"An honor for the day"~ posted for the WHAT'S MY LINE? challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: What’s my line?

Title: “An honor for the day”

The prompt: “A Yankee Doodle Dandy”

Author: mrua7

Word count: Approximately 1300

It was the fourth of July and the preparations for the holiday were in full swing at U.N.C.L.E. headquarters in New York City. Though it was an international organization with no political allegiance, the majority of its employees in the city here were Americans and those in-house needed to have their celebrations, if only for a little bit while at work.

It was the foreign born workers and agents who felt a little bewildered at the moment. Independence was not necessarily a concept some of them were accustomed to as a number of them came from countries ruled by monarchies, dictatorships, or socio-political regimes that controlled the daily lives of their citizens with an unforgiving hand.

The cooking staff in the Commissary had festively adorned the cafeteria in red, white and blue bunting for the occasion. The day’s menu consisted of traditional American fare...hot dogs with sauerkraut, onions or chili, hamburgers, Boston baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, corn on the cob... basically nothing to interest those unaccustomed to such gastronomic fare.

Illya watched with disdain as his partner piled on the onions to several hot dogs; disappointed there was no chicken soup today.

“I’ve seen you eat hamburgers and all the trimmings before,” Napoleon said as he added beans, all the slaws and corn on the cob to his plate.”Since when do you turn down food?”

“I suppose it is because the menu is tied in with all this hoopla regarding your holiday.”

“Well of course it is Illya. Since we have to be working, this is the closest thing we’ll get to a barbeque...something traditionally associated with the day.”Napoleon set his tray down on their usual table in the back corner. ”Nothing wrong with that. It’s Independence day. We’re celebrating our freedom.”

“It is not my independence day, and though I have some privileges, I am by no means free and therefore have no reason to celebrate. Though am not subject to any immediate form of subjugation, I still belong to the U.S.S.R. so my freedom here is merely an illusion. Today, however, your holiday is making me feel more than usual that  I do not belong.”

Napoleon swallowed his mouthful of hot dog.” Gee I suppose when you put it that way… I guess you being here made me just assume you’re free.”

“I am under contract and when I came here from Soviet Union I merely traded one master for another...though once I began my work for the Command I did not feel that analogy was appropriate. Still I must always remind myself that I could be recalled home at anytime for any reason...and once there, my life would most likely be very short-lived.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was ordered not to be duplicitous by my superiors and was not sent to spy on U.N.C.L.E. however, KGB contacted me and demanded I do so. I refused as it countermanded my orders from GRU and my oath to the Command.”

Illya bowed his head. “If I go home, I am as good as a dead as KGB has declared me traitor and has ordered my death. I am surprised they have not tried anything here but that might cause too many complications with GRU...who is currently in favor with Kremlin.  When the pendulum swings in the other direction and KBG comes into favor again, things might change. One day you just might find me dead of mysterious causes...and having nothing to do with an assignment.”

“Jesus Illya I never knew that,” Napoleon pushed away his plate, suddenly losing his appetite as the conversation had become much more serious than he’d expected to have with his young partner.  They’d been teamed for just over a year and had become fast friends, devoted and trusting each other with their lives. “Maybe we need to have a talk with Mr. Waverly...your so-called contract might need to be altered.”

“Mr. Waverly is very much away of my situation. When I accepted the position with U.N.C.L.E. I knew the risks as did he. Things are what they are as you say,” Illya shrugged his shoulders..

“Wait here,” Napoleon got up from the table, taking his tray with him. He knew he couldn’t change Illya’s situation but maybe he could do something to make him feel better, maybe a little more included in the day’s celebrations.

Solo returned a few minutes later with a new tray carrying three bowls of chocolate ice cream. It was a small gesture but one sure to please Kuryakin.

That made the Russian smile, realizing his partner and his only real friend knew him well enough.

“Well dig in tovarisch. Today...I Napoleon Solo declare you to be an honorary American with all the honors and privileges that come with it. “ He stuck a miniature American flag on a toothpick in the ice cold confection.

“Thank you, I am honored,” Illya scooped a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

“So have you ever seen the movie a “Yankee Doodle Dandy” starring Jimmy Cagney?”

“No I have not.” Illya came up for air after inhaling his treat and Napoleon promptly shoved the second bowl in front of the Russian.

“Well after we’re done here, the records department is showing the movie in the gymnasium as as a holiday treat. I think you’ll get a kick out of it. The movie is a light biopic of George M. Cohan. He was quite an entertainer as well as a playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer. He was well known for his patriotism…does a song called “Over There? sound familiar to you?”

“I have heard that name,”Illya pointed his spoon as the American.”Yes it was an anthem for American soldiers during World War I.  This Cohan fellow wrote it?”

“Yes, along with ‘Give My Regards to Broadway’,’The Yankee Doodle Boy’ and ‘You're a Grand Old Flag’, just to name a few. They were songs needed for the times, full of pure patriotism. Sadly such shows of patriotism are waning with the times, but those are songs so many of us here grew up hearing.”

“We have patriotic songs in Soviet Union…Katyusha and Kalinka were folk songs that spurred on the troops during the Great Patriotic War.”

“Well, ‘A Yankee Doodle Dandy’ is a bit different I suppose...not being a folk song. Tell you what, let’s take the day off from paperwork and go catch the movie. I will warn you that it’s a musical...though from the1940’s, it never gets old, at least to me.”

“You mean let ‘me’ take the day off from doing ‘your’ paperwork as mine is, as usual, done. And as to it being a musical...we will see,” Kuryakin shrugged again.

“Ouch, point taken. Let’s go.” Napoleon looked at his watch, noting it was almost time for the film to begin. He stopped at the counter to pick up two large bags of buttered popcorn and a couple of soft drinks being supplied by the Commissary, again just for the holiday. Also obligatory, he explained to his Russian cohort.

After viewing the movie, the partners emerged into the corridor outside the gymnasium. Solo didn’t have to ask Illya what he thought of it as the normally quiet blond was already whistling the melody Yankee Doodle Dandy.

“Sort of makes you feel like dancing doesn’t it chum?”Solo quipped.

“Yes it does,” Illya suddenly did a little hop and a spin... imitating Cagney’s distinctive dance steps.

The usually stoic Russian smiled.” It is good to be an American if only for the day…”

“Tovarisch, there’s hope for you yet.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Comments

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Good deal all around. I'd like to see that little dance move ;)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

giggling. I can just picture him doing it for some reason. That's why I included the You-Tube to give people a reminder of the kind of light-hearted steps Cagney could do.

Thanks!!!