12/12/1976. Day Two Thousand Three Hundred and Fourteen.
"Lusanda, Lusanda, Lusanda", called Gregor in his tiny high oxtail voice as he walked to her. Swaying his body from side to side, he walked like a penguin. As do most toddlers of that age. Oh, the poor toddlers, their heads are usually too heavy for their legs, it is a miracle they end up surviving that age.
"It is either they are walking, or are about to fall on their heads, you'll never know unless you let them be. No child born of this world has ever learn to walk without hitting their heads a couple of times", so said Cynthia's fly by night doctor, "let nature do its thing"
Fortunately though, the young Gregor made it across the room without falling.
"Hmm", replied Lusanda, unmoved from her chair.
"Lusanda!", he kept begging.
"Yes, Greggy", she said, finally looking back at him as she placed her book on her lap.
"He, he, he", he started giggling, and it caught her off guard causing a delayed a reaction. Until she finally took him by the armpit and lifted him up.
She repositioned her book to the arm of the chair, placing her brother on her lap.
"You know you're starting school, next year", she said, "do you know how to read?"
"Read", repeated the giggling boy.
"Yes", she reopened her book, "can you read this text?"
"A-B-C-D-E-F!", he sang so proudly.
"You know your alphabets"
"That's a good start, can you read your own name though?", she asked while writing his name in capital letters on the back of her reading book. She proceeded to guide his restless head to the word, "read this", she instructed.
"Gre-Gor", he sounded it out.
"That's good. That's very good"
"Looks like your mother has done something with you"
She wrote down the family name; STANFIELD
"Can you read it in full, though?"
He brushed off the question with giggles.
"Oh boy"
"By the time I leave, you will be able to read"
03/01/1977. Day Two Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty Six.
"Hello, my name is Gregor…Stanfield, and I am six years old. My sister, Lusanda Stanfield, taught me how to read during the holidays"
"Good boy", Lusanda complimented, "see I told you, you'd be a totally different person by the time I leave"
"Are you leaving?", asked Gregor, sounding far more fluent and coherent than he did in the preceding clip.
"Yes, I've told you several times, I attend a different school, in a different city, so, this is goodbye until the end of the year", she said.
She folded the piece of paper from which her brother was reading from, and placed it in his pocket.
Cynthia watched on from the doorstep while Lusanda hugged him goodbye, "the best part about growing up in different places as siblings, is we will have plenty of stories to talk about when we meet again", she explained, "you know what we should do?"
"What?"
"Turn this it into a competition, each end of the year we will see who has the most interesting stories to tell"
"I'll be waiting to hear them", she smiled and let go of his tiny hand to stand up again.
In doing so, she met Cynthia's gaze, they exchanged nods, and she picked her bags, and went on her way. Having waved her goodbye, the two returned inside, and just like his reading, young Gregor's walk had drastically improved. He was walking well enough to retire from his penguin activities.
20/06/1977. Day Two Thousand Five Hundred and Four.
The telephone rang suddenly, shaking both Cynthia and Gregor out of their comforts. Cynthia hopped off the couch, agitated she slid on her slippers on her way to the phone.
"Hello", she greeted.
Cretone, working only from the mortal's perspective is unable to pick up the voice on the other end of the phone, just like young Gregor hadn't.
After sitting in silence for a while his mother hung up, "your father, and sister are on their way", she announced, it was enough to have him jumping in joy.
It did not take long for a car's hoot on the outside to breakup the deadlock of silence in the home. Gregor grabbed the keys before the horn could finish. And opened the front door with Cynthia following his que from behind.
"Papa, Lusanda!", he rejoiced.
Jeremy was already at the booth of the cab, rappidly unloading their luggage. While Lusanda remained in the back seat in crossed arms unprepared to move even when her younger brother stood at her window.
Once the unloading was done, an unimpressed Jeremy knocked on her window.
"Damn it! Lusanda", he says, "We spoke about this, just go inside", while the driver looked on with some hint of concern.
"Sorry about this", Jeremy quickly apologised to the driver's nod.
"You know...daughters", he excused.
Lusanda got out still in crossed arms, heavy legs, and a hunched back.
