Episode 3.17, A Wonderful Gift, Part 2
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At Home
Prior to going to bed, Will taped a note to his door. It was short
and to the point, “Not before nine!” Luke found it when he came to
get his driving lesson.
Luke goes out to his car to check its features. The ‘Neptune’
exterior with a ‘Slate’ interior is a nice combination. He proceeds
to read the operators manual, 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed
manual transmission, front-wheel drive, power steering, power sun
roof, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, AM/FM Stereo/CD
player, air conditioning, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, dual
front air bags, roof rack, keyless entry, and alloy wheels. He thinks
to himself, ‘I would still like to have a Viper someday, but for my
first car, this is not bad!’
When Joan and Grace get up, they see Luke outside with the hood open,
drooling over the engine. They decide to join him.
Grace – “Do you have any idea what you’re looking at?”
Luke – “Yeah, it has a 1.8 liter engine.”
Joan – “I can see that too, it’s written right there on the thingy.
You should close the hood and leave it alone, and whatever you do,
don’t let Dad in there. He knows even less than we do.”
They go inside to find Will making breakfast, “French toast or
pancakes?”
It’s a rare occasion when all vote for French toast without descent.
When Helen returns from church, they all sit down to have their meal.
At Lilly’s Apartment
Kevin wakes up to find Ginger standing over him, “What is it?”
Ginger mumbles, “Wom yur ake rum kak ras?”
Kevin responds groggily, “Yeah, that would be nice. Is Lilly back
from church yet?”
Ginger mumbles, “Per kim ty sham umbrel sim.”
Kevin – “Okay. Would you like me to help?”
Ginger mumbles, “Nem.”
By the time Lilly returns, Ginger has made brunch. They all sit down
at the table and begin to eat. Kevin smiles and comments, “I think I
have been staying here too often. I’m beginning to understand what
Ginger is saying.”
Lilly chuckles, but Ginger mumbles, “Kim und san per cap!”
Lilly – “Oh, lighten up. He’s only making a joke.” She takes another
bite, “This is really good. What did you put in it?”
Ginger – “Sak ker pluk te barum.”
Kevin – “Well, I didn’t get that one. Is it anything like the mystery
ingredients in my Aunt Olive’s paella?
Lilly – “No, don’t worry. Just eat it.”
At Home
Luke is quite pleased with his driving lesson. It doesn’t take him
long to learn how to not grind the gears. Will lets him just drive
for a while to get the feel of how the car maneuvers. When he’s
satisfied, they return home.
Joan and Grace are having their Grace Day. Joan jokingly calls it, “A
day of Grace.” Although not every Sunday can be reserved for them to
be together, it has become a tradition that they strive to keep.
It’s mostly girl talk, as Joan talks about Adam, and suppresses her
grimace while Grace talks about Luke. At Grace’s insistence, they do
yoga exercises, but Joan can’t sustain them long. Although concealed
by her clothing, the bruises are still fairly prominent and cause too
much pain to continue.
When Luke returns, Joan goes for a walk. Luke sits on the couch and
banters back and forth with Grace about which movie they’ll go see.
Luke – “I think we should go see the new Harry Potter movie. It’s the
forth one, and it’s supposed to be the best.”
Grace – “They’re okay, but witches and warlocks, it’s too much like
aliens. I’d rather see ‘Chicken Little’. I can identify with that
more.”
Luke – “Yeah, but that’s a cartoon!”
Grace – “And your point is?”
Luke realizes that he has just stepped in it, “I mean, wouldn’t you
rather see real actors?”
Grace thinks to herself, ‘Great recovery Luke. Now I won’t have to
beat you.’ She considers a compromise, “Okay, we’ll go see Harry
Potter, but next week, we are seeing ‘Rent’. That will be some real
acting.”
Luke – “I don’t even know what that is.”
Grace – “Good, it will be educational, too.”
At Lilly’s Apartment
Kevin – “I’m really looking forward to tonight. I’ve never seen you
wear a dress, except to church. I never thought I would see the day.”
Lilly – “Well, you still haven’t, not until we leave for dinner.”
Kevin – “Come on, let me see it.”
Lilly – “No, it’s a surprise, and Rebecca has already made the same
observation. I don’t need to hear it from you.”
Kevin – “It’s just that you seem to be such a feminist, very strong
and assertive, always ready to speak your mind. That’s part of what I
love about you. I thought that’s why you rarely wear a dress.”
