A Mother for Radu

At seven hundred hours the cadets of the Christa filed into the classroom for their morning lesson with Davenport. For the first time since anyone could remember, she was smiling. "Class, we are going to put our studies aside for the day," she said. She put up a hand when cheers erupted. "Today, on Earth, is a very special day. Today is Mothers Day!"

"Mothers Day? Wow!" exclaimed Harlan. "We've been out in space for awhile! It's been two years since I've celebrated Mother's Day with my mom!"

The rest of the students started at Davenport blankly. "What's Mother's Day?" Radu finally inquired.

Davenport glowed happily. Being a teacher, she loved to explain things. "It's a day that Earther's dedicate to their mothers. They treat her with kindness and compassion. Some children even give their mothers presents and plan special events for their mothers." Davenport directed her speech to the rest of the class. "During your free period today, I'd like you all to make a gift for your mothers. We might give them to your mothers once we get home. In class, we'll be studying Mothers Day traditions throughout history."

The class groaned. "I thought you said that we weren't going to have any work today," whined Bova.

Bova, don't think of it as work, think of it as fun!" Davenport said cheerily. She turned to her prized student of the class. "Isn't that right, Rosie?"

"Right!" Rosie responded happily.

The rest of the class groaned again. "Aww, come on, Ms. Davenport," Harlan said. "Could you at least take away the free period assignment? It's babyish!"

"Well if you feel that way about it, Mr. Band, you can read the next chapter in science." Davenport folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"Ms. Davenport, cut us some slack!" Harlan whined. "After all, it's Mothers Day!"

"That's right, it's Mothers Day," Davenport said firmly. "Not Children's Day. If it were Children's Day I might 'cut you some slack' but it's not your day so I shall not do so! Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Davenport," the class mumbled in a monotone.

"Thanks a lot Harlan," Radu said so softly that only another Andromedan would be able to hear him. He really needed to get out of this project. And Ms. Davenport wouldn't be as easy going when she was all riled up. And unless you were one of her A students, which no one onboard the Christa was, there was not much you could do to calm her down. But Radu knew that class would be over before Davenport returned to her normal self. And the next time he saw her would be when the projects were due: the afternoon lesson. You better do it now and get it over with, he thought to himself. Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "Uh, Ms. Davenport? I can't do this project."

Davenport's head shot towards Radu. "And why not, Mr. Radu?" she demanded.

"W-well, I don't have a mother."

Davenport's face reddened as she realized that she forgot this fact. "Well," she said dismayingly. "it wouldn't be fair for the rest of the class to have homework, even if it's fun, and you not to have some. So during free period, get started on the next chapter in science."

Suzee, Harlan and Bova laughed mockingly at Radu. Davenport glared warningly at them. "Tough break, man," Harlan said quickly.

Rosie ran up to Radu and hugged him. "It's OK, Radu," she said cheerily. "Once I'm done with my project, I'll come down and help you out."

Rosie, excellent idea!" Davenport suddenly cried out. The class stared at her. Davenport explained, "Radu, a 'mother' is not only a term to refer to your birth mother. Someone helpfulcan be a motherly figure in your life. So if you can pick anyone from your past that has been helpful to you and make a gift for him or her, I will not hold you accountable for the science assignment. Agreed?"

Radu hesitated. Was he able to do this assignment? Who could he choose as his mother? Then again, would he be able to finish the science assignment on time? "OK," he said, "I'll do the project."

Two hours later, when class ended, Radu walked to the ComPost by himself, thinking about the project. Who should I chose as my mother?The question kept repeating itself in his head. He was having so much trouble with this question because he didn't know what a mother should belike. His only experience with mothers was when an evil alien, claiming to be his mother, possessed his mind for the power of his ship. But Harlan and Suzee assured him that mothers were not like that. Then what werethey like? Wait,Radu told himself. Ms. Davenport said that a mother was helpful. Who has been helpful to me?Radu delved into his past. As a child, living with his people, the Andromedans, both children and adults treated him as an equal. There was nothing that an individual gave him because he could always get it for himself. Besides, Andromedans never "wanted" much and they generalized themselves as a whole group, not a bunch of individuals.

