Chapter I
For his journalism assignment, Jamie decided report on the the public information and privacy issues associated with the use of DNA test kits. For accuracy in his report, he talked his mom into splitting the 2 for 1 cost of the tests so she'd have one too. She was working on a family genealogy project and putting together scrap books for Jamie and his sisters - including photos, letters, family ephemera. What Jamie wasn't expecting was a familial connection to a suspected cold war spy.
This discovery made his assignment a whole lot more interesting. He wanted to find out everything he could about branch of his family tree. This was better than the proverbial horse thief, he had a possible real live spy in his family, no matter how hard he pumped them for information, neither his mom nor dad could fill him in. Only that there was a 25% match for his mom and 12% for him. That was enough to indicate Jamie’s great uncle, since he was pretty sure his grandpa wasn’t a spy. But he was equally certain that his grandpa was an only child.
It seemed the DNA had come back as a match to some remains found off the coast of San Diego the previous year. There was not a lot of information available - Jamie kept running into roadblocks on the internet. When he could find documents, they were heavily redacted. Finally, in frustration, he went old school and rode his scooter to the Bloomington City Library.
Helen, a girl he knows from AP English, worked a few hours a week after school at the library. When Jamie told her what he suspected, Helen signed on immediately. She began by searching for archives of media detailing the discovery off the coast of San Diego. They were huddled together in a media carrel each with one ear bud so they could hear the news article from the prior year, on Easter Sunday an earthquake centered in Tijuana and loosened some debris exposing a soviet era submarine. Seal team divers were sent to explore, and they had discovered the bodies of the soviet crew and a body believed to be that of Gerald Brody, a mathematician who disappeared in 1961. Even with Helen’s help, they weren’t able to find more information about the discovery.
Next Jamie and Helen, started to look up everything they could find about Gerald Brody. He was originally from Bloomington, Il. Jaime got chills when he read that. A mystery, a possible spy, and with this clue – the same town, it made it even more possible they were related.
Chapter II
The DNA Project report had taken a turn. Jamie discussed it with the journalism adviser Ms. Kincade, convincing her to approve a change of focus to an investigative report. He and Helen were spending time together after school in the library. Something Jamie considered an extra added benefit. Helen was the president of the mathletes, she was part of the chess club. And her hair smelled like sunshine and fresh sage. He’d invited Helen to Sunday dinner with his family. He walked over to Helen’s and accompanied her to his grandparents’ house. It was an old house, built after the civil war, and still holding up. Helen was admiring the antiques and knickknacks. Jamie, mostly wanting to impress Helen, offered to set the table. Helen, apparently wanting to impress Jamie, offered to help.
Jamie and Helen were waiting until everyone was seated to talk about Jamie’s project. Jamie was practically bouncing in his seat by the time grace was said, dishes passed, and the first bites tasted. His grandmother looked at him and gestured.
“Out with it, young man.”
In a tumble of words Jamie explained about the assignment, the DNA kits, the suspicion that they were related to a possible spy, someone missing since 1961. His grandpa suddenly pushed back from the table and left down the hall. Jamie had been hoping his grandparents could help explain some of the holes, but now he was more confused than ever.
Grandmom put a cherry pie on the table indicating that everyone should help themselves and excused herself. Jamie heard a door open and shut. His mom served the pie. His dad scooped the ice cream. They ate their fill of pie, cleared the table and put the ice cream back in the freezer before it got too soft. There was no sign of either grandparent. Jamie’s mom went down the hall, knocked softly and Jamie’s grandmom came back.
“Well, well.” She said. “You’ve sure got a way of riling thing up don’t you, Jamie?” But there was no hardness in her voice. “Just give your grandpa a few minutes to collect himself. I think he can offer a bit more of your story.”
When Jamie’s grandpa came into the living room, for the first time, to Jamie, he really looked old. Like he’d seen a ghost. It was obvious he’d cried a few tears, something Jamie had never considered a grandfatherly thing to do.
Grandpa sat down and handed Jamie a worn black and white photo. In it were two boys, smiling with goofy grins, arms over each other’s shoulders.
“This is me, and my brother Gerald.” Grandpa said. When Jamie’s mother gasped, Grandpa held up his hand. Just wait Clara. Let me get this out in one go.” He paused to blow his nose. Then, looking at Jamie’s grandmom, and holding her hand the story began to unfold.
Chapter III
“Gerald and I are, have been, were utterly estranged since he left home in 1959. He was always the bright one. I wanted to stay and run my pop’s grocery, but Gerald, he was a dreamer. And smart. He left to go work for what you’d call a start up in San Diego: General Atomics. He couldn’t stay here. He was different. Or at least we suspected he was.”
Grandmom interrupted, “We think he might have been gay.”
Grandpa continued “Which in our day was not only a sin, it was also forbidden, illegal. But Gerald hid it pretty well. And this guy recruited him right out of college to go work for him to help with the calculations on a top-secret project. Our dad was relieved, he’d be out of sight out of mind. Gave him his inheritance early and told him to go. Change his name. Not come back. He promised to write me. I was his kid brother. And he did for a while. One day, about two years in, my brother went missing. He’d supposedly been going fishing, and there was a significant earthquake off the coast of Chile that wrecked boats as far away as Santa Monica harbor. He never returned to work. There were some plans missing. Plans for the project. We had government people all over here looking, asking questions. I never saw or heard from my brother again. Never knew what happened to him.
— Lkai
For his journalism assignment, Jamie decided report on the the public information and privacy issues associated with the use of DNA test kits. For accuracy in his report, he talked his mom into splitting the 2 for 1 cost of the tests so she'd have one too. She was working on a family genealogy project and putting together scrap books for Jamie and his sisters - including photos, letters, family ephemera. What Jamie wasn't expecting was a familial connection to a suspected cold war spy.