Lilly – Well, part of that is true, but you’d better lose the term
feminist.”
Kevin is baffled for a moment, “I don’t get it. What’s wrong with
‘feminist’? I meant it as a compliment.”
Lilly – “At one time, being called a feminist was a term I embraced,
but today’s feminists are anti-feminine. They berate the choice of
becoming a homemaker, procreation and child rearing. They deny their
maternal instinct and condemn the feminine urge to nurture and care
for those they love. They abhor everything that is distinctive about
our sex. No, I am a woman who is comfortable with who I am. I am not
a feminist.”
Kevin – “Okay, I won’t use it again.”
Lilly – “You better get home. Your dad is looking forward to spending
time with you.”
Kevin – “Yeah, he wants to start putting sealant on the hull.”
Lilly – “You know that’s not what he really wants.”
Kevin – “I know, it’s spending time together that’s important.”
At the Park
When Joan arrives in the park, she sees God sitting on a bench. She’s
knitting as before, when she lectured Joan about her treatment of Mr.
Dreisbach, “Have a seat, Joan.”
Joan – “I’d rather stand if you don’t mind. So what’s with the
bruises?”
God – “What do you think?”
Joan – “I failed with Zoe, so my reward is a pain in the ass?”
God smiles, “Tell me what you remember about physics.”
Joan – “Juxtaposed coherent aggregates vibrating in unison or
harmonic ratio are mutually attracted.”
God – “Attraction, one of my favorite laws. However, I was looking
for a simpler definition of physics.”
Joan – “Physics is the study of matter and energy, and how they
interact.”
God – “And how do they interact?”
Joan remembers a lesson from Ms. Lischak, “Matter and energy cannot
be destroyed, only changed from one form to the other, E=MC^2.”
God – “Good, you did well, and I’m pleased that you are also doing
well in biology.”
Joan – “Changing the subject, are we?”
God – “Actually no, because it’s all connected, but I do have a
suggestion for you.”
Joan – “Something else for me to mess up?”
God ignores her, “When your cousins come to visit, I want you to pay
attention.”
Joan – “To which one, Emily or Trevor?”
God – “Both actually, but especially to Emily.”
Joan – “From what my dad says, I won’t have a choice. He said she
will stick to me like glue.”
God – “You are the big sister she’s never had. You can put up with
being idolized for a few days.”
Joan – “Yeah, I’ll be nice. Am I supposed to help her somehow?”
God – “No, this time, it’s how she can help you.”
Joan – “Can you be more specific?”
The bus pulls up and stops. God gets up and starts to get on the bus,
“I have to go. Seek what is hidden in plain sight.” She waves goodbye
and Joan walks home, wondering about Emily.
At Home
When Kevin arrives home, he and Will go out to the garage. While Will
reviews the directions, he asks, “How is Lilly?”
Kevin – “She’s fine. She bought a dress for tonight.”
Will gives Kevin a surprised look, “Lilly in a dress? How did this
happen?”
Kevin – “She has been acting kind of subdued lately. I think what
happened at the hayride has affected her more than she’s letting on.
She said she saw the dress at the thrift store and decided to buy it.
How the dress fits in, I don’t know, but I’m sure she’ll tell me
eventually.”
Will – “I like Lilly, especially her warped sense of humor, but she
is a hard lady to figure out sometimes.”
Kevin – “Yeah, but I’m enjoying the challenge.”
Will – “I’ll tell you, when I first learned that you two were dating,
I never expected it to last. She is so different from the other girls
you have dated.”
Kevin – “I really loved Beth, but a lot of the time, I never knew
what she was thinking. With Lilly, if she has something to say, she
says it. It’s really nice to know where I stand, even when she’s mad
at me.”
Will – “Well, I’m glad things are working out for you two.” He
pauses, and then continues, “Richard told me that he would have a
talk with Emily and Trevor about you being in a wheelchair. When they
come, I don’t expect Trevor will say much, but Emily is a book of
questions. I just want you to be ready, and remember that she’s only
nine, because her questions never stop. She seems to want to know and
do everything.”
Kevin – “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
At the Bookstore
Joan is enjoying the quiet evening. There are few customers, and she
is leisurely putting new stock on the shelf. A new book, Wong’s
Essentials of Pediatric Nursing, catches her eye. She thinks about
Zoe, ‘Maybe it’s not Zoe in particular, but all sick children that
God wants me to help.’ She begins to read and quickly becomes
enthralled.