She did not look or acknowledge anyone. She kept her eyes on the ground, in such a way that no one could read her facial expression.
The taxi drove off, and Lusanda was first inside, Jeremy looked at Cynthia, and shrugged his shoulders, as he followed her in.
Gregor lost by the mood lowered the arms that awaited his sisters embrace, Cynthia had to walk him back to the house by hand. In which a grumpy Lusanda sat where Cynthia was sitting prior to their arrival.
Jeremy dropped the bags in the middle of the living room. He let out a sigh of relief, while wiping sweat off his face with a handkerchief.
"Hey, son", he finally greeted.
"I hear you've been doing good at school", he said, crouching to meet him, "continue the good work"
"Thank you"
"Your sister has returned to help out with that, from here on, you guys will be living together and attending the same school"
"So we can ease pressure on mom", he said, while Gregor kept his eyes on Lusanda who kept rolling her eyes while Jeremy spoke.
"I'll stick around for the next few days", he informed, "and then I'll leave again"
"But I'll be able to see how far you've come along"
20/06/1977. Day Two Thousand Five Hundred and Four.
The family was occupying a one bedroom home, now with everyone home. They had to divide the living room in two by means of a curtain that goes wall to wall, one half they stuffed their living room furniture, the other half became the children's room.
Since Lusanda's return the house has been gloomy, Jeremy did most of the talking, spoke mostly about work where he could a little about sports but the table and the house remained mostly silent.
"I have stories too", young Gregor said, breaking the deadlock.
"About school?", engaged his father.
"Yes"
"Lusanda told me to tell her when she returns"
Lusanda was not at the table, she had excused herself after claiming exhaustion, and went to lay behind the curtains.
"Well, she won't talk to us, but she will you", said Jeremy, staring at the curtain, "you can take your food and go talk to her", he said.
"Keep her company"
"Thank you", Gregor wasted no time in moving his meal to their shared space.
"Lusanda", he said as soon as he got in.
"Are you asleep?"
"No", she mildly replied, "whether I'm awake or asleep, don't talk to me", she instructed, "just leave me alone"
27/06/1977. Day Two Thousand Five Hundred and Eleven.
"Daddy", said Lusanda almost crying, "I want to go back, I don't want to change schools", she said, "please take me with you"
"No can do", he said, "you have a little brother to take care of now"
"You guys need to grow up together"
"You've been grumpy for an entire week now, but you will learn to grow into it"
"It is a good school", he said.
"Be good to your brother, and your mother"
"My mother?"
"My mother? Where exactly is she?", she demanded.
"Don't talk to me like that!", shot back Jeremy in a hiss, "I don't care what attitude you're in, you will not talk to me like that!"
"And you will never say such a thing about Cynthia!"
"Are we clear!?"
"Yeah...whatever", she muttered under her breath, and went behind the binds again, passing young Gregor, who had witnessed it all.
29/06/1977. Day Two Thousand Five Hundred and Thirteen.
The bell rang marking the end of class, most of the children ran out the door once Madam Balinda let them out. Parents and guardians were already outside awaiting their kids.
Balinda had an eye on Gregor, who remained seated in the middle of class, having already said goodbye to some of his classmates, he keeps to himself.
While she had an obvious irritable eye on him, he kept an eye on the door, another on his colouring book, passively tracing its details.
"How long will your mother take this time around?", asked Balinda in a demanding tone.
"I don't know", Gregor replied, "but I'm sorry Mam"
"Hey, Greggy", just then his sister had called, she stood by the door, "pack your things, let's go", she instructed, then looked at the madam, "mam", she greeted in acknowledgement than looked away immediately.
Now the Madam seemed puzzled, "and you are?", she asked.
Lusanda, still not of mood, pretended to not hear the question.
"Gregor, do you know this girl?"
"Yes", he replied while zipping his bag, "she's my older sister mam"
"She just transferred to this school"
"Oh, so she'll be taking you home from now on?", the teacher asked in a more relaxed tone.
"Yes, Mam", the boy replied and got his backpack on. A backpack that's wider than his body width.
"Oh, okay, nice to…", Lusanda had already stepped out of sight, and was waiting outside.