Page 73 of Single Malt
“It’s not like I can let her go alone.” This wasn’t the direction I’d thought this conversation would go.
“When she first arrived here, she was sixteen. Young for college and a bit naïve. She’s what, twenty-one? Twenty-two? Old enough to drink.”
“She’ll be twenty-two the week before we’re scheduled to leave. And she might be able to drink, but there are still things she won’t be old enough to do. Rent a car. Run for office.” I fought to keep my frustration out of my voice. “And she’s still naïve.”
“When she’s teaching, she’ll be expected to take care of an entire class of children on her own.” Dr. Ipres’s tone was gentle, and for some reason, that only increased my annoyance. “I understand worrying for someone who plans to go somewhere dangerous, but it’s still her choice.”
I shook my head. “She’s never lived on her own, never traveled on her own. Going to a dangerous country with a group of complete strangers should not be the way she starts.”
“She won’t be on her own,” Dr. Ipres pointed out. “And I’m sure Neutral Ground has rules in place to ensure the safety of their people. Aline isn’t rebellious, no matter how stubborn she can be. I’m sure she’ll do as she’s told.”
“I’d never be able to live with myself if I didn’t go and something happened to her,” I admitted the thought that had been haunting me. “Besides, it’ll give me good experience for my resumé.”
“But is it what you want?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Besides, once we tell our parents, they’ll either freak out and convince her not to go, or they’ll immediately ask me if I’m going too. I’m hoping for the former, but if it’s the latter, I’ll at least be able to tell them that I’ve already made arrangements so that she and I will be traveling, rooming, and working together.”
Dr. Ipres looked like she wanted to say something more, but instead, she just gave me a small smile and sat back down at her desk. I returned to the test I was grading and let the silence between us stand. I wasn’t going to get upset with her when it was clear that she simply didn’t understand.
Aline needed someone to take care of her, and that was what my parents expected of me when they couldn’t do it. So, I’d go to Iran and adjust my own path to ensure that Aline would be safe.
Forty-Eight
Freedom
As much asI felt like I had to look out for my little sister, I also had to admit that the one thing I’d never had to worry about was Aline wanting to party. Over the years, we’d occasionally spent time with friends, but those weren’t really ‘parties’ in the college sense of the word.
We weren’t total homebodies who hated being around people or going places, but we tended to prefer smaller gatherings, quieter ones. Playing games, talking, eating good food, that sort of thing. If we had music on, it wasn’t deafening. If anyone wanted to dance, they did, and those who didn’t stayed where they were. No one was made to feel out-of-place or unwanted.
The harder our classes became, however, the less time we spent with the others. Now, most of them had graduated, and a few had gotten married. And though we would most likely have at least one get-together before graduation, this last semester would mostly be just Aline and me. Including during spring break.
“The weather’s supposed to be gorgeous today,” Aline said as she came into the kitchen. “Perfect for what we have planned.”
“Blueberry or maple syrup?” I asked as I slid the pancakes off the pan and onto a plate. “Whichever you want, I’ll take too.”
She nodded. “Coffee or juice?”
“Already have my coffee, but thank you.”
We didn’t always have a home-cooked breakfast, but whenever we had the time, we liked to make it from scratch. Cooking was an activity our family did together quite often, and Aline and I had continued doing it when we’d moved in here. We worked well together in the kitchen. It was the one place where the two of us had no conflict, no sense of one doing more or less.
Whoever woke up first chose the meal and made it. The other set the table. Unless something was out of the ordinary, we tended to wake up within fifteen or twenty minutes of each other, no matter how quiet we tried to be. We’d just always been that close, that aware of each other.
“I heard that Nancy Browning was going to Vegas to get married this week,” Aline said as she went about setting the table.
“Really?” I asked. “To whom?”
She shrugged. “That’s what has everyone talking. No one knows.”
I laughed. “Seriously? How is Nancy keeping that a secret? Better yet,whyis she keeping him a secret?”
“I’ve heard a couple stories,” Aline said with a grin. “One is that her fiancé is Professor McNamara’s TA.”
I turned from the pan. “Wait, the guy with the mohawk?”
“Apparently, he told Professor McNamara that he wasn’t coming back after break because he’d hit the lottery.” Aline lifted both of the plates from the counter and carried them to the table.
“And people think that’s code for marrying Nancy Browning in Vegas?” I asked as I took my usual seat.