A Tale of Two Sisters (for Melakka)

[NancyDrew]

Lord, what a drag an intern's sorry life is! Especially when one is so much more capable, knowledgeable & harder-working than those tiresome bunch of incompetents. Rita, which was not her custom, heartily laughed at the immaturity of her own self as she reflected on the inner rant that just transpired after a most exhausting day in which she had to play deferential to those blabbering, impertinent nurses & and to the pompous buffoons who call themselves doctors nowadays. Retaining a silly tic from her own childhood, she gently tapped herself on the hand and smiled: so much cleverer than all this idle talk would be to work harder yourself, wouldn't it, Rita, & focus on what this whole thing ought to be: a preparation for an all too near physician's career. She stepped out of the cherished Beetle she had inherited from Aunt Sophie, stopping at the parking lot nearest to her house - acquiring a garage is truly overdue, one ought to tighten up a bit, save a little and think more about these things. Waiting for a much needed cup at her favourite barista's, she lit a slim white cigarette, which she seldom did at all nowadays - but which would be of help after this particularly tedious routine. Nonetheless, it was necessary to stop and she knew it - what kind of an example is she setting to Melanie? At the thought of her junior sister, a worrisome expression inadvertently covered her face but was soon enough replaced by a warm smile: at least the little brat would be waiting for her at home, focusing on school at last, and Rita felt that all the myriad of unnerving tasks she had to undertake (and caring for Melanie doubtless the most exacting of these!) they were not vain at all - they were meaningful insofar as she had a kid sister to bring up, protect and educate. Happy at once at the prospect of coming home to find the little one (she still thought, most earnestly, of the sixteen year old in these terms) comfortably lying in her room and finally hitting the books, she felt overjoyed and all of her daily troubles vindicated. God, it was about time, given Melanie's recent behaviour! Still, who was to blame but Rita, the adult responsible for the girl's well-being, for such waywardness? But right now, she was proud of her little sister and satisfied with the fruits of her own sound advice, of patience that had so often been tested lately and was all of a sudden in an unusually good mood as she strolled towards their home. How suddenly does the temperament of this apparently self-possessed lady change!

[Melakka]

Melanie van Doren was not having a good time! She was lying face down on her bed with her feet in the air reading about the workings of the alimentary canal for the fourth time in 15 minutes .. but it may as well have been the first! Nothing was staying in her head at all .. it was so very frustrating! In a sudden fit of pique she hurled the text book across the room and let out a cross between a screech and a gargle of frustration! It was all very well Rita telling her to concentrate on her studies and she'd be fine but the simple fact was learning stuff like this felt pointless even if she could make head or tail of it! She got off her bed and checked herself out in her full length mirror; she had recently bleached her hair an unnaturally bright shade while keeping her eyebrows their normal, darker colouring. She still liked the effect .. it sent a tingle of happiness through her slim frame. She looked over at her Doc Martens and the call to be outside roaming with her mates was strong; they most certainly had not been spending time with an academic book in their hands. She knew Rita would be disappointed, but then Rita was always disappointed in her so what did that matter anyway? Suddenly making up her mind she bent and laced up her heavy boots over her skinny jeans and clumped to the closet for her coat as she pulled out her phone to make contact.
“Rhonda? Where are you guys? I've had enough of this place for now .. where's the action tonight?”
She found out what she needed to know, clicked off her phone and was just reaching for the front door handle when it opened by itself.
“Oh, hi Rita .. you're back early then! I-I-I'm just on my way out .. no need to wait up!”

[NancyDrew]

Rita was whistling the tune of a very dear chanson as she was unlocking the door and thinking of an appropriate treat for her little sister: she was almost daydreaming of the two idyllically going over the schoolwork, and, if Melanie had indeed absorbed it to a satisfactory level, might not the two have some sororal quality time over ice cream? The thing is, Rita wasn't even very fond of ice cream, but she thought it would be such a fitting gesture to demonstrate how lovely their relationship could be & how rewarding patient, thorough hard work could be. For her as well, in putting up with Melanie's attitude recently. She was confident the girl was going to see the light: which would mean sweetness and light for both. In truth, Rita was a romantic at heart, enamoured of a stable, harmonic atmosphere of mutual respect ... who says that two sisters, if they are sensible, ought to hate each other?

"Young lady, where on earth do you think you're going?", a flabbergasted Rita exclaimed unexpectedly meeting Melanie face to face just at the point of entry, and, as it would appear, her kid sister's planned departure.

