You are viewing ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
dearelphie's journal
You are viewing dearelphie's journal
 | |||
|
Title: Memoirs of Mr. Priestly Author: dearelphie Pairing: Miranda/Stephen Rating: PG-13 Summary: Stephen reflects on his relationships with Miranda during their marriage. Disclaimer: I don’t own Miranda, Stephen, Caroline and Cassidy, but Harry, Maggie, Sarah, Jack and Michael McKenzie are mine. But I couldn’t come with Miranda to Miami, because I must be at an appointment which I couldn’t cancel or reschedule. I apologized to Miranda and stayed at home with the twins. “Stephen”, Cassidy said, “could you listen to my playing? I think I’m not so good at that.” “Let’s go”, I said, “and where’s your sister by the way? Shouldn’t you play together?” “She’s busy with her photographs again. But she plays very well, I heard it. Stephen, maybe you’ll ask her to play with me at least one time?” “No problem.” “But first I’ll play alone, and then let’s call her.” Casey and I went to her room. She took her violin and began to play a piece by Rachmaninoff. I didn’t know a thing about painting, photography, fashion and music, but I liked what Cassidy was playing. “You’re very good at this”, I said when she was done. “Maybe I’m just worrying before the recital.” “It’s in two days. You’ve got a plenty of time to prepare.” “Let me play one more time with Caroline. Call her, please, because she tells me she’s annoyed by my rehearsals.” I knocked on the next door. “Come in”, I heard from within. “Caroline, it’s me”, I said entering the room. Caroline was sitting at the table with her laptop, she didn’t even look up at me, “Casey wants you to play the piece once again with her.” “I’m sick of her”, Caroline said in a low voice not looking away from the screen. “Yes, but I’d like to listen to you both.” “You will, at the recital”, Caroline answered. “Why are you speaking with me in such tone? Is something wrong?” “No, everything is okay”, Caroline kept doing what she was doing. “What are you doing?” “Working at a photograph.” “May I have a look?” I came up to Caroline to look at her work, but she slammed her laptop shut. “Stephen, I wanna be alone. I want nobody to disturb me, is it so difficult to do?” Caroline spoke in Miranda’s tone. “I’m sorry, but it’s very important for Cassidy that you play with her one time. I don’t think it will distract you from your work much, but it will help her”, I looked closely at the girl. “What does it matter how we’ll play? Mom won’t hear it anyway.” “She definitely will.” “I bet she won’t come to our recital.” “Caroline, she promised she would be there.” “Do you know how many times she promised to be there where she wasn’t? Concerts, parents’ days in the Camp, performances at our School Theatre… I could go into infinity. You’ve lived with her for a little more than a year, but we’ve known her for twelve years. Believe me, she doesn’t change.” “Even if it’s true, at least I will be at this recital. I know I’m asking too much, but couldn’t you try for me? Maybe not as much as for Miranda…” Caroline looked up at me. “You can hear our music every evening”, she said. “It’s not the same. A rehearsal and a concert are two different things. And I wanna be sure that you’ll be brilliant on Sunday.” “Okay, Stephen, let’s go. But only one time!” “Deal.” “And after that you’ll go with us to a café!” Caroline flittered out of the room, but I kept staying there confused. And wondering, was Miranda business-like too when she was a child? The girls played very well. To my taste. Caroline played the piano, Cassidy played the violin. I liked Rachmaninoff. So I tried my best to assure Cassidy there was nothing to worry about. “Miranda and I will sit in the front row if it will help you”, I said when I remained with Casey. “Actually, yes, it will”, she said to me. “So done. And now put you violin aside, you need to distract.” “Yes, I know. Our teacher says if we will play the same piece too many times, we can screw it up at the crucial moment.” “Well you have a good teacher. That’s why…” “That’s why we are going to a café!” Caroline appeared in the doorway, totally dressed and ready to leave. We chose a café in Central Park. “Why couldn’t Mom stay in New York for weekend?” Caroline asked. “Perhaps she went to Miami for business”, I answered. “What business can be on weekend?” Caroline kept asking. “You said you’d known your Mom for twelve years already. Didn’t you get used to the fact that she can be busy on every day of the week?” I asked back. “What do you think, will she come tomorrow?” Caroline didn’t calm down. “What are you talking about?” Cassidy broke in. “Of course she will. She called me and promised she would come tomorrow at night.” “Casey”, Caroline shook her head, “you and I are kind of twins, but you are so naïve. Why?” “Stop it”, I said, “Caroline, did you bring us here to speak about Miranda’s sins?” “No”, Caroline muttered. “Well then let’s stop guessing if Miranda will come or not till tomorrow, okay?” “Okay”, Caroline agreed. “You know, Stephen”, Cassidy said, “I don’t know what Caroline thinks, but I will be glad that at least you will come to our recital.” “I promise.” “If Mom acted up to her promises every time as you do!” Cassidy sighed. The twins spent the whole next day at School preparing for the recital. Along toward evening I decided to get things square, when my cell phone rang. It was Miranda. “Stephen, honey, hi”, she said. “Hello, Miranda.” “Unfortunately, I’m lingering over here a little. My flight has been cancelled