This discovery made his assignment a whole lot more interesting. He wanted to find out everything he could about branch of his family tree. This was better than the proverbial horse thief, he had a possible real live spy in his family, no matter how hard he pumped them for information, neither his mom nor dad could fill him in. Only that there was a 25% match for his mom and 12% for him. That was enough to indicate Jamie’s great uncle, since he was pretty sure his grandpa wasn’t a spy. But he was equally certain that his grandpa was an only child.
It seemed the DNA had come back as a match to some remains found off the coast of San Diego the previous year. There was not a lot of information available - Jamie kept running into roadblocks on the internet. When he could find documents, they were heavily redacted. Finally, in frustration, he went old school and rode his scooter to the Bloomington City Library.
Helen, a girl he knows from AP English, worked a few hours a week after school at the library. When Jamie told her what he suspected, Helen signed on immediately. She began by searching for archives of media detailing the discovery off the coast of San Diego. They were huddled together in a media carrel each with one ear bud so they could hear the news article from the prior year, on Easter Sunday an earthquake centered in Tijuana and loosened some debris exposing a soviet era submarine. Seal team divers were sent to explore, and they had discovered the bodies of the soviet crew and a body believed to be that of Gerald Brody, a mathematician who disappeared in 1961. Even with Helen’s help, they weren’t able to find more information about the discovery.
Next Jamie and Helen, started to look up everything they could find about Gerald Brody. He was originally from Bloomington, Il. Jaime got chills when he read that. A mystery, a possible spy, and with this clue – the same town, it made it even more possible they were related.
Chapter II
The DNA Project report had taken a turn. Jamie discussed it with the journalism adviser Ms. Kincade, convincing her to approve a change of focus to an investigative report. He and Helen were spending time together after school in the library. Something Jamie considered an extra added benefit. Helen was the president of the mathletes, she was part of the chess club. And her hair smelled like sunshine and fresh sage. He’d invited Helen to Sunday dinner with his family. He walked over to Helen’s and accompanied her to his grandparents’ house. It was an old house, built after the civil war, and still holding up. Helen was admiring the antiques and knickknacks. Jamie, mostly wanting to impress Helen, offered to set the table. Helen, apparently wanting to impress Jamie, offered to help.
Jamie and Helen were waiting until everyone was seated to talk about Jamie’s project. Jamie was practically bouncing in his seat by the time grace was said, dishes passed, and the first bites tasted. His grandmother looked at him and gestured.
“Out with it, young man.”
In a tumble of words Jamie explained about the assignment, the DNA kits, the suspicion that they were related to a possible spy, someone missing since 1961. His grandpa suddenly pushed back from the table and left down the hall. Jamie had been hoping his grandparents could help explain some of the holes, but now he was more confused than ever.
Grandmom put a cherry pie on the table indicating that everyone should help themselves and excused herself. Jamie heard a door open and shut. His mom served the pie. His dad scooped the ice cream. They ate their fill of pie, cleared the table and put the ice cream back in the freezer before it got too soft. There was no sign of either grandparent. Jamie’s mom went down the hall, knocked softly and Jamie’s grandmom came back.
“Well, well.” She said. “You’ve sure got a way of riling thing up don’t you, Jamie?” But there was no hardness in her voice. “Just give your grandpa a few minutes to collect himself. I think he can offer a bit more of your story.”
When Jamie’s grandpa came into the living room, for the first time, to Jamie, he really looked old. Like he’d seen a ghost. It was obvious he’d cried a few tears, something Jamie had never considered a grandfatherly thing to do.
Grandpa sat down and handed Jamie a worn black and white photo. In it were two boys, smiling with goofy grins, arms over each other’s shoulders.
“This is me, and my brother Gerald.” Grandpa said. When Jamie’s mother gasped, Grandpa held up his hand. Just wait Clara. Let me get this out in one go.” He paused to blow his nose. Then, looking at Jamie’s grandmom, and holding her hand the story began to unfold.
Chapter III
“Gerald and I are, have been, were utterly estranged since he left home in 1959. He was always the bright one. I wanted to stay and run my pop’s grocery, but Gerald, he was a dreamer. And smart. He left to go work for what you’d call a start up in San Diego: General Atomics. He couldn’t stay here. He was different. Or at least we suspected he was.”
Grandmom interrupted, “We think he might have been gay.”
Grandpa continued “Which in our day was not only a sin, it was also forbidden, illegal. But Gerald hid it pretty well. And this guy recruited him right out of college to go work for him to help with the calculations on a top-secret project. Our dad was relieved, he’d be out of sight out of mind. Gave him his inheritance early and told him to go. Change his name. Not come back. He promised to write me. I was his kid brother. And he did for a while. One day, about two years in, my brother went missing. He’d supposedly been going fishing, and there was a significant earthquake off the coast of Chile that wrecked boats as far away as Santa Monica harbor. He never returned to work. There were some plans missing. Plans for the project. We had government people all over here looking, asking questions. I never saw or heard from my brother again. Never knew what happened to him.
— Lkai
Great mystery story. Compelling narrative. You caught my interest right away and never lost it. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThank you! This is a story I've tried 8-9 times to write over the last 8-9 years and then yesterday, with that prompt, I had a voice for the story. I had a narrator, and the perspective. - lkai
DeleteGreat read, and very believable! Will this continue? (Macoff)
ReplyDeleteIm going to see if i can write more based on upcoming prompts taking a page from your book!
Delete