"What is it Sydney?" He asked, already suspecting what she wanted.
"Dad, tell them."
"Tell them what, Sydney?"
"You know what. Tell them who you are."
"They already know who I am."
"You know what I mean." She said, annoyed at the word game he was playing with her.
"Sydney, you know the rules as well as I do. We cannot tell them because there is no need for them to know."
She shook her head in disbelief at his stubbornness. "You've spent your whole life lying and deceiving people. You honestly can't see that there is a need for them to know, can you?".
"Sydney, I don't want to debate the issue with you. We cannot go around telling people what we do simply because it will make them or you feel good."
"Why not?" She asked struggling to keep her voice low. "You know what I think? I think you're not telling them because you want to punish Grandfather."
"That's ridiculous," he answered.
"Is it?" she asked, as she proceeded to list her points. "Let's think about this. He wasn't there for you when you were growing up. Then all of a sudden he's paying attention to you because of your decision to go to West Pointe. Then he turns on you because you didn't go. You figure that if he didn't accept your decision blindly, then why should you give him the satisfaction of knowing what you've accomplished."
"Sydney, your theory makes no sense. If he knew why I turned down the appointment then chances are he would be proud of that."
"Chances are?" she said, surprised at his choice of words. "You think there would only be a 'chance' that he'd be proud of what you've accomplished?"
Jack was starting to lose his patience's, "Sydney, I don't appreciate your psychoanalyzing my choice of words."
Ignoring his comment, she continued with her argument, "I know what the problem is, now. You're afraid. Afraid that he still won't think of you the same way he did Sean. Is that it Dad? Are you afraid that if you tell him, he'll still compare you to your brother and you'll still come in a distant second."
Sydney saw Jack's facial expressions harden. She realized that she was right. He was afraid of being hurt, if his father didn't react with the right accolades.
She tried to soften things up, "Dad, they're your family. I'm not asking you to reveal national security secrets. Just tell them that you work for the government. You owe them that much."
Jack quickly went on the defensive. "I don't know why you think it's important that I tell them. If I recall right, you found it perfectly acceptable to keep your recruitment a secret, from me."
Her response came out harsher than she intended. "Gee Dad, at least I had an excuse. You see, it was hard for me to remember that we were family."
Sydney regretted her words as soon as they came out. As she reached out to touch him and tell him she was sorry, he pulled back. Then he turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?" she called to him.
He didn't answer as he walked out the backdoor. She ran to the door, "Dad, don't do this."
Her plea went unanswered.
As she stood alone in the kitchen, she experienced two emotions. She felt both anger and sympathy. Anger at the fact that he chose to walk away rather than confront his emotional issues and sympathy as she realized that walking away is how he confronts his emotional issues.
In the end she let him go and she returned back to the living room.
"Dad, tell them."
"Tell them what, Sydney?"
"You know what. Tell them who you are."
"They already know who I am."
"You know what I mean." She said, annoyed at the word game he was playing with her.
"Sydney, you know the rules as well as I do. We cannot tell them because there is no need for them to know."
She shook her head in disbelief at his stubbornness. "You've spent your whole life lying and deceiving people. You honestly can't see that there is a need for them to know, can you?".
"Sydney, I don't want to debate the issue with you. We cannot go around telling people what we do simply because it will make them or you feel good."
"Why not?" She asked struggling to keep her voice low. "You know what I think? I think you're not telling them because you want to punish Grandfather."
"That's ridiculous," he answered.
"Is it?" she asked, as she proceeded to list her points. "Let's think about this. He wasn't there for you when you were growing up. Then all of a sudden he's paying attention to you because of your decision to go to West Pointe. Then he turns on you because you didn't go. You figure that if he didn't accept your decision blindly, then why should you give him the satisfaction of knowing what you've accomplished."
"Sydney, your theory makes no sense. If he knew why I turned down the appointment then chances are he would be proud of that."
"Chances are?" she said, surprised at his choice of words. "You think there would only be a 'chance' that he'd be proud of what you've accomplished?"
Jack was starting to lose his patience's, "Sydney, I don't appreciate your psychoanalyzing my choice of words."
Ignoring his comment, she continued with her argument, "I know what the problem is, now. You're afraid. Afraid that he still won't think of you the same way he did Sean. Is that it Dad? Are you afraid that if you tell him, he'll still compare you to your brother and you'll still come in a distant second."
Sydney saw Jack's facial expressions harden. She realized that she was right. He was afraid of being hurt, if his father didn't react with the right accolades.
She tried to soften things up, "Dad, they're your family. I'm not asking you to reveal national security secrets. Just tell them that you work for the government. You owe them that much."
Jack quickly went on the defensive. "I don't know why you think it's important that I tell them. If I recall right, you found it perfectly acceptable to keep your recruitment a secret, from me."
Her response came out harsher than she intended. "Gee Dad, at least I had an excuse. You see, it was hard for me to remember that we were family."
Sydney regretted her words as soon as they came out. As she reached out to touch him and tell him she was sorry, he pulled back. Then he turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?" she called to him.
He didn't answer as he walked out the backdoor. She ran to the door, "Dad, don't do this."
Her plea went unanswered.
As she stood alone in the kitchen, she experienced two emotions. She felt both anger and sympathy. Anger at the fact that he chose to walk away rather than confront his emotional issues and sympathy as she realized that walking away is how he confronts his emotional issues.
In the end she let him go and she returned back to the living room.