Tales from an Unknown Corner

CHAPTER – 10: Siblings

Kathy had a nice, small, two-bedroom flat, not too far from where my parents lived. Although the place was small, especially the living room, which included a modern kitchen in one corner, she managed to make it look bigger that it was.

I hadn’t seen it for quite some time, and the few occasions I dropped by were just to take her out to some place. I had a late brunch or lunch with her a few times, but I hadn’t paid much attention to her place, and what she had done with it. Now, because I was going to spend some time here, I was curious how it looked like, and what changes she had made.

I still remembered the time when my parents and I had to help her to make the move, two years ago. Mom and Kathy had spent several days during a short break Kathy had from her studies, visiting second hand stores for some good quality furniture, and making the arrangements for delivery, while Dad and I had spent a few days, going through the flat, fixing things like electrical wiring and fittings, window insulation, and any other simple things we could fix. We also had compiled a list of items that would require an electrician, a carpenter and a plumber to fix, and then waited on the guys while they did their job.

To tell the truth I wasn’t much of a handy man, never had been one, but I had learned some things on the rig, especially about electrical safety and some plumbing, so when I saw what the electrician was doing—the one we called from a nearby shop in the neighborhood—I got into an argument with him. I had a copy of the building code in my hand and saw him using the wrong rated cable to replace the existing but damaged wiring. When Dad realized what was happening, he ran him off. Quite many of the electricians, plumbers and carpenters learned their craft as apprentices, but the whole apprenticeship was very flawed—the education system wasn’t much of a help also, without proper control mechanisms in place—and, with many of the the guys lacking some necessary education in science and math, and worse, lacking an interest in their craft, it was always a very difficult proposition to find a good, and reliable electrician or a plumber. That is not to say there weren’t qualified people, like high school or college graduates, but the ones that actually did the work were only skilled for manual work, and the college graduates were more of the engineer type who weren’t inclined to get their hands dirty doing the menial work, but supervise the ones that did the menial work. But, there were many small shops that were sort of a jack-of-all-tades kind, and did a lot of repairs, fixes from electricity to plumbing to carpentry, and the quality varied a lot. The worst part of the whole deal was, of course, the quick-and-dirty fixes they came up with during a job. For example, they would use a size smaller cable not rated for the job, if they ran out of the required cable when they were doing the wiring, not giving a second thought to the possibility of an electrical fire hazard. If I hadn’t seen how things were done by our electrician at the rig site, and learned things from him, I wouldn’t be aware of such problems. Not only that, but in the first place, he should have known his stuff and done it properly—as naïve as that sounds—but such was the situation, and if you didn’t take precautions and had no idea what they were doing, you could easily get screwed, major time! So, in the end, I went through the Yellow Pages, looking for a good electrician, instead of the local quick-fix type of shops in the neighborhood. I found a couple, but when I heard their prices, Dad and I knew we had to do some work ourselves. Dad managed to convince one of them to send a guy in to check the situation and make us a list of what is needed, and then we would try to do parts we could, and give the rest of the work to them. It worked perfectly, and I remember how proud Dad was, when the electrician came to do their part, and inspecting my work, gave a more than a passing note. I guess, it was because Dad was worse than me as a handy man. He could do some carpentry(!)—read, could nail two wooden planks—and fix some simple plumbing problems, and that was the extent of his abilities. Well, that was to be expected, as he was a white-collar; having been a desk jockey most of his life. I was supposed to be a white-collar, too, but ended up being something of a white- and blue-collar.

After all the work was done, we helped the women folk to clean the house. Then, while they got busy buying and fixing curtains and other necessary stuff, Dad and I did the painting, something which we both were very accustomed to, after moving from one rental place to another several times over the years. And since Mom and Kathy weren’t around, we could get it done without any interference from them. I guess we both had fun, and surely, without the distraction of comments like: “Be careful. You’re dripping paint there!” or “This part requires another coat!” and similar, we finished the job in record time. Afterwards, we had to clean up a few spots, but there weren’t many spills or paint drops. I remember Dad and I sharing a look and bursting into laughter; we both were thinking whether the presence of the women during the previous times was what jinxed the painting jobs.