At Don Thornberry’s Restaurant
Kevin has dressed up for the occasion, wearing a sports jacket with
matching dress pants. A dress shirt, tie, and dress shoes finish his
attire.
Lilly has styled a little curl in her hair, put on lipstick, and just
a touch of makeup. She’s wearing a black\ `evening
dress <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/St.jpg>`__\ ,
with crocheted lace sleeves. With matching black high heels, she
looks absolutely stunning.
They both order the house specialty, a thick porterhouse steak with
all the trimmings. While they enjoy their meal, Lilly decides to
explain, “I know you have been wondering why I bought this dress. My
mother had one exactly like it.”
Kevin – “You have never told me about your family, except for your
grandmother. I would like to know, if you don’t mind.”
Lilly – “I had a great childhood, really I did, but everything went
to hell when my sister died. Her name was Rose. I was twelve when it
happened. Nobody knew anything was wrong, but she had an aneurysm in
her brain. She was happy, talking about the fun she had that day, and
then she just slumped over at the dinner table and died.
None of us took it well, we all loved her so much, but my mom took it
the hardest. She cried for months. Finally, after asking her a
hundred times, my dad got her to agree to go with him to a VFW mixer.
She put on this dress and I remember her smiling as she said goodbye.
That was the last time I saw them.
After my parents died, I went to live with my grandmother. So, when I
saw this dress at the thrift store, I just had to have it. I miss her
so much.”
Kevin reaches across the table and takes her hand. They finish their
meal in silence. When they are through, Lilly asks Kevin to join her
on the deck, “When we were almost killed, it reminded me of how
precious life is. I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately, what I
want out of life, who I want to be, and I realized just how much I do
love you. What I have decided is that for the rest of my life, I want
to love God, you, and our children. Will you marry me?”
At the Bookstore
The evening passes quickly. It’s almost closing time when Adam walks
through the door, “Hi, whatcha reading?”
Joan shows him the cover, “It’s about helping children. It’s not too
hard to read, considering it’s a textbook. I actually understand a
lot of it.”
Adam – “You have never mentioned an interest in nursing. When did
this come about?”
Joan – “I don’t know. I don’t even know if this is what I want to do,
but something about it feels right. How was your day?”
Adam – “It was great! I asked this guy if I could go out on the end
of his dock to draw the Nashman house, and he decided to go out with
me. He told me a lot about the place and some things that were no
longer there. Then he took me out on his boat, and I was able to
sketch with a view directly from the lake. Here, let me show you.”
He opens his sketchpad and begins showing his drawing, “See this
well? It’s no longer there, but he told me about it, so I put it in.
This boathouse is something that isn’t there anymore either, but
thanks to him, I was able to recreate it.”
Joan – “These are all so beautiful. I’m sure the historical society
will love them.”
Adam – “Are you ready to go home?”
Joan – “Yeah, it’s been a long day.” She closes up shop and Adam
drives her home.
At Home
Joan’s bruises fade during the first part of the week, as does the
soreness, but she still isn’t ready for physical activity. Helen gave
her an excuse for PE, and she decided to skip dance lessons as well.
However, by Wednesday, Joan feels almost back to normal. The
three-day week is uneventful, except for the absence of Ms. Keady. A
substitute teacher oversaw her classes. Helen was only able to learn
that Ms. Keady was absent because of a family matter. No one answered
the Keady home phone number, and the Children’s Hospital would only
say that Zoe was no longer there. Joan is terribly worried about Zoe
and carries this sadness beneath the joy of the next two days.
Richard and family arrive after school on Wednesday. Richard attempts
a formal introduction, but Emily decides to immediately introduce
herself to Joan, “Hi, I’m Emily.” She spins around, “Do you like my
outfit?”
Emily is dressed cute as a bug’s ear. She is wearing a\ `cowgirl
outfit <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/CowgirlOutfit.jpg>`__\ that
her father bought for her. Before Joan can answer, Emily takes her
hand, “Can I see your room? Do you like LeAnn Rimes? What kind of
dances do you know?” As they walk upstairs together, Joan smiles back
at the others, while Emily continues the questions as they go.
Richard – “Well, that was Emily. She’s a little excited about meeting
Joan. I’m sure she’ll introduce herself to everyone later.”
Will helps Richard bring the Thanksgiving items in from the car that
they brought with them. Then Richard, Trenna, Will and Helen sit at
the dining room table and begin to talk.
