Flash

Walk-out

When Jason returned home late from the Interstate Software Trials, clutching his third-place trophy, the apartment was silent, and there were no smells of prepared food. Before he could call out, Margie emerged from her room, struggling to keep her large suitcase upright on its wheels with one hand while carrying her smaller one in the other.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where are Eldon and Rose? What's wrong? Where are you going?"

Margie continued dragging her burden, and spoke a little breathlessly, in time with her steps. "Eldon and Rose are at Fastmac's. All the information you need is on the com. I'm leaving."

"You're leaving? You can't leave!"

"Oh yes, I can. I'm just an interim surrogate, remember? My contract expired two months ago, and you've been too busy with your cybergaming to negotiate renewal."

Jason sat down, his knees shaking.   "I thought you cared about us," he whined.

"I do. But there's just so much I can take. You kids are always on my back. Do this, find that, clean up, get smarter clothes, fix your hair, make us proud. And not a speck of consideration from any of you. I'm tired."

"At least wait until we replace George," Jason pleaded.

"No chance. He's been talking. No parent surrogate will touch you now."

"What are we supposed to do?" Jason's newly-acquired masculine voice broke.

"Whatever you want. Go to a reception centre. Split up and join other family units. Run the place yourselves."

"But we don't know how!" Jason's voice slid into a three-year-old whine.

"No my fault. I offered to show you."

There had been no need to do anything while Margie was around. During her three-year stay, she had lectured them daily about being more responsible and learning survival skills. But the need for those skills seemed far off. Meanwhile, there were so many other exciting things to do.

Tears sprang into Jason's eyes.

"Please don't go. We'll have a meeting the minute Eldon and Rose get in. We'll give you a raise..."

Margie was at the door now, pushing the wheeled suitcase into the hall. She looked back at the apartment, then at Jason.

"I have all the financial resources I need. I work for the satisfaction of it. What I need is respect and co-operation. Like in the Twentieth Century, when everybody pitched in to make the family unit work, and the biological parents were in charge."

Jason's eyes widened. "Bioparents looked after children? How could they find the time?"

Margie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe that's where this mess started."