Finally, the day arrived for the move, and we packed Kathy’s stuff, and got it moved to her flat, and during the day, the other deliveries, such as the furniture from various stores arrived. Dad and I made several trips back and forth to get some of the delicate stuff like TV, stereo, and glassware, not trusting a moving company to be careful with the stuff. It wasn’t a long distance, and required only a few trips from my parents’ place to Kathy’s flat. In a few hours we finished the whole move. By evening time, Dad and I finished assembling the bookshelves, the bed, the wardrobe, while the women got the kitchen in order, unpacking the glassware and other stuff. Just before dinner time, we had the living room also sorted out, the furniture placed as required, and then Dad and I went out to get two big pizzas and a bottle of red wine to celebrate. After dinner , at Mom’s urging we didn’t hang around but left; she knew Kathy was anxious to have the place to herself for the first time in her life. Next day, I was on the road for my vacation. When I returned, I saw Kathy before taking my flight, and she told me about her first night in her flat; she had been up all night long, sitting in the living room, reading and listening to music, finally going to bed around four in the morning, tired, but happy. I could sympathize with the feeling.

I looked around to see if she made any changes, but it looked the same. There were few additions; a couple of small low tables next to the couches, and a sturdy low table for the TV and the stereo which used to sit on the floor, a sit-sack, and some new pictures on the walls. I remember the time Kathy and I shopped for some pictures and posters, and framing them at home before hanging them on the walls. The Scripps Pier by Ansel Adams—my choice which Kathy loved—and a few more reproductions of his scenic photos occupied the main wall behind the big couch. By the side of the window were small sized pictures, mostly the works of Kim Anderson, which I thought were really girly-girl kind of pictures, especially Kathy’s favorite, The First Kiss, but I knew why she had chosen it. Dad had taken a picture of us when we were about three or four years old, that depicted us in a similar pose—I didn’t have a rose in my hand, but I was kissing Kathy on the cheek. Her new additions to the collection were a bunch of medium size pictures of smoke filled rooms and Jazz Musicians, occupying an empty spot on the wall, above the stereo. I wasn’t sure if she had chosen them for the mood the pictures depicted, rather than an actual interest in Jazz music, but Kathy was always full of surprises—and I wasn’t stupid enough to bet either way!

I took my suitcase to the spare bedroom. I recognized her old bed. It used to be in her bedroom, but it looked like she had changed the bed in the master bedroom, and put her old bed here. Above the bed, on the wall, was a picture that I knew very well; one of the female nude works of Mick Payton. I had sneaked it in without Kathy’s knowledge when we were shopping for pictures, and later hung it in her bedroom, earning myself a quip: “Hey! I’d rather have a picture of some hunk in my bedroom. Something that shows tight buns, and not tits!”

I turned at her, giving a quizzical look about the picture.

“Well, if you’d rather prefer, I can hang one of the Kim Anderson pictures,” she said flashing me a teasing grin.

“No, thank you. That will do just fine!” I replied hastily.

“I thought it would,” she said, before leaving the room.

Paybacks... eventually they catch up, whatever I do to evade them!

I smiled at the thought, since it was obvious Kathy had on purpose moved the picture from her bedroom to what was, now, temporarily my bedroom. I would have preferred one of the Ansel Adams scenic photos, but...

I checked what was brought here from my parents’, and went through the wardrobe. It looked like almost all my clothes were brought in, some already in the hangers, and the rest distributed in various shelves. Other items like socks, underwear, etc. were in one of the drawers. As I was checking out shelves, and drawers, I noticed a black duffel bag at the bottom floor of the wardrobe. I took it out and set it on the floor. Opening the zipper, I checked the contents. It had been a long time, but I knew what was in there: my practice katana, wakizashi, a bokken (the wooden sword), a white gi set (the canvas cotton trousers and jacket), a long and narrow carry bag with a shoulder sling for the swords, and a small box with various items related to upkeep of the swords. I took out the bokken and the katana to inspect them. Pulling the katana from its scabbard, I checked the polish. Satisfied with that, I tested the balance and the feel of the sword. It felt heavier than I thought it was, but more than that, it was disconcerting to discover that it felt foreign; it wasn’t a natural extension anymore.