[Melakka]

"What do you mean 'where am I going'? I'm going out that's where I'm going!"
Mel could see Rita was looking drawn and strained after her long hours at work but being questioned like a little kid made her hackles rise! It would have been easier if she'd slipped out before of course and now there was nothing for it but to try and brazen it out!
"I finished all that schoolwork, Rita! It was hard going but I did it and now I'm going to relax with my friends, okay?"
She went to try and brush past her sister and make good her escape but somehow Rita seemed to be blocking the way past.
"Look sis, I can see you're all in and need to recover yourself. I'm the opposite, I feel like I've been cooped up for far too long and need to let off some steam! I'm meeting up with Rhonda and the gang at the church hall car park in ten minutes so I need to hurry .. I'll catch up with you later!"
Again Mel made to walk out the door .. this time with no intention of being stopped!

[NancyDrew]

Rita needed a moment to catch her breath, and she wasn't sure she had indeed had it when she commenced to speak - this was completely wrong on multiple levels. She caught her little sister by the elbow and, having been given no time for reflection, spoke in a shocked, shrill voice: "Young lady, you don't get to decide on your comings and goings as you please! Not ever, and particularly not with the state of your grades lately..." She was trying to act in a calm, reasonable manner, as she had been doing for months now, repeating to herself that this was a teenage girl's phase, immature but nonetheless perfectly natural, and that in order to put a check on this adolescent hysteria one had to be firm, with the child as well as with herself, in patience and understanding, as well as in constancy and consistency... Rita herself had had no luxury of the sort: but then, reproaching herself for what she took for potential self-pity, she reminded herself that her own mother was hysterical in a comparable manner, and that it was her destiny to be the adult in this family.

Well, one thing is for certain, Melanie was not helping her in the least, and as she was about to begin the usual speech on duties and obligations, personal responsibility and mutual respect, this child run wild, she realised Mel was resisting her attempt to restrain her and this wanton girl was telling her that she, Rita, was herself being unreasonable, tired or whatnot. A clear sign this was getting out of control - indeed the situation was becoming topsy-turvy. She put her best effort into sounding authoritative, not overtly aggressive or, as had previously been apparent, bewildered by this chaotic situation, and raising her voice attempted, with limited success, to spell it out for her kid sister: "March yourself back there this instant, young lady! I won't have you run wild, or stand for this kind of behaviour... you're not going anywhere this evening, in fact this sneaking out has cost you a week-long grounding!" She was surprised at such decisive fierceness and moved to turn Melanie back into the apartment.

[Melakka]

“How dare you try stopping me going out .. who the hell do you think you are? You're NOT my mother Rita and I'm not some little kid that needs any stupid rules .. I'm nearly seventeen for crying out loud!” Mel was twisting and pulling while screaming back at her sister trying to free her elbow from the iron grasp Rita had upon it .. but without success. This was frustrating her all the more, she felt she ought to be easily strong enough to break away from her nerdy sister even if she was older! A small voice in her head added 'and wiser' but she chose to ignore that little fact quite easily in the midst of her little pet. Rita was forcing her back into the house still gripping her arm tightly and shutting the door behind herself. Mel's tone lost its aggressive edge and became distinctly whiny .. much to her chagrin! “But the girls are expecting me .. what will they think if I don't show up? You don't want me to let them down do you? .. oh you're being so unfair!”


Rita had finally let go of her elbow which Mel immediately grabbed and started exaggeratedly massaging and complaining about imaginary bruising, but there was clearly still no way she was getting past her and out of the door. Then her sister seemed to grow even bigger and stronger, lecturing her on 'unacceptable behaviour', using the term 'young lady' in that condescending way that never failed to rile Mel and finally issuing her with a week long grounding! The shocked almost seventeen year old opened her mouth to shout a protest or a stream of profane invective but couldn't manage either so turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs with a sound like “yeeaggh” the best protest she could mount. She slammed the door of her room behind her and threw herself face down on the bed where she contemplated how unfair life was, particularly for her, whilst beating her pillows into submission with her fists. After a while she tired of this, her pillows remaining determinedly unsubdued, and turned head to the window .. ah .. the window ..

[NancyDrew]

"What will they think? They'd be understanding and supportive, pleased I should think, that you've finally decided to do something about your education... as I hope you indeed have," she added reproachingly. Somewhat irritated at Melanie's sceptical, cynical expression, she promptly declared: "Or perhaps you need some new friends?" However, it became more and more difficult to maintain the berating tone as her sister - oh, Rita, how easily you fall for childish manipulation, she told herself but with little effect - had put on the sad face in that ingenious manner of hers. Mel was now complaining that the grip had been too tight and, although Rita knew it had not, she so much disliked situations such as this, which were growing more and more numerous with every passing month, week, practically from day to day. Not that she regretted anything she'd said or done, however much she questioned what might be the best approach with this girl, all this racket was so unhelpful, so tiresome ... she mentally sneered at such an idler's attitude in her. This was the most important responsibility she had ... but can it not, at least sometimes, be a pleasure, since there is nothing she would like more?