The next stage of Radu's life was going to the Starcademy and he was only treated with coldness there. When he boarded the Christa, it took a whole yearfor Harlan to stop hating him. And he still bore a sort of grudge. As for Suzee, she seemed to like him, but all she did was flirt with him. Did she really like him or was she just craving attention for herself? Radu could guess the answer. And those were just two people out of a crew of six!

A name suddenly popped into Radu's head: Elmira. She was the only one who ever saw him as an individual and loved him. Perhaps she was his "mother"! But Radu knew within him that although he did not know the relationship a mother shared with her son, Elmira and he didn't share that relationship. He knew the type of relationship he had with her but he pushed that thought out of his head, embarrassed. Andromedans were not supposed to think of such things.

By this time Radu had come to the ComPost. Great, he thought to himself. I spent all this time walking through the corridors and still haven't come up with anything. Worse yet, I'm late because I walked instead of using the jump tubes. Radu could tell that this was going to be along day.

The session with Goddard was so tranquil that even Rosie was getting bored. Gone were the dangerous space obstacles to maneuver the ship through and gone were the dangerous Spung and space pirates that wanted to tear the Christa apart. The Christa shifted slowly and easily through the vacuum of space.

Finally Bova yawned and dropped his head to his console. "Don't wake me if I fall asleep," he mumbled.

"Mr. Bova…" Goddard said warningly, gesturing for the Uraisian to sit up straight.

"But why?" whined Bova. "I'm hungry and tired and NOTHING"S HAPPENING!"

"Bova, stop acting like a child," Suzee said crossly. But she was thinking the exact same things that Bova said.

Even Rosie was wishing that she was else where but she was determined to see the bright side of things. "Well, at least our lives aren't in danger," she said cheerily. The crew just looked warily at her.

Suddenly, something on Suzee's console started beeping. Suzee pushed some buttons on it, but nothing would respond. "Commander!" she said. "Engineering is offline!"

"Do you know why?" asked Goddard.

"No," Suzee admitted "But Thelma would!"

Thelma appeared instantly, as if someone had already called her. "Yes Suzee," she said.

"What's wrong with the computer?"

Thelma's body jerked as she scanned the Christa's computers. "The engineering computer has been frozen. All other computers are functioning well. Repairs can be made in the engine room."

"Alright," Suzee said. "Thelma, could you take me to where I have to make the repairs? And Radu, you'd better come along, just incase we need muscle."

Thelma led Radu and Suzee to a sealed off tube in the engine room. "This should only be used in emergencies," Thelma said in broken up tones. "It contains the wiring that you have to repair. Once Radu has opened it, you, Suzee, will know what to do." With that, Thelma trotted back to the ComPost.

Suzee examined the opening of the tube carefully. "By the looks of it, I'd say it's an automatic door," she said to Radu. "But I don't know how to activate it. So when you get it opened, be careful that your hands are out of its way. 'Cause the door might automatically shut at any moment."

"Suzee, how can I pop this open without breaking it?"

Suzee examined the door again. "There are two little dents by the sides," she said. "Stick your thumbs in them and gently pull."

Radu followed that procedure and to his and Suzee's surprise, the door opened quite easily. But Suzee wasn't convinced that it would stay that way.

Put your hands by the door to stop it from moving while I'm working on this wiring," Suzee commanded.

"But you told me to keep my hands out of the way," protested Radu.

"Well, we have no other choice. Just be careful and be ready to move your hands at any time," replied Suzee.

"OK," Radu obeyed. So Radu kept the door from moving while Suzee rearranged and fixed the wiring.

Five minutes later, a beep sounded. Suzee smiled. "Engineering is back on line," she said boastfully. She removed her hands from the tube.

But before Radu could move his hands, the door shut with surprising speed and force. Radu yelled in pain.

Suzee gasped in horror. "Radu!" she cried out. "Try to move your hands!"

Radu blocked out all the pain and tried to pull his hands out. "I can't!" Radu responded. "It's too tight!"

"I'll help you," Suzee offered. She took hold of his arms and they both pulled. Radu's hands finally popped out.

Suzee cringed at Radu's puffy, swollen hands. "We'd better get you to the Med. Lab," she said in concern. "I'll go get Rosie."