Do I want to practice again? I don’t know. Maybe I should start practicing with the bokken and see where it would take me.

Carefully sliding the blade into the scabbard, I returned the katana into the duffel bag and picked up the bokken. It was still in good condition. The surface was slick with wood oil and I didn’t see any cracks. I was zipping up the duffel bag when I felt Kathy standing at the door. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her scrutinizing me. I was surprised that this duffel bag was here. I expected it to be left at my parents’ place. Kathy had never said anything, but I always thought she didn’t like some of my training, and wasn’t comfortable with the contents of the duffel bag. Another subject I was loath to talk about, especially with Kathy.

When I raised an eyebrow, she said, “If you have any dirty laundry in your suitcase, I can put them in the washer.”

“I don’t have much, Sis. I can get it.”

“Well, if you want to risk wearing pink underwear, then do it yourself.”

“Come on, Sis. Whites separate, colored separate. I’ve washed my own stuff before.”

“Do you iron as well?” she teased.

“Don’t rub it in, will you?”

She wasn’t going to let it go. “Do you still cook?”

“Nope. We have cooks and other staff that do the cleaning and washing at the rig-site.”

“Well, since you’ve been spoiled by all that service, I better get your stuff washed,” she retorted with a snort.

“Suit yourself. It’s not locked,” I replied, then took the duffel bag and placed it back in the wardrobe. I put the wooden sword on the dresser. I wanted to take it with me for the vacation, and I didn’t want to forget it. Sensing I was being watched, I turned to face Kathy.

“Are you going to practice?” she asked.

“Nope. I’ll take it with me for my vacation.”

She had an unreadable expression on her face.

“Kathy, what is it?”

“Nothing,” she replied. Before I could say anything, she turned and got busy going through my suitcase, separating the items into neat piles for washing. Over her shoulder, she said, “You’ll find a bath towel in the bathroom. Go and take a shower, then get some sleep. I need to do some shopping—back in a few hours.”

Fifteen minutes later I was in bed. I wasn’t sure if I would get much sleep, but a short nap wouldn’t do any harm. I still had to catch up with my sleep.

* * * * *

The sky was a strange mix of blue and gray, the darker colored clouds in constant shift, mixing and interloping with each other. Standing on the wet sand, I looked at where the horizon should be, but I couldn’t distinguish sea from sky. They were both the same indistinct blue-gray. The rain was coming down gently, but in a continuous sheet, made up of fine droplets, blurring the details. The whole scene looked like a delicate painting on rice paper.

I heard footsteps on wooden planks and turned towards the sound. A girl was walking, headed for the small boat secured to the side of the wharf. Untying the ropes, she threw them in and jumped in the boat. I didn’t catch her face, but she looked familiar. I was trying to get a good look and almost started in her direction, when I was stopped by a hand on my arm. I turned around and came face to face with Dana. She released her hold and brushing my cheek with the back of her fingers, pulled me for a gentle kiss. Breaking the kiss, she nodded in the direction of the boat. When I turned back, I saw ‘her’—19 years old, her black hair wet and stringy from rain—sitting in the boat; one hand on one of the oars and the other waving me goodbye. She had a happy smile on her face. I wasn’t sure if her face was wet from tears or the rain.

I looked back at Dana and she shooed me away, urging me to go to the boat. When I didn’t respond, her expression changed and she mouthed, “Go!”

When I turned my attention back to the boat, the girl was already getting ready to row away from the wharf. As I started to walk towards her, she saw me coming and waved goodbye again, then started rowing the boat away. I ran, but she shook her head with a smile on her face. By the time I was at the edge of the wharf, the boat was out of reach. She stopped rowing and motioned me to go back.

I heard footsteps behind me and a quick glance revealed Dana making her way to me. Her eyes were on the boat and when she was standing next to me, she beckoned to the boat, urging the girl to row back to the wharf. But, the girl just shook her head and gave a small wave, bidding Dana and I goodbye, and picked up the oars again. I felt Dana push me over the side and fell into the water...

With a lurch I came awake, feeling somebody trying to push me back to bed and something wet on my forehead.

“Shssshhh! Mitch. Take it easy. You were having a bad dream,” somebody whispered.