because of the weather. Tell the girls not to worry. I’ll come by all means”. “But why don’t you tell them yourself?” “Stephen, please, do it. I can’t speak long, I need to think something out with the flight”, and she hung up. “Great, Miranda!” I said into the off cell. Her flight has been cancelled, and what does “I need to think something out with the flight” mean? She’s thought nothing out, hasn’t she? So there is a fifty-fifty chance either she will come or stay in Miami, if not to say worse. But I wouldn’t better think of it. How will I tell the twins? They’ll get upset, take offence, and it’s an understatement! Afraid to imagine what scene Caroline will make. And Casey? She’ll be waiting for Miranda till the last minute anyway. I hated such moments. Miranda shifted responsibility onto me. As if I was their mother! I wasn’t even their father, but by chance I cared for others’ children. I knocked on Cassidy’s door choosing to start with her. “Come in”, she said. I came into the room and saw her sitting on the bed. She pressed her violin to the bosom and looked into the sheet music on her knees. My heart clenched. “Hey”, I said, “worry before the recital?” “Very much. I’m afraid I’ll come on the stage and goof up.” “Don’t say so! You play perfect.” “There will be a lot of people, and all of them will be looking at me. Stephen, I’m scared.” “Well if it makes your mind easy I say your mother has to stay in front of many people much more often than you and she’s not afraid at all.” “Well I didn’t take after her.” “Don’t say your father’s never stood on the stage. Whom did you take after then?” “Perhaps after my Granny.” I laughed. “When will Mom come?” Cassidy asked. “I just wanted to speak with you about it…” “Won’t she come?” I saw a strong anxiety in Cassidy’s eyes. “Of course she will. She’s just late. She called me and said there was a horrible rainstorm in Miami, and her flight had been cancelled. But she’ll get another flight. By all means.” Cassidy nodded. She seemed to calm down. “Maybe lay your music aside and try to sleep?” I suggest. “I’m afraid I can’t.” “Don’t think about anything. Tomorrow your mother and I will be sitting in the front row and looking at you, and all other people will be envious, cause we have such wonderful girls”, and I hugged her. I left Cassidy’s room and headed to the next one, to Caroline. Knocked. Nobody answered. Knocked again. Silence. Then I turned the doorknob and came in without permission. Caroline was already lying in bed listening to iPod. When I came up to her, she pulled out the earphones and smiled. “Sorry, I came in without your permission, I knocked, but you didn’t answer”, I said. “It’s okay.” “How do you feel before the recital?” “Actually I’m fine. I’m waiting for Mom to come. I don’t know why, but she hasn’t called yet.” “She called me.” “Let me guess”, Caroline said in her sarcastic tone, “she won’t come and asked you to put it to us nicely, cause she didn’t want to make us upset.” I didn’t answer. “I see”, and she turned to the wall. “Caroline”, I sank on the edge of the bed, “mind you, I didn’t say she wouldn’t come. Her flight has been canceled because of the weather, and she’ll come later.” “I wonder how?” Caroline turned her face to me. “What?” I didn’t understand what she meant. “Well how will she get here, if the weather in Miami is so terrible that her flight was canceled? On a broom or a magic carpet?” “Caroline, she’s trying her best to be at your recital, believe me.” “Alright, Stephen. Don’t trouble yourself. I get the point of your comment. It’s not your fault, and you don’t need to apologize for Mom. She is as she is. Good night”, and she faced away again. “Good night.” I left the room and closed the door. And as soon as I did it, I heard something got broken to pieces against the wall in Caroline’s room. I didn’t hear her crying, but I was sure she was. Caroline would never do it either in my or in anyone else’s presence. She tried to hide her feelings, just as Miranda did. What else she had to do? In an hour Miranda called again. “Stephen, did you tell them?” She asked. “Yes, I did.” “And what?” “What what? They are sleeping.” “Listen, I’ve got an insolvable problem. My new assistant is just damned fool. She can’t find the way to get me out of here.” “Miranda, don’t say you won’t come”, I said in a tired voice. “Darling, I’m doing my best, but you see. Nothing depends on me and it makes me more upset.” “Okay, Miranda, you don’t need to apologize. Everybody understands everything as usual. Caroline’s already accepted the fact that you won’t be there tomorrow, but poor Cassidy’s still waiting for you.” “Stephen… I’m so sorry...” “Take it easy”, and I hung up. I usually didn’t hang up first when I spoke to Miranda, but I didn’t want to continue this senseless talk. I didn’t want to listen to her excuses yet again. I was half asleep myself and I wanted this problem with Miranda to disappear of itself tomorrow, cause I didn’t want to be sitting in the front row all alone looking at Cassidy and Caroline and see their disappointed faces. But much more I didn’t want to sit there, cause all the parents would be looking at me puzzled and thinking what I was doing there. I wasn’t their father. And where was their father? Went to the concert somewhere again? To my mind the concert he should be at tomorrow was much more important than his all other concerts even if they were well paid. Damn Miranda and all her husbands, assistants, bosses and friends. Everyone who made my already happy life more happy. TBC...
|
|||