Trevor stays in the living room with Kevin, Luke, and Grace. He is
being quiet, but Kevin notices that he seems to be interested in him.
He asks, “Have you ever known anyone who was in a wheelchair before?”
Trevor – “No.” He peeks around to make sure his father is still at
the dining room table, “My dad told me not to say anything, but does
it hurt?”
Kevin – “The reason I’m in this chair is because I can’t feel
anything below my waist. No, it doesn’t hurt.”
Trevor – “Have you always been that way?”
Kevin – “No, I was in an accident a few years ago and I hurt my back.
That’s when I stopped being able to feel my legs.”
Trevor – “Oh.”
Luke – “What kind of things do you like to do?”
Trevor – “I like trains. I have a neat train set at home. I like to
play video games. I’ll play Tiger baseball again this summer. I like
to play army with my friends. My great great-grandfather was in a war
in Baltimore. He was at a fort and shot canons at a bunch of boats
that came. My mom says they wrote a song about him.”
Kevin – “Wow, do you know the name of the song?”
Trevor – “No, but I know the words. Mom taught me.
*Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?*\ ”
He pauses for a moment, “Ah, I forget. Oh…
*And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.*\ ”
He pauses again, “That’s all I can remember.”
Luke – “That’s really neat! It’s called the ‘Star Spangled Banner’. I
like to play video games, too. Maybe we can play later.”
Kevin – “I used to play baseball. Would you like play catch?”
Trevor – “Yeah, that’ll be fun.”
Luke retrieves the baseball mitts from the garage, and Kevin and
Trevor go out back. Luke sits back down next to Grace, “What would
you like to do now?”
Grace – “I’m gonna go upstairs and see if Joan needs to be rescued.
If she’s okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Grace walks upstairs to find Joan and Emily lying on the bed
coloring. Emily is chattering away, “Eeeuw, I don’t like boys, not
like that.” Emily looks up, “Who are you?”
Joan – “This is my friend, Grace. She’s staying with us while her
parents are away.”
Emily – “Hi, would you like to color?”
Grace – “No, thank you. What are you coloring?”
Emily holds up the coloring book, “Ultra! She’s so cool.”
Joan – “Zoe let me borrow it.”
Grace doesn’t respond to this, because Joan has already told her
about her concern for Zoe, “Well, have fun.” Grace returns downstairs
to talk to Luke.
Luke – “So, what would you like to do?”
Grace – “There’s really not much we can do. I expect when Kevin and
Trevor come in, you and Trevor will go up to your room to play video
games.”
Luke – “Yeah, I feel like I need to entertain him. Sorry.”
Grace – “Don’t be sorry. I’m just going to try to fade into the
woodwork.” She pauses as a new thought comes to her, “In fact, I’m
going home to get Joan’s present. That way, I can give the woodwork a
brake. I’ll be back in a little while.”
Luke – “What did you get her?”
Grace – “It’s going to humiliating enough. No previews.”
In the dining room, the Girardi parents talk shop. All of them work,
at least part time, and this seems like a good way to break the ice.
Will praises Richard for his ability to save children. Richard
confesses he’s searched of the Arcadia Herald to read about the White
Hat that cleaned up Dodge. He professes equal admiration.
Helen and Trenna share some interesting tales as well. When the
conversation drifts into sports, the hot topics are the Orioles and
the Ravens. To Helen’s surprise, Trenna leads the discussion, a local
sports fan from birth. After relaying a tale of she and her father
attending the last Colts game in 1983, Trenna notices that Helen
isn’t participating in the conversation. Helen isn’t interested in
sports, except when it came to Kevin, and that association isn’t
something she wants to bring up now. Trenna changes the subject to
art, and Helen is relieved. Will interjects his observations of
Trenna’s ‘strange staircase’ painting. Helen remembers she has her
copy of\ `The Garden,
Epping <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Picture.jpg>`__\ in
the garage, which spurs Will to remember the boat, and they all
ventured out into the garage to view the treasures.
In Joan’s room, after they each finished coloring a page, Emily
decides she wants to do something else. Joan smiles as she remembers
how short a nine-year-old girl’s attention span can be. Emily is just
interested in everything. Whenever Joan answers a question, Emily
comes up with two more. The only thing that is keeping Joan from
becoming annoyed is the fact that Emily is so sweet.