I was panting and I couldn’t get enough oxygen. The air seemed too thin. I tried to breathe normally, but felt like I was suffocating. Something cold soothed my forehead and a cold hand caressed my neck, while a soft voice repeated, “Breathe slowly. Calm down.”

The cold hand and the wet towel on my forehead helped me to focus my attention, and collect my senses. My breathing eased. Feeling my back arched, muscles tensed, I relaxed and let myself onto the bed. Kathy was leaning over me, concern written all over her face. Trying to ease her worries I tried to smile, but she didn’t buy it.

“I’m OK, Kathy. Just a bad dream.”

“Who is the doctor here?” she replied. She lifted the sheet and ran her hand over my chest. “You’re wet. You don’t have a fever, but you’re wet with sweat. That’s not good, Mitch.”

“Maybe I’m coming down with something. It was cold the last two nights on the rig, and I spent most of the time outside,” I offered.

“Maybe,” she replied, but she wasn’t convinced. “Do you remember anything of your dream?”

“No. I only remember falling and that’s when I woke up. I’ll be all right, Sis. I just need a shower.”

Taking the wet towel, she wiped my face and neck, then asked me to sit up. When I did, she asked if I was feeling dizzy, but I was feeling OK. She didn’t interrogate me further, which surprised me, but I was grateful for the break.

I took a long luxurious shower, while she changed the sheets on the bed. I was troubled by the dream and what it meant. I didn’t have episodes like that. I had nightmares, but I didn’t remember much of them afterwards, and usually they were a jumble of things that didn’t make any sense. Contrary to what I said, I remembered everything that took place in this dream. When I walked into the living room, I found Kathy talking on the phone. Seeing me, she cut her talk short and finished the call.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m all right. Sooo... what’s the plan?” I said, trying to change the subject.

“You still feel like going out? I could fix something here.”

“Kathy, when I say I’m all right, I mean all right. So, tell me.. where do you want to go?”

“There’s a new place, really a strange mix, though. Owned and operated by a Russian couple, they have Russian and Greek specialties. I think you’ll like it. They also have live music, first some Russian folk music with balalaika, and later, Greek music with bouzouki.”

“That’s a strange mix. Why don’t they go with one or the other as a theme?”

“I don’t know. I think the guy is Russian and the girl is Greek, or something,” Kathy replied with a chuckle.

“Sounds good to me. Who’s driving?”

“We’re taking a cab. I’m going to drink and I know you’d like to have a few. I want both of us to enjoy the night.”

That was strange. I knew she drank, but not much. Usually she ended up being the designated driver, so she didn’t drink most of the time.

Taking a cab means she’s going to let her hair down. Is that good or bad? Let’s see.

“I can do without the drinks. No need to take a cab. I’ll drive.”

“If you want to, but I think you’ll miss the fun and the atmosphere,” she replied and headed to her room to change.

Hmmm ... She doesn’t look like she’s planning anything.

I watched the news on TV for a few minutes, but getting bored with the repetitious crap about a fire in a hotel, I switched to a documentary channel. Kathy came back, dressed in a slinky, black evening dress, and high heels, with a small overcoat in her hand. She had a little bit of make-up and I didn’t see any jewelry, which reminded me...

“You look good. I better take my jacket,” I said and went to my room to pick up the little present for her.

When she found out what I had bought her, she loved it and immediately put it on. With the décolletage in the front, the necklace made a striking contrast with the dress and her tanned skin; just as I expected when I bought it. Before we left, I remembered I had to call Dana tonight.

“Kathy, are we going to be staying up late?”

“No, not really. That’s why we’re going early. They close the place by midnight, and it’s a weeknight. They are open later hours only on Fridays and Saturdays. Why?”

“I need to make a call tonight and I don’t know if I have to leave a message for them to expect a call or not.”

“Them? You mean her, don’t you?” she said with a snort.

When I didn’t react, she said, “I’ll be good, Mitch. I’ll be reeaaal gooood,” making me laugh.

“Yeah? Why am I afraid of that?”

“Come on. Let’s go. We have to be back in time for your call... to them!” she retorted, letting out a teasing laugh.