Suzee and Radu walked to the Med. Lab. While Radu was getting situated, Suzee called Rosie on the intercom. Rosie arrived five minutes later.

"Well, nothing's broken," Rosie said cheerfully after she ran a medical scan. "They're just kinda flattened out. I'll go put some casts on them. I'll remove the casts in a week. Until then, don't use your hands."

Radu was shocked and afraid of this news. Who would man navigation when he couldn't use his hands? Would the Christa allow someone else to work with his computer? But suddenly a thought occurred to him and he grew excited. If I can't use my hands, then I can't make a Mothers Day gift! I won't have to do the project! Radu would have jumped for joy bit the pain in his hands was too much for that.

Rosie bandaged up Radu's hands and suggested, "Let's go to the team room. I'm sure you'll feel better once you're surrounded by friends."

Suzee had left the Med. Lab once Rosie had come in. When Rosie and Radu came into the team room, they found her, sitting next to Harlan, sitting in a corner of the room. "So, Suzee, what would you do if I kissed you?" Harlan asked in a seductive voice.

Suzee laughed falsely. "I'd probably slap you before your lips got a chance to touch mine," she said, smirking.

"Oh yeah?" Harlan asked. He leaned forward to kiss her.

"Hey, guys, guess what? Radu's feeling better!" Rosie cried out.

Harlan and Suzee jerked apart, startled by Rosie's voice. "Rosie," Suzee said through clenched teeth. "We were kinda busy." Harlan gave Rosie the evil eye.

"Sorry," Rosie grinned sheepishly. She walked up to Bova, curled up asleep at the edge of the circular couch. "Bova," she called, shaking him. "Bova, wake up. Radu's feeling better."

"Wha? Huh?" Bova said sleepily. He glared at Rosie as he began to wake up. "Thanks a lot, Rosie. I was having an enjoyable bad dream!"

"Well, isn't anyone going to say hi to him?" Rosie asked in exasperation.

Harlan, Suzee and Bova all glared at Rosie. Then, one by one, they each got up and left the team room.

Rosie shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. Wanna play a game of Minbar Chess?"

"I-I've gotta go," Radu said nervously, backing away from her. "Maybe some other time." Radu slid down the jump tubes, thinking to himself, See? Nobody likes me.

Radu found Davenport in the classroom, preparing for the afternoon lesson. "Ms. Davenport?" he called softly.

Davenport spun around. "Oh Radu," she gasped. "You scared me." She looked at him in concern. "Suzee told me that you hurt your hands. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," Radu said, holding up his hands. "Rosie put these bandages on them. She said that I had to keep them on for a week and that I can't do anything with them. S-so I can't do the project."

Davenport looked at him in dismay. "You can't? That's a shame," she said. "I was looking forward to finding out who you'd chose as your 'mother'."

"Yeah, well." Radu said, edging towards the jump tubes. "I'm going to take a nap."

"You should do that," Davenport said. She still looked dismayed.

Radu hasn't lied to Davenport. He really did feel tired. But as he slid into the boys' bunkroom, he saw that everyone had gathered in there to share their projects. Rosie and Bova were sitting on Bova's bed and Harlan and Suzee were huddled together on Harlan's bed. Since Radu's bed was in the middle of Bova and Harlan's, everyone was reluctant to have him lie down in the middle of them. "I'll push the bed in," Radu insisted. "You won't see me at all."

Radu was feeling worse and worse. This project had put a curse on him, even when he was no longer assigned to it! Everybody seems to hate me today,Radu thought as he listened to his friends chatter happily, not even acknowledging his presence. Finally, Harlan got to the point of the gathering. "Alright, lemme see your projects." Two compupads and a hand made card were given to him.

Harlan clicked on Suzee's compupad to hear a mechanical voice say, "Welcome to Alien Blast. Please enter your level of playing." Harlan looked at Suzee. "What is this?" he asked her.

"It's a computer game," explained Suzee. "I made it up and transferred it into computer code."

"Wo! There is no way this could have taken you 15 minutes!" Harlan exclaimed.

Suzee shrugged. "I was done with my gift right when Rosie was done with hers."

