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Star Split
by
Kathryn Lasky
The Murlowes gathered around the television in their living room. Although
the program would not start for a few minutes, Darci’s parents and grandparents
spoke in hushed voices. They did not want to miss one second, not one breath,
not one syllable of the annual Reading of the Lists. It was the most important
event of the entire year in the Bio Union.
Darci was thirteen. She had not been allowed to watch until she was nine,
and then her parents, who were usually not strict or rule-prone, had told
her exactly what kind of behavior they expected. Absolutely no talking, no
fidgeting, no shifting seats, no eating.
Darci had found it immensely boring that first year, but now she understood
it better. Its meaning. She knew which name her parents were listening for
and on the rare occasions when one was read she could see them squeeze each
other’s hands in a silent kind of ecstasy. Her grandparents acted similarly.
It was more exciting of course if you were a grown-up, for there was always
a chance that there might be the name of someone you knew. There was never
the chance of a child’s name appearing on the list of New Endowments.
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