* * * * *

The restaurant was on the outskirts, in a pretty run-down section of town. From the outside it didn’t look like much, but the inside was a surprise. Ambient lighting was low, but not uncomfortably dark. The dark wood finish on the walls gave a sense of being in an old house. Old oil lamps complimented the atmosphere. The chairs were also wood, stylish in an old fashioned manner, but uncomfortable. However, the whole atmosphere was great, and with the live music and great tasting food, that little discomfort was easy to overlook.

I’d had Greek food a lot of times, so I went for the Russian specialties, complimented with a small bottle of vodka. Kathy chose Greek specialties and enjoyed a few glasses of Ouzo. I was surprised to see her drink that much, but she didn’t show it at all. I’ve known girls who could drink, but only a few that liked Ouzo. It was, after all, an acquired taste. We tried a few bites from each other’s plates. I was curious to see how good their Greek specialties were, compared to the other places I’ve been, and found out that some of the dishes were as good as I’ve ever had. Next time I would definitely go Greek.

By the time the night was drawing to a close, Kathy was getting a bit giggly—well, more like nicely buzzed and bubbly. I loved to see her like that. But, she was careful and didn’t go to excess. She ordered a cup of Greek coffee. I, on the other hand, chose to finish off my vodka with a lemon twist. A few years back, I had had a bad reaction to coffee after imbibing vodka, and I didn’t want a repeat.

I paid the tab and we left, arriving home before midnight. I didn’t have to wait too long for the quip.

“While I’m changing into something comfortable, why don’t you call... them?” she said and headed to her room.

After digging out Dana’s number from my wallet, I called her. She picked it up after the second ring; must have been expecting my call. We talked about her day. She sounded tired but chipper, telling me she would rearrange her schedule and take a couple of days off. But, that would have to wait until Monday. When I asked if, in the next couple of days, she would be spending a few hours at the airport here, between flights, she was hesitant to answer.

“Will you pass through the airport here, or have an overnight stay?”

“Ummm. Probably...”

“Probably? You don’t know your schedule?”

“It’s... complicated.”

Complicated? What’s going on, Dana?

I was a bit disappointed, but more than that, I was scared. Was she having second thoughts?

“OK...”

“Mitch, it’s not what you think,” she said in a hurry, hearing the uncertainty in my tone.

“It’s all right, Dana. I understand,” I replied, trying hard to keep the strain from my voice.

“It’s not about you. It’s... Well, she will be back on Saturday, and I’ll be flying with her the next couple of days,” she replied with a sigh.

“I see...”

Damn! This complicates things, but I can’t keep on planning my life around HER! This isn’t fair to Dana, or to me.

I was getting agitated. I didn’t know what to say to Dana. I was tempted to say ‘the hell with her!’ but I didn’t want to put Dana in an awkward position.

“Dana, I don’t know what to say... No, that’s not true. I know what I want to say, but I don’t want to put pressure on you or put you on the spot. Dammit! This is getting ridiculous!”

“Mitch, calm down. Look, this is something we knew was coming. We can’t avoid it.”

“I-I... I can’t keep planning my life around her,” I blurted.

Dana went quiet at that.

“Dana, you there?”

“Yes, Mitch...”

“I’m sorry. I just want to get to know you and... it feels like I won’t even get that chance.”

“Mitch, we both need time. We can’t rush into this. Don’t you think a few days apart will be good for both of us?”

“I... Yeah. I know, but... If you’re saying this because of her, I can’t accept it. If you’re saying it because that’s the way you feel...”

“Now, you are putting me on the spot, Mitch.”

That gave me a pause. I didn’t want to put pressure on her, but then I remembered my dream and that filled me with a chill.

“Mitch?”

“Sorry. You’re right... A few days apart might do us some good.”

“Mitch, I miss you... it’s not been a day yet, and I miss you. But, we need to be patient, and work this thing out,” she said softly.

“I miss you too, Dana. I’ll wait...”

“Good. Now... I can’t promise anything, but if I figure out something I’ll let you know. Where can I reach you?”

“That’s going to be a problem. I’m staying with my sis, and... well... it’s kinda complicated,” I finished using her own expression, and laughing at my choice.

“What kinda complicated?” she asked with an amused tone.

