"She reads me stories," mumbled MacArthy.
"She's evil," said Neuton.
"She's our daughter," Fergie said meaningfully.
"Well yes," I continued. "All of your comments have an element of truth in them. But lets face it. Michaela is not a Manson. she may be our flesh and blood, but her spirit is not of our calibre. The girl is not even a Christian............"
Elizabeth smiled widely and raised her hand. I nodded to her. "Daddy, I don't think that will be a problem. I've been reading the bible to Michaela and she's been listening very carefully. I am sure that she-"
"Elizabeth," I said. "It is very kind of you to try to convert Michaela and we all appreciate it to no end but learning about the bible is not the only thing a good Christian has to do. Michaela would have to be christened and - look, the point is, it's too much work."
Fergie frowned. "Skipper darling, I would be very willing to teach Michaela and make her a proper Christian. If I worked at it, I'm sure she'd be fine within six months."
"Well, if only that was our only problem. The boys are going to England next week. How is it going to look when we turn up at the airport with two Tweedle-Tay's - and one of them wearing a dress. That's how the record buying public would perceive it," I said.
"Why don't we just explain that she's my long lost twin sister -" Tweedle-Tay began.
"I know! I know! Michaela can join the band! We do need a bass player and she can sing pretty well too," Grubbery interrupted excitedly.
"No. No. No," I answered. "Boys, its all well and good to do these things but the public would not like it. We are having enough trouble with people calling you girls, it would not do us much good to bring a girl who looks exactly like Tweedle-Tay into the band. Even if we took Michaela around with us people would want to know why we adopted her out of the family. The last thing we need is a Manson family scandal. The pop music industry is all about image. Your image is wholesome. An evil twin sister would rip that image to shreds."
There was a silence. Finally Tweedle-Tay spoke, "So you're saying?"
I laughed. "Michaela has to go. We'll give her three days to find somewhere else to live. After that we'll kick her out. No buts! If she stays, I leave. And the band will be nothing without me, so Michaela will leave." It was great. My family were staring at me in awe. I was so powerful! Then I heard a gasp. I turned around to see Michaela running up the stairs. I smiled. Power. Mmmmmmmmm.
October 9, 1997 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
My son Grubbery was assisting the little blonde devil in putting on her rollerblades. "Hi Dad," he said. "Kay and I are just going rollerblading for a couple of hours okay?"
"No Grubbery," I replied, glaring at Michaela. "It's not okay. The lawn needs mowing, my car needs washing and your room is a mess! On top of that, you have to go to England next week to work on the new Christmas album. You boys need to practice!"
Michaela smiled. "I'll wash the car and help clean the room Grub! That way we can get on with the rollerblading sooner....." Michaela was already starting to remove the blades.
"No, no, no....." I protested. "It's Grubbery's work. You go off and have fun."
"But -"
"I insist," I said. "Now be off with you."
"Okay," Michaela said reluctantly, and she skated gracefully out of the garage.
Grubbery looked at me. "Dad, Neuton washed your car just last week and Tay mowed the lawns yesterday. Our room is perfectly neat and we practice every day. Why won't you let me rollerblade with Michaela?"
I led Grubbery into the house. "We are going to have a family meeting. I didn't want Michaela to feel awkward so I sent her off."
Grubbery sat down at the table with the rest of the family. I frowned. "Michaela has been staying here for two weeks. We've all gotten to know her and I think there are a few things we all agree on -"
"She's pretty," said Elizabeth.
"She's clever," said Kestrel.
"She can't cook!" said Grubbery, cracking up.
"She's exactly like me," Tweedle-Tay suggested.
"She reads me stories," mumbled MacArthy.
"She's evil," said Neuton.
"She's our daughter," Fergie said meaningfully.
"Well yes," I continued. "All of your comments have an element of truth in them. But lets face it. Michaela is not a Manson. she may be our flesh and blood, but her spirit is not of our calibre. The girl is not even a Christian............"
Elizabeth smiled widely and raised her hand. I nodded to her. "Daddy, I don't think that will be a problem. I've been reading the bible to Michaela and she's been listening very carefully. I am sure that she-"
"Elizabeth," I said. "It is very kind of you to try to convert Michaela and we all appreciate it to no end but learning about the bible is not the only thing a good Christian has to do. Michaela would have to be christened and - look, the point is, it's too much work."
Fergie frowned. "Skipper darling, I would be very willing to teach Michaela and make her a proper Christian. If I worked at it, I'm sure she'd be fine within six months."
"Well, if only that was our only problem. The boys are going to England next week. How is it going to look when we turn up at the airport with two Tweedle-Tay's - and one of them wearing a dress. That's how the record buying public would perceive it," I said.
"Why don't we just explain that she's my long lost twin sister -" Tweedle-Tay began.
"I know! I know! Michaela can join the band! We do need a bass player and she can sing pretty well too," Grubbery interrupted excitedly.
"No. No. No," I answered. "Boys, its all well and good to do these things but the public would not like it. We are having enough trouble with people calling you girls, it would not do us much good to bring a girl who looks exactly like Tweedle-Tay into the band. Even if we took Michaela around with us people would want to know why we adopted her out of the family. The last thing we need is a Manson family scandal. The pop music industry is all about image. Your image is wholesome. An evil twin sister would rip that image to shreds."
There was a silence. Finally Tweedle-Tay spoke, "So you're saying?"
I laughed. "Michaela has to go. We'll give her three days to find somewhere else to live. After that we'll kick her out. No buts! If she stays, I leave. And the band will be nothing without me, so Michaela will leave." It was great. My family were staring at me in awe. I was so powerful! Then I heard a gasp. I turned around to see Michaela running up the stairs. I smiled. Power. Mmmmmmmmm.
