Chapter 14 - An American Flavour

My Grandparents and had taken the news that I wanted to take a gap year particularly well. Especially when I explained that moving to Quèbec for a year would give me the opportunity to become truly fluent in French. I planned on taking basic courses at the University, French, a history class, and a French literature class.
My Mom didn’t take the news quite so well. Nor did Washington Willy, who seemed to think that he had some kind of right to act like my Dad. My Mom was so upset we had to go to Stoney’s office.
“Kallista Ashira I cannot believe that you are doing this to me!” She cried the minute the door was closed.
I starred at her. “Doing this to you?” I demanded. “Mom this is not about you.”
“I know I’ve been busy darling, but why on earth can you not just chose a school and go?” She demanded.
Dad rolled his eyes. “Oh give it up Carissa.” He said. “Kallista wants to spend one year in another country, learning another language. I fail to see how this is a problem.”
“Of course you fail to see how this is a problem Halton!” She snapped. “You haven’t been involved in Kallista’s life at all until you found out you couldn’t have more children this year. You wouldn’t even be here if you could have other kids.”
I looked up at my Dad and I knew instantly that it was true. But he was supporting me. “And who should make this decision for me Mom?” I asked. “You? I haven’t seen you since Grade 8.”
“I was busy trying to support you.” She snapped. “While your father was taking his pleasure with fast women and fast cars wherever he happened to be.”
“Now Carissa that is simply not true.” Grandmama said. “My son has always taken care of our overseas interests.”
“And he’s been too busy to see his daughter until this year.” My Mom snapped.
“And you’ve been too busy to see me since I was 13 Mom.” I replied. “At least this year Dad’s been trying.”
“You’re only saying that because he’s spoiling you.” She snapped. “Will has been more of a father to you then Halton has.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh really? The first thing he did when you two got married was ship me off to Shattuck’s. Except he didn’t want to pay for it, so he got in touch with my wealthy Grandparents and made them pay for it.” I paused.
“Dad isn’t perfect. He didn’t expect to be a father, and I get that he ran away from it. I’m not ready to go to University Mom. I need a chance to run away from my responsibilities for a year. I’m just deferring for a year. I’ll still go on tours this summer and make my decision about which school I’m going to go to and what I’m going to major in.”
I paused again. “Dad that doesn’t mean to say I agree with what you did. You and Mom both fucked up with me… and you both fucked me up as a result. I’ve raised myself here at Shattuck’s. I mean I’ve been here pretty much year round since I was 11.”
I took a deep breath. “If it weren’t for Grandmama and Grandpapa I would never have left this school. But none of you worried about whether or not I was happy here… not until I met Dad. He’s the first one who worried about whether or not I was happy. So I give him some credit for that. But all I want is the chance to start again. No one in Canada is going to know about me. If I go to any of those Universities this fall they’ll be people who’ve seen me on Page 6 since I was 13. Some of them will be jealous. If I go away for awhile, people will forget, and I won’t have to deal with the same bullshit when I start College that I’ve dealt with here.” Everyone in the room starred at me. I don’t usually say much around my family. So this was probably the first time any of them had heard me say so much at once. Other then Dad, since he’d actually listened to me when I talked. “Well that settles it Kally.” Dad said firmly. “You’ll chose a College this summer and then you can defer for a year, and you can spend that year wherever you want. If Rimouski is where you want to be, then that’s where you’ll be.” “Halton!” My Mom cried. “I don’t see how you can let her do this!” She cried into Washington Willy’s shoulder. “She’s never going to go back to school if you let her take a year off.”
“Now Kallista.” Willy said. “Can’t you see what you’re doing to your Mother?”
“Don’t even try.” I told him. “You are my step-father and I blame you for the fact that I got sent to boarding school in the first place. I love my Mom and I love my Grandparents and I’m getting to love my Dad. You I don’t love and I never will. I will go to school next fall Mom. I promise.”
“Very well.” Mom said curtly, barely looking at me. “I suppose you’ll do what you want either way.”
I shrugged. “Mom I’ve been doing what I wanted to do since you sent me here. The fact that I’ve graduated isn’t about to change that.”
“Will you at least change that horrible necklace?” She asked, looking at the necklace Sidney gave me with distaste.
“When we go to dinner yes.” I said. “But this is a gift from a friend, and he wanted me to have it today. It’s the exact same as his lucky necklace, and he wanted me to have one for today.” I sniffled slightly. “But I’ll wear Grandmama and Grandpapa’s pink diamonds to dinner.” Everyone in my family looked confused. I didn’t talk to them much about my friends. So none of them had any clue why the necklace was so important to me. But they let it go since I’d agreed to pick a College. I spent a couple of weeks with Mom and Washington Willy, but they were uncomfortable awkward weeks. Neither of them were really all that happy having me there. I went to Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown and Georgetown with Grandmama and Dad. Mom and Dad had gone to Harvard Law. Mom really wanted me to go to Brown though. She didn’t want me to be a lawyer. She wanted me to be an accountant. Grandpapa wanted me to be a doctor and go to Georgetown. Grandmama wanted me to be a lawyer. She was pushing Harvard so hard I was finding it hard to say no.
It wasn’t until Dad pulled me aside one night and asked me what I wanted to do that I said the first thing that came to my mind. “Princeton Dad.” I told him. “I want to go to Princeton.”