“She’s being kinda sisterly.”

“She figured out you have a new woman in your life?” she asked with a giggle.

“Yeah... something like that. It’s not that I’m trying to keep it a secret, but she usually gets overzealous trying to figure out what’s happening in my life,” I said with a resigned tone.

“If she’s the kind that I’m guessing she is, she probably cares and is being protective.”

“I can do without the protection.”

That earned me a laugh and she came back with, “That bad, huh?”

“Try, ‘not taking no for an answer’ for size and see how it fits,” I retorted.

“Ohh... she’s my kind of girl,” she teased. “How old is she?”

“Physically or mentally?” I quipped getting a giggle for my effort. “She’s 24, but her mental age varies between 15 and 60.”

“That sounds just about right... I’ve got to meet her sometime,” she replied with an amused tone, and I chuckled at her reply.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, Mitch.”

“Even though I didn’t admit to anything, she had said exactly the same thing: ‘I’ve got to meet her one day’.”

“Well... I can arrange that,” she teased, making me shiver at the thought.

“Oh, I’m sure you would get along fine. At least, you share the same passion and have a similar background. I’m just worried about how I could deal with the two of you.”

“Really? Tell me more. What’s she like? What does she do?”

“She’s at the med school; finished her sixth year a few months ago. Now, she’s going for her specialization.”

“Wow! Seriously, Mitch. If you don’t mind, I would really like to meet her.”

“Oh, I do mind! But... I don’t see how I could prevent it,” I replied half-joking, but there was a slight edge to my voice.

That gave her a pause and she hesitantly asked, “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“It’s not about you, Dana. It’s about the past, and her. I don’t talk about her and nobody knows much about what happened or how it happened...”

I didn’t finish my sentence, but Dana was quick to get my meaning.

“You mean, I’m the only one...”

“Yes. Look, I’m not implying anything, OK? I just know my sister. She’s devious. I can’t even think of a plausible answer to the question of how we met or why we met. A small slip up, and she’ll be all over me like white on rice. She won’t try anything with you, but I’ll be put through the wringer. I love her, but I won’t put up with certain things.”

Changing to a less serious tone, I added, “I don’t really mind it, Dana. I think it might be good, especially if you can, somehow rein her in. I love her too much and she... well, she knows that.”

“Are you sure, you’re not scared of the idea that your sister and I would form a sisterly pact?” she teased.

“Well... OK! I’ll admit it. The thought crossed my mind... more than once,” I replied with a chuckle. “How serious are you about meeting her, Dana?”

“Pretty serious.”

“Any particular reason?”

“It’s hard to explain... We really need to talk about these things face to face, Mitch.”

“I guess... I was just curious. I don’t need to know your reasons. Maybe it would be better. I have handled her before, so don’t worry about it too much.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Dana, I’m sure. I don’t want to sneak around, or hide.”

“OK!” she said. After a short pause, she asked, “You’re not going to tease her to death about me, are you?”

I almost missed the amused tone. She was sharp. I hadn’t even thought about the possibilities. I would have eventually, but Dana had beaten me to it.

“Darn! I was just thinking about the possibilities. How did you—”

“Honey, if I were in your shoes, I would have. After all the things you said about her...”

“Hmmm... I’m not going to regret my decision, am I?”

“I love you too much for that,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

“I... I wanted to say those words first, Dana. Tonight just doesn’t seem to be my night.”

“You said it first, Mitch... if you remember...”

“Yes, but... you know what I mean.”

“I know.” After a pause, she changed the subject, “Is she listed in the directory?”

“Yeah. Katherine Tanner.”

For extra measure I gave her the number and address, which she noted down. As we finished our conversation with “I love you,” my sister walked in, wearing her bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her hair.

When I looked up, she had an amused expression.

“Strange way to end a conversation. Considering, you were talking to them,” she quipped.

When I didn’t respond, she continued, “I never thought I would hear you say those words again, Bro.”

That reminded me... She had been the only one until recently.

Do I still love her, or am I in love with that 19 year old girl? What’s going to happen with her... and Dana? What’s the meaning of the dream?

I didn’t have an answer to any one of them.

“Why? I say those words to you and good friends. I said it... to them,” I replied with a teasing grin.