Joan decides to teach Emily some dance steps. It is, after all, one
of the first things that Emily asked about. Like Zoe, Emily is
interested in the waltz. She has already learned some of the more
modern dances, but no one has taught her the older traditional ones.
Joan looks through her CD’s and finds one she purchased in a moment
of insanity, but secretly enjoys listening to on occasion. She finds
the\ `track <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/12817695/e30e33d2/Enya_-_Floras_Secret.mp3>`__\ she
wants and smiles, because it reminds her of her Cousin Florine. As
she dances with Emily, Joan remembers her dance with Zoe and she
feels a mixture of sadness and joy.
Kevin and Trevor are having a good time playing catch. Trevor has a
pretty good throwing arm for his age, but his ability to catch is
even better. When Kevin asks what position he liked to play best, his
reply is not a surprise to Kevin, “I like shortstop the best. I’m the
best one. I’ve gotten more outs than anybody else by catching the
ball and throwing it to first base. The coach said I can play
shortstop again next year.”
The parents watch part of their game, then go inside. In the kitchen,
Joan peers into the crock-pot while Emily skips around, singing the
words to Flora’s Secret.
Will comes in with the others and stirs the pot a little. “Looks like
it’s done. I’ll start the pasta. Why don’t you set the table, Joan?”
Emily stops singing and watches Kevin roll into the kitchen. “Hi,
you’re Kevin, right?”
Kevin – “Yeah, that’s me, and I know you are Emily.”
Emily gives Kevin a strange look and then she kicks him in the shin.
Trenna– “Emily! Why did you do that?”
Emily ignores her mother and asks Kevin, “Did you feel that?”
Kevin – “No, I can’t feel my legs.”
Emily sits on his lap, looks up at him, and pinches his thigh, “Did
you feel that?”
Trenna– “Emily, what has gotten into you?”
Kevin chuckles, “No, I didn’t feel that either.”
Emily – “Mom, see! You should have let me bring my spurs.” She looks
at Kevin, “Come on, you can give me a ride anyway.”
Grace returns at the same time Lilly arrives. As Kevin and Emily roll
through the house, Kevin smiles at Lilly and says, “This is Emily.”
Emily is a bit preoccupied with her ride and just continues singing
as she slaps Kevin’s leg.
*…Movin’, movin’, movin’,
Though they’re disaprovin’
Keep them doggies movin’, Rawhide…*
Since Kevin is busy, Will makes the introductions, “This is Lilly
Watters, Kevin’s girlfriend, and Grace is friends with Joan and
Luke’s girlfriend.”
After the introductions, Lilly notices Trevor’s fascination with her
tattoo, “Do you like it?”
Trevor – “I don’t know. I’ve never seen one up close.”
Trenna– “Well, you can look, but don’t ever ask to get one.”
Lilly – “It’s from my wet and wild youth. I have another one, but I
can’t show you.”
Trevor doesn’t understand her meaning and simply replies, “Oh.”
Kevin and Emily pass through the kitchen again. Kevin quietly smiles
as Emily continues to slap his leg while singing her latest tune.
*…This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hide.
With a knick-knack paddywhack, give your dog a bone.
This old man came rolling home…*
Will places the crock-pot of sauce and the pasta on the table. Trenna
brings the salad, and Helen brings the bread and milk. After everyone
is seated, Helen asks Trenna to say the blessing.
“May this food restore our strength, give new energy to tired limbs,
and new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls,
give new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once
refreshed, may we give new pleasure to You, who gives us all. Amen.”
Helen – “Thank you, that was a very nice prayer.”
Trenna– “It’s one that my family said often. We use a variety of
prayers before mealtime.”
They serve the food and begin to eat quietly. Emily, of course, can’t
help but talk about something. “Joan, what are we going to do after
dinner?”
Joan – “I’m sure we can find something fun to do. Maybe we can just
talk and I will ask some questions.”
Emily misses the significance of Joan’s remark, but everyone else
gets a smile from it. Lilly decides to comment, “If what I saw when I
arrived represents your day, you have already been having a lot of
fun.”
Emily – “Yeah, but we’ll only be here two more days. I don’t want to
miss anything.”
Lilly – “I’m sure you won’t.” Again, Emily misses the significance of
the remark, but everyone else gets a smile from it.
Lilly rests her chin on her hand and begins to slowly rap her fingers
on her cheek, “Kevin and I had a really nice time last Sunday. The
dinner was wonderful and we talked about so many things. We thought
that today would be a good time to tell you what we’ve decided.”