"Well, even so, that could be awhile," Harlan argued. He looked at Rosie's card. "This looks ancient."

Harlan looked at Rosie's handwriting. "What does it say?"

"Happy Mothers Day."

"Really?" Harlan laughed. "It looks like a computer glitch to me!"

"Oh ha ha." Rosie said crossly. "I never learned to write, you know. I was taught to type on a computer." Rosie snatched the card from Harlan and Radu felt it jab into his side. "Take a look at it, Radu." She said.

Radu pulled his bed out and took the card from Rosie, grabbing onto the middle. A warm feeling spread throughout his body. "You know, I don't think that ancient Earhters had Mercurian powers to permeate onto their cards," he told her.

Wait, she heated up the card?" Harlan asked. "I didn't feel any heat."

Rosie shrugged. "You didn't touch it in the right spot," she said, smiling at Radu.

At class that afternoon, Davenport critiqued each project, one by one. She frowned at the computer animation card that Bova made, barely good enough to get a C. "Some day you will find, Mr. Bova, that you have wasted your school career by not putting forth any effort," she scolded.

Bova shrugged carelessly. "Until that day comes, I'm gonna take a nap," he said without enthusiasm.

Ignoring him, Davenport went on to Rosie. "Excellent work, Rosie. You have put in time and commitment to make a thoughtful gift." She moved onto Harlan, who had no project. "Where is your project?" Davenport demanded.

Harlan grinned sheepishly. "My Mothers Day gift is a promise. I learned this morning that promises were very popular gifts to give in the past. My promise to my mother is that I'll help her with all of the chores that the household android can't do for a day."

"When I said 'project' I meant something that you could turn in," snapped Davenport. "Therefore, you will get a zero."

"No! Wait!" Harlan cried. He began typing furiously on his compupad and thrust it at Davenport. "The promise in words."

Davenport moved onto Suzee in disgust. "Good job," Davenport said, after inspecting Suzee's computer game. "Quite creative." Davenport walked to her desk and said, "Continue studying the history of Mothers Day."

Radu flipped on his compupad. But suddenly, thoughts of the Starcademy made him forget about his work. Someone on this ship would be my perfect "mother",He realized. I have to make a gift for someone in this room! Radu noticed Davenport, looking at him in concern so he nervously turned back to his compupad. On the Christa's computers, he pulled up a file on 20th century cards. He read down the page and noticed how Rosie had made her project. This is what I have to make for my 'mother'! he realized.

Suddenly, logic seemed to slap him in the face. What are you talking about? it asked. You got out of doing the project. You don't need to choose a "mother". Besides, you can't make a card like Rosie's because of your hands. Where are you getting all of this "have to do" information anyway?

Radu couldn't answer that question but he knew deep within himself that that first voice was right. He'd have to pick a "mother". But who?

The Starcademy flashed into his mind. But instead of remembering the despair of not fitting in, he remembered Rosie befriending him. He remembered the good times that they shared when she was his only friend up until now. And deep down inside him he knew that Rosie had to be his "mother"!

But that still doesn't explain how you can make a card,logic told him.

Radu looked at Rosie and smiled. If she could find a way to be nice to me when being nice to an Andromedan meant losing all your friends, then I can make her an old fashioned card, He thought.

Two hours after bedtime, Radu stretched out his pained, cramped hand and looked proudly upon his work. Sure it took longer to make this card than it took Rosie to make hers and sure this one was even less neat than Rosie's, but as Ms. Davenport said, it was the thought and effort that was the real gift.

Radu got up and left the boys' bunkroom. He didn't use the jump tubes because the Doppler's effect of swooshing into their room might wake one or both of the girls. And Radu wanted this card to be a surprise. So he tiptoed through the corridors and into the girls' bunkroom.

Although it was dark in the room, Rosie's skin glowed like a dull fire, so Radu could easily find her. He gently laid his card on the pillow next to her. Sure, their relationship might not be like mother and son, but Rosie was his truest friend. And friendship and thanks was what Mothers Day was really about. Leaning close to her, Radu whispered, "Happy Mothers Day, Rosie."

Links to other sites on the Web

This page formerly hosted by