Mel running up the stairs had in some way saved her from further confrontation, although it was a disconcerting interruption as well. But it would have been silly to expect them to hug and speak sweetly right away ... Rita instinctively shuddered at the sound of a slamming door, but decided, contrary to her practice, not to press the issue. She went into the kitchen, attached to the living room, poured herself a glass of wine and lit a cigarette by the window ('not to poison that child'!). 'Like some depressed ... woman', she thought to herself, of herself, with utmost derision.

[Melakka]

Excited by the cunning brilliance of her plan Melanie lost her angry impotence in an instant as she silently fetched a spare pillow from her cupboard and arranged it in her bed. She moved without sound to the door, extinguished the light and was satisfied the deception would be convincing to a head being poked around the door. Once at the window it was simplicity itself to moved from the sill to the drainpipe and shin down it and away. She saw Rita in the kitchen with a wine glass in one hand smoking what she thought might well be a joint. Doubly certain now her sister would be out of it for the evening she hurried away on foot still hoping to make her rendezvous. Arriving at the church hall she saw no-one around and was just reaching for her phone when Rhonda roared up on a small motorbike.
“Oh, you made it in the end then, Mel! We were afraid Rita might have forbidden you to come out with us!”
“You're joking of course .. she has no say in my life! I go where I want, do what I want when I want .. that's what I told her .. and that's how it is!”
Whether or not Rhonda believed the outrageous lie was not clear but the upshot was Mel had soon climbed up behind her before the pair roared off towards a nearby industrial area where the rest of the gang were already gathered, some engaged in noisily demonstrating their prowess in bike handling. After a while Mel also made her first tentative strides in charge of a bike and truth be told did better than anyone (including her) expected for a first try. She came off once at very low speed skinning her knuckles and ripping a jagged hole in the knee of her jeans.
Soon after that Rhonda dropped her back before disappearing up the road in a cloud of exhaust. Absurdly proud of her 'battle scars' Mel reversed her earlier actions of window and drainpipe before dropping quietly into her dark room

[NancyDrew]

How pathetic indeed had she appeared to herself and more and more so, listening at that moment to that timeless favourite 'As Time Goes By'... but right now the seemingly self-indulgent reminiscences seemed less troublesome to Rita than if her little sister, that darling child she relished playing with, had thought her apathetic. At any point. Anything but that. For she cared so deeply, repressively, hysterically, in whichever fashion, but it wasn't all the same to her, not in any way, shape or form. Crushing the cigarette butt in the ashtray and lowering her tender, pale hand into that remarkably fresh albeit presently melancholy face, she decided that she wasn't going to let her childish anger stand in the way of a crucial attempt at reconciliation and dialogue between her and this girl in dire need of sororal (parental? paternal? maternal?) adult counsel. Walking up the stairs, she was calming herself and preparing to be as tolerant, friendly and forgiving (penitent, if need be, even if there was, truth be told, no reasonable cause for such a sentiment whatever) as possible. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Darling Mel ... I know things have been difficult between us two lately." Dead silence. Lord, she was angry. Be patient. "Please listen to me..." Even this sounded too commanding. "Hear me out, sweety..." Might not the little know-it-all think this too patronising? How complicated the world was becoming. Might she not be sleeping? Yes, dear Mel's imagination might have already drifted, leapt to a prettier, dreamy realm... don't be silly, Rita! Well, a caress cannot do any harm...

As time went by, Rita was not successful at all in calming herself. Ceaselessly smoking. Livid. She wasn't going to scream, no, she cannot afford such a display. And yet, the little brat is all too sure she could get away with ... this?

"Oh, hello Mel, I was dying for a chat with you all evening!"

[Melakka]

“Oh .. er .. Rita .. um .. what are you doing sitting in my room? In the dark as well like a real crazy! Wait, whay's that smell .. have you bloody well been smoking in my bedroom? That's just disgusting!”
It struck Mel that maybe under the circumstances, on this particular occasion only, attack might not be the best form of defence so she decided on the spot to change tack.
“Perhaps you're wondering why I just climbed in the window? Well it's a bit of a funny story actually! I was just re-reading that biology guff for schoolvwhen I heard an awful lot of squawking coming from the ledge just outside so I crawled out to investigate and you won't believe what I found!” As soon as she said that Mel regretted her choice of words but carried on without dropping a stitch. “There was a cat trying to get at that blackbird nest of chicks and the parents were doing their best to protect them by swooping and screeching!”
The only illumination in the room was the moonlight which made it hard for Mel to see how her story was going over so she moved to her bedside table and clicked on the reading lamp. She had thought her story both convincing and compelling but Rita's expression was not even slightly encouraging. She managed to continue .. but now more falteringly.
“I .. er .. managed to grab it, read the address on a tag hanging from its collar and .. um .. took it there. It was quite a long way away .. so it took a little while.” It suddenly occurred to Mel that maybe her usual attack mode was the better way to go after all. “But none of that explains why you're lying in wait in my room like a total weirdo!”