Chapter 36 : My Family : Part One

[pascal_curious]

 

 

I could hear the slow even sound of Vidund’s sonorous snoring from the bathroom as I buttoned up my shirt and slid my tie under the collar.  I knotted the tie loosely and checked myself in the mirror.  Not too many wrinkles, I thought.  It would have to do.  I hadn’t had time to do any ironing.

 

I left the bathroom and crossed the hall to Vidcund’s bedroom.  Unconcerned for my brother’s privacy, I pushed the door open and stepped just inside the door.  Vidcund was curled on top of blankets, clothed only in his underwear.

 

“Hey!  Vidcund!” I shouted.  “You coming to work today?”

 

Vidcund groaned and pulled a pillow over his head.  “Fuck off,” I heard him growl from underneath his pillow.

 

I sighed heavily as I left the room and, less then gently, pulled the door closed behind me.  I could have argued with him or nagged him about missing work again, but I knew it would be pointless. I took my briefcase and coat from the hall table and made my way to the kitchen.

 

Ophelia was in the kitchen, surrounded by stacks of dirty dishes. She was swearing under her breath at the pizza pan she was trying to wedge into the dishwasher.  It was a good thing that Vic was incapacitated.  He believed himself to be the only human being on the planet who knew how to properly load a dishwasher.

 

“You don’t have to do that, Ophelia,” I told her.  “I’ll take care of it when I get home.”

 

“Yes I do,” she said. “It will drive me crazy if I don’t.  Besides, you are paying me ten bucks an hour, I feel like I should be doing something.  Andy’s sleeping, and I’m not gonna let you pay me to sit on my fat ass in front of the TV”

 

Any other seventeen-year-old girl would have been happy to sit on her ass for ten bucks an hour, but not Ophelia Nigmos.  It was plain to see why my nephew was head-over-heels for her.  After all that she had been through, she was still a sweet girl.  All of us had a bit of a soft spot for Ophelia.  Her mother died suddenly only two years ago.  Jenny, Lazlo, Vidcund, and I all knew how hard it was to lose a parent so young, but Ophelia had lost both of her parents by the time she was seveteen.

 

“Your ass is anything but fat.”  I informed her with an appreciative smile.  I couldn’t help but notice.  I’m a man.  We notice such things.

 

I took a few papers from my briefcase and put them on the coffee table.

 

“Nervous will probably stop by later this morning to pick these up,” I told Ophelia as I pointed to the papers.

 

I had been helping Nervous to create a resume, and I had written up a letter of recommendation for him.  Together with Lazlo and Amber’s letters, he should be able to get a decent job; especially for someone who had never worked a day in his life and had no experience doing anything.

 

 I was ashamed at how messy we had let the bunker get.  Vidcund wasn’t around the place much anymore; he only stopped in occasionally to sleep.  Amber wasn’t around much either.  Lazlo was a notorious slob, and we only paid Genesis to come in three days a week.  Most Mondays, like this one, the place was a disaster area.  Genny would be coming in the afternoon, but I hated that she would have to do our dishes.  Sure, we paid her to clean the place, but three grown men should be able to keep up with their own dirty dishes.  We had a dish washer for God’s sake!  There was no excuse for it.

 

I picked up my lab coat and started for the door.  “If sleeping beauty wakes up”, I added as an afterthought, “tell him to give me a call.  Lazlo should be home around 8.  Don’t forget to ask him to pay you.  If you don’t remind him, he won’t remember.”

 

“Okay, Mr. Curious,” she said.

 

I cringed.

 

“Don’t call me Mr. Curious,” I told her.  “That was my father’s name.  It makes me feel old.”

 

“Okay…um…you.”  She said awkwardly.

 

I chuckled at her.  I was almost thirty before I got over the habit of calling everyone Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So.  It was drilled into our heads as kids that we should show respect for our elders and never call an adult by their first name.

 

“I know it seems weird, but you can call me Pascal.  You’re part of the family, Ophelia” 

 

“Then maybe I should call you Uncle Pascal?”  She asked with a giggle. 

 

“That’s not necessary,” I said with a look that said ‘don’t be ridiculous’.  You can just call me Pascal.”  I told her.  “My work and cell phone numbers are on the speed dial.  Don’t be afraid to call.  Don’t waste your time asking Vidcund for anything.  It’s hard to say if he will even be sober when he wakes up.  Amber’s cell number is on the speed dial too.  If she’s around I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping you out.”

 

Don’t worry,” she exclaimed.  Everything will be fine, I promise.”

 

I wondered if it was that obvious that I was nervous about leaving Andy with someone new.  It wasn’t as if Ophelia was a stranger, and I knew she was perfectly capable of babysitting Andy.  She spent every day of her life babysitting her crazy aunt.  Sitting for Andy should be a walk in the park.

 

I glanced around the room and wondered if there was anything else I should say.

 

“Um… thanks for everything, Ophelia, and I guess I will see you tomorrow.”

 

“I’ll be here,” she said. “Have a good day at work…Pascal”

 

I chuckled as she struggled to get out my name and I walked out the door.

 

 

Comments

More to come...

[pascal-curious.livejournal.com]

I know there is very little substance to this post, but the entire chapter was getting too long and this seemed the best place to split it.

Be expecting the rest of the chapter in a short while.

[katee412.livejournal.com]

How did I miss this? Anyway, it was short but sweet, and I thought Pascal and Ophelia's interactions were perfect. I'm off to read part two now!

Oh, and I loved the periodic table in the kitchen :D

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