He smiled at me and kissed me on the forehead. “Then Princeton it is Kally.” He said. “And don’t worry about your Mom or my Mom.” He told me firmly. “I’ll deal with them.”
“Thanks Dad.” I said hugging him tightly.
“You’re the only child I’m ever going to have Kally.” He said. “And even though I wasn’t a great Dad when you were younger honey, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you to be happy. In fact, now that I’ve gotten to know you better, I want you to be happy more then anything else in this world.”
I hugged him harder. “Thanks Dad.” I said.
“Have you spoken to your Mother lately?” He asked.
“Not since I left Washington.” I said with a shrug. “She and Washington Willy didn’t exactly seem really in to having me around. She hasn’t called, so I haven’t bothered.”
“You should call her.” He said kissing me the forehead.
I shrugged. “Okay.” I said. “Right now?” I asked.
“That would probably be a good idea Kally.” He said.
“Okay.” I said picking up my phone and calling Mom.
“Hello?” Washington Willy answered.
“Hey Will it’s Kally. I need to talk to my Mom.” I said.
“Kallista.” He said. “I’m afraid your Mother can’t come to the phone right now.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh that’s rich.” I said. “Well tell my Mom that I’ve made a decision about which College I’m going to go to. I thought she’d be interested.”
“Hold on a minute Kallista. I’ll get her.” He said.
I rolled my eyes at my Dad. “Hi honey.” My Mom’s voice said. “Will says that you’ve made a decision about College.”
“Yes.” I said. “I want to go to Princeton.”
“Princeton?” I could see my Mom wrinkling her nose. “Darling are you sure that you want to go to Princeton?”
“I love the campus Mom, I love the history classes I’ll be able to take. I might join a sorority.” I said. “They have some great language professors too Mom. I really think that it’s the place for me.”
“Didn’t you like Brown?” She asked.
I shrugged. “It was okay.” I said. “But I really think Princeton is where I’ll be happiest.” “And what on earth are you going to do with a history degree?” My Mother demanded. “Maybe I want to teach Mom.” I snapped. “Maybe I want to be a librarian. Maybe I want to be a professor. I don’t know yet. That’s why I’m taking a gap year Mom. So I can make these decisions.”
I could see my Mom shaking her head. “Kallista I just want what’s best for you.”
I sighed. “I know Mom.” I paused. Dad was indicating that I should ask her something. “Umm so what’s new with you Mom?” I asked.
My Mom sighed. “I meant to tell you this when you were here, but the timing never seemed to be right.”
“Just tell me.” I said. “I’m moving to Rimouski in a couple of weeks Mom. If it’s something important and I have to come see you, you need to tell me now.”
Mom took a deep breath. “Kally I’m pregnant.”
“Mom you’re 40!” I replied.
“That’s not all.” She said. “I’m pregnant with triplets.”
“TRIPLETS? Oh Lord Mom.” I said. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me?” I demanded. “I didn’t want you to freak out Kallista.” She snapped irritably. “Which is exactly what you’re doing.”
“Mom I am old enough to be a Mom. Fuck, I’ve been on birth control since I was 13. If Grandmama’s assistant hadn’t been so cool about it, I would have made you a Grandmother by now.” I snapped. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I think I am having children by the man I love.” My Mom said stiffly.
“As opposed to the child you have by the man you despise?” I asked.
“Kallista…” My Mom said warningly.
“Look Mom, I get why you haven’t seen me since I was 13. You don’t like my Dad, and I’m his daughter through and through. Maybe I’d be more like you if I had spent more time with me when I was younger. But I spent most of my time with my Grandparents after you shipped me to boarding school. They raised my Dad and they did any raising of me that I got.”
“It was out of sight out of mind for you.” I snapped. “So just get over me. You were so pissed when I decided to add Van Steen to my last name that you didn’t call for 6 months. I’m not an Ormonde Mom. I’m a Van Steen. Face it. Deal with it.”
“Kallista may I say something?” My Mom snapped.
“Whatever.” I said, shrugging.
“I wanted to tell you. But I knew that you would be angry.” She said. “So I couldn’t bring myself to tell you. I just want you to know that I am going to do a better job with your brothers and sister then I did with you.”
“And that’s supposed to be some kind of consolation Mom? You’ve managed to see me twice in the last 5 years and the fact that you are going to be a better parent this time around is supposed to make me feel better?”
“I suppose it doesn’t Kallista.” My Mom said with a sigh. “But I do want what’s best for you darling. So please reconsider Brown.”
I hung up on her. I couldn’t take it anymore. She had ignored me most of my life, and now she wanted me to be whatever she wanted me to be. I turned to my Dad. “You knew.” I accused him.
He nodded. “And I agreed that your Mother should be the one to tell you Kally.” He said. “This is going to sound horribly cliché but if you loved your Mom you’d want her to be happy.” I rolled my eyes. “Did it ever occur to either of you that I don’t love my Mother?” I asked. “That I don’t want her to be happy? That I want her to be as miserable as I was at Shattuck’s until Sidney came along?”
“Kally you don’t mean that.” My Dad said. “And we both know it. You’re understandably upset. She’s due in late January or early February Kally. Work on forgiving her for your sake if nothing else.”