“Them? Come on, Mitch. Why don’t you spell it out? She’s not a them. She has a name. At least use her name or say she. Do I have to find it out using my own means?”

“That would prove to be a difficult task, Sis. You don’t know them. You never met them,” I goaded her. I was enjoying myself too much, especially pressing her buttons, after all the headache she had given me. I would eventually let her know, but I wanted her to sweat a bit.

“Really?” she responded with an ominous tone, and I felt the hair rise at the back of my neck. Kathy never shied away from challenges. This wasn’t the first time I wondered how we managed to avoid killing each other, considering how stubborn and competitive we had been since childhood.

What’s she up to?

“Yes, really. I gave you the opportunity before. You just had to give me your promise. Instead, you decided to act like a child. Give me your promise and I’ll tell you about... them,” I replied, flashing a grin.

“How about... I don’t give you my promise... and...”

“And?”

“Still find out about her... for example who she is?” she retorted smugly.

“Not from me, Sis. I ain’t saying nothing about... them!”

“I didn’t say you would. I just don’t want you to get pissed off, when I get her name. That’s all!”

“Oh, I’m not worried about that.”

“OK! By the way, I’m going to throw you a freebie, and won’t bother you with questions. Just so, you can’t say I wasn’t being sporting about this.”

I felt something cold run at my back, and almost shivered at the feeling. She never gave freebies!

Fuck! Twice in a day? I know you have a devious mind, but you can’t be that lucky. What the hell am I missing?

“If you’re not going to bother me with questions, why is it so difficult to give me your promise?” I asked.

“A promise is indefinite. It closes all the doors, and I know you’ll hold me to it.”

“And the freebie is not a promise? It sounded almost like a promise.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, dear brother. I’ll get her name by my own means and I won’t bother you with questions, until you tell me about her. After that, the doors don’t stay closed. That’s the difference.”

Giving me a devilish grin, she continued, “Not only that, but I can change my mind anytime I want. After all, I’m a woman and we are entitled. I won’t do that with a promise, and you know that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her antics. She could be entertaining when she wanted to be. She seemed so sure of herself I wanted to see how creative she would get, and how long it would take her to find out Dana’s identity.

“OK. I’ll play. Do your worst.”

Suddenly, she got serious. “Mitch, I don’t want to piss you off, OK? She’s good for you, and I wouldn’t mess it up for anything. Especially, something trivial like this challenge.”

“It’s all right, Kathy. Really. I’m just curious what you’re planning and how long it will take you.”

She was still not convinced, and for the first time I noticed something else. She was apprehensive about the aftermath; if our relationship would change for the worse.

“Kathy, I’m game. Go ahead. Just like the old times.”

When she heard that she knew I meant it and her face lit up with enthusiasm. I guess we both missed our childhood closeness and here was a moment that captured it. With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she asked, “Have you got a watch, dear brother?”

“Watch? For what?”

“I think this will be a record in terms of the shortest battle ever fought. I want it recorded for posterity!” she retorted with a big grin.

“Sheeesh, Kathy. I hope you won’t be rubbing it in every minute of the day.” I was getting into the spirit of things.

“Ahh, Mitch, I love you too much for that.”

At that, I almost blurted out what Dana had said.

I think you two will get along just fine, when you get to meet each other.

“I’m waiting, Sis. I’m curious how you’re going to pull up a rabbit from a non-existent hat.”

With a smile on her face she walked to the telephone and picked it up.

“I have my magic hat here,” she retorted wickedly.

Shit! Redial. For fuck’s sake, how the hell did I not think of it? She gave me enough hints and enough warning. She had been a real sport with this. I’ll give her that.

Kathy was probably going to fake a wrong number call. I tried to recall how Dana responded to my call; she had used her full name. Kathy pressed the redial button and listened.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.”

While I expected the call to end, I saw Kathy sputter, her expression changing to a stunned surprise. She hesitated for a moment before replying with a timid, “Y-yes.” The call wasn’t finished and Kathy was still listening. I heard several ‘hmmms’ and ‘ahhhs,’ with a ‘yes’ thrown in between.

What the hell’s going on?

