Crumpet and Varian

Chapter 6

Chp. 6

 

When Crumpet walked in I was sitting at the kitchen table eating some perfect thin baby carrots of the most vibrant orange, with greens of the most verdant piney green it made a person’s mouth water. My friend Kathy had brought me a little basket of lovely vegetables from her garden.

“Hey there Peter Cottontail.” Crumpet said, “I see you’ve been in Mr. MacGregor’s garden. Naughty bunny.” She took one as she kissed the top of my head and sat across the table from me.

“Oh if there is a naughty bunny around here, Miss Sassypants, the smart money would be on you. I got a letter today, demanding the immediate and forthwith return of the minor Jan Hiram Bravatten. Hiram? I’d change my name to Crumpet if it was that or Hiram.” I smiled at her, trying to make the situation less than I was worried it was.

Her eyes got big and glassy and her skin blanched stark white at the mention of the letter, but seeing me calm she tried to match me. “Do you think I can try for mental anguish, over Hiram?”

“In a perfect world you wouldn’t even have to ask. But here I think it’s unlikely.” I tried to make light of it, with mixed success.

“What are we going to do?” She was well and truly scared, but trying to trust me.

“We are going to drive up the coast and have a lovely weekend. And Monday, in addition to school, we will also deal with this.” I felt like I sounded perfectly calm, but I knew she assumed I had to be at least a little concerned.

She struggled to push forward. “So you think it’s a lock? We’re practically already in the clear? I really appreciate you putting yourself out like this to get me free.” She was a little teary, but trying to maintain acceptably.

I stood up and walked around the table. I took her in my arms and I started crying a tiny bit, as she was suddenly crying properly. “They will not know what hit them, sweetie. I have as much claim on you as they do and I have more at my disposal to enforce my claim, than anyone who operates solely in the material world.” I held her tighter to me as I continued. “And this is not even about my claim. These aren’t adoption proceedings. They are emancipation proceedings. And your claim on you is stronger than anyone’s and you have already made yourself someone other than their son. So they have nothing to do with the rest of the life of Robin “Crumpet” Malagua.”

“Actually V., I don’t think Robin is right. Too common among other things. I was thinking I wanted one of those flowering plants that you can’t get rid of or kill no matter what. I like Kudzu because it is just so weird. And I like Bougainvillea, because it is just so Southern grande dame.” I liked both of them, and told her so.

“Or you could be Dandelion.” I said

“I like it but not as much.” She said and I had to agree with her.

“Well either way, little love, no one is going to put you back in that situation. Birth parents or not, anyone who wants to be permitted to be a part of your life needs to acknowledge whose life they are trying to be a part of; I demand it, you should demand it too. We will face this together, and we will win.” She seemed to be done crying and clinging and was calm. So I felt comfortable continuing. “But it’s not time for us to be beating them, yet. Right now it is time to pack for a nice weekend away, to charge up and chill out in preparation of dealing with all our difficulties when we return.”

“Are you packed?” She asked.

“No,” I replied, “But it will take me 10-15 minutes. 20 and I’ll be dressed for dinner, because that’ll be our first stop.”