Finally, Kathy said, “Yes. I will. I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour.” Then she finished the call with a “Good night.”

She had a dazed expression on her face, but also a smile.

“OK, what just happened”? I asked, dreading the answer. From her expression, I was pretty sure Dana had caught Kathy at her game.

“You have a very cool girl friend, Mitch. I like her.”

“She figured out who you were?” I asked the obvious.

“It seems she had been forewarned,” she came back.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, it seems you’ve talked about me. When my call came a few minutes after yours, she got suspicious. So, she took a potshot, and... well, she scored.”

“Well, you did deserve that.”

“Yeah, I did. It was pretty embarrassing at first, but she was cool.”

I nodded.

“She told me to tell you that everything was all right. She suggested I talk to you first, before you called her back.”

“What else did she say?”

“Nothing. She was trying to put me at ease, that’s all. She also said that she would like a call back from you. She’ll be up for another hour.”

“OK, I’ll call her. Anything else?”

“Nope.”

“No, I mean, no questions from you?”

“Well... I’m dying to know about her, but I’ll wait. Just don’t make me wait too long.”

“Kathy I can’t promise anything; that’s why I was trying to get your promise. You know me well enough to understand that I have my reasons. This isn’t a high school romance thing.”

She nodded, still a bit shaken.

I called Dana and we had a short talk.

“How is she taking it?” she asked.

“Pretty much dazed. How did you catch her?”

“Nobody calls me at this hour, and it was a young woman’s voice, and it came not too long after your call. I was just going to let it pass as a wrong number call, but... people are usually careful, especially young women, at this late hour, about whom they dial.”

She was sharp and her reasoning was simple. I laughed at how easily Kathy had been figured out.

“Don’t laugh, Mitch,” she admonished me.

“Why shouldn’t I? You don’t know what she did before pulling that trick on me.”

“She’s a clever girl, Mitch, and resourceful. So what did you lose?”

“Oh, nothing serious. In fact, I don’t think she’ll gloat about this, at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“She had the gall to ask me if I had a watch.”

“Watch?” Dana repeated, confused.

“Yeah. She said she wanted this to be recorded for posterity for the shortest battle ever fought.”

I had to keep the handset off my ear, as Dana let out a hoot. When she collected herself, she said, “I like her. She plays for keeps.”

“Well... I like her too. Especially the new Kathy I have,” I said loudly, so Kathy would hear me.

“Leave me out of your sibling rivalry, Mitch. And be nice to her,” Dana said.

Just then I had a pillow on my head. As usual, Kathy was reverting to her teenage self.

“Uh, OK! Are you sure you wouldn’t give me a hand with a pillow fight I’m invited to?”

“What did she do? Throw a pillow?”

“Yep.”

“You deserved it, Mitch.”

“I guess, I did. I better not keep you up. It’s already late.”

“Tell her I like her. And, Mitch... I love you.”

“I love you too, Dana. Sleep tight.”

When I sat on the couch next to Kathy, she looked up expectantly.

“I gathered you got her name. We’ve...just met, and somehow hit it off. She’s a few years older than me, and... well, we want to see where we go. It’s too early to say anything.”

She wasn’t satisfied with that, so she asked, “Can’t you at least tell me how you met her or what she does for work?”

Those particular questions were the ones that I dreaded. They could open a whole can of worms and I didn’t want that. Kathy had an incredible mind, when I least expected it.

“We’ve met at the airport... but actually... she was on the same flight I was.”

Kathy was putting me under the microscope again and she knew I wasn’t telling her much. She also saw through how carefully I constructed my reply. To my surprise, she moved on... to something I didn’t want to talk about at all.

“OK. So, you saw her in the plane. What does she do?”

“She’s a flight attendant,” I replied trying to keep my voice level.

For a moment her eyes widened in surprise and I could hear the wheels turning in her head. I don’t know what she thought, but to my surprise she changed the subject, swiftly.

“It’s getting late, Bro. It’s time to hit the bed. Tomorrow we need to wake up early. We’ll catch breakfast with Mom and Dad, and then you can collect your car and go to the garage.”

I realized I was holding my breath and I let it out slowly. I nodded and gave her a goodnight kiss, before I made my way to my room.

* * * * *