Lilly stops talking and just continues to rap her fingers on her
cheek. Joan notices it first, “Oh my God!” She jumps out of her chair
and runs around the table. She hugs Lilly, “Congratulations! We’ve
been waiting for this for such a long time.”
The others still haven’t figured out what Lilly was trying to show
them, so Joan explains. She takes Lilly’s hand and holds it up for
all to see, “The ring, she’s wearing an engagement ring!”
Dinner ceases and all get up to hug Lilly and Kevin. When they sit
back down, Helen asks Kevin, “What took you so long? I thought you
would never ask.”
Kevin – “I didn’t ask. Lilly asked me.” Those who know Lilly aren’t
surprised. Kevin continues, “I have wanted to marry Lilly for a long
time, but I didn’t want to put pressure on her. I decided to wait
until she was ready. It was worth the wait.”
Will pours Emily and Trevor glasses of grape juice and the rest
glasses of wine. He offers a toast, “I was mistaken earlier when I
introduced Lilly as Kevin’s girlfriend. Let me instead introduce my
future daughter-in-law.” He pauses while they click their glasses
together, “La famiglia è tutto!”
All – “Famiglia.”
After dinner, Joan wants some fresh air. She walks toward the park
with Emily in tow. Actually, Emily is skipping rings around Joan as
she walks, still chattering away.
Joan – “Can I ask you some questions now?”
Emily – “Sure, what kind of questions? I like multiple choice
questions the best, because they are easier to figure out the answer.
Sometimes…”
Joan interrupts, “What kind of things do you like to do?”
Emily – “I like to do a lot of things. I like singing. Oh, Dad and
Mom are going to let me take singing lessons! Your dad helped with
that. After I’m good enough, the teacher is going to arrange for me
to sing at different places. That’s why dad got me this outfit. I
just wore it today, because I wanted to look my best when I met you.
Mom says first impressions are very important.”
Joan – “Well, I agree with your mom, but sometimes you don’t really
get to know people until you spend more time with them.”
Emily – “Well, I like you. You’re so cool! I wish you were my sister.
Then we could talk all of the time. Why do you have to live so far
away?”
Joan smiles, “This is just where I live. We can still talk after you
go home. There’s the telephone and e-mail.”
Emily – “My dad won’t let me have e-mail. He says some bad people
might talk to me. Maybe he’ll let me get it so I can talk to you.”
Joan – “That would be nice. Hey, I heard you singing during your ride
with Kevin. You’re pretty good.”
Emily – “Yeah and your dad said so, too. What is your favorite song?”
Joan – “Oh, that’s hard. There are so many good songs.” She pauses,
thinking for a moment, “I guess my favorite is ‘The Rose’. I don’t
know why, it’s just so beautiful. My dad has it on a record.”
Emily – “I like country western the best. I’m not sure what my
favorite is, but I love anything by LeAnn Rimes.”
Joan – “I’ve heard a few of her songs. She’s pretty good.”
Emily – “Have you had enough walking? I have a LeAnn Rimes CD in the
car. Maybe we could listen to it.”
Joan – “Maybe, but I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow. I haven’t
spent any time with your brother and I would like to talk to your
parents, too. Will you be mad if I spend some time with them?”
Emily – “No, I guess not. Mom says I have to spend some time with
Luke, too. I’ll do that tomorrow and then we can do something later.”
Joan – “Well, let’s go back home. I need to call Adam, and then I’ll
show you how to play a neat card game.”
At the table, the adults gather to talk and play cards. Will and
Helen thought it would be fun to play Euchre with Richard and Trenna.
First, everyone wants to know more about Sunday night, the
engagement, and Lilly’s ring.
Lilly – “I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I didn’t
know how I wanted to do it. Proposing marriage is very special. When
Rebecca and I were shopping, I found a dress just like my mother used
to wear. That’s when it all came together.”
Trenna– “I considered a ring similar to that when Richard and I
became engaged. I love the princess-cut diamond with blue sapphires
on either side. It’s such a beautiful ring.”
Lilly – “I’ve always loved this ring. It belonged to my mother.”
It wasn’t Lilly’s intent, but this put an end to the conversation. It
was enough for them to know that the ring belonged to her mother. No
one wanted to inquire further.
When Joan and Emily return, they find Grace seated in the living
room. Luke is up with Trevor playing video games. “Why don’t you sit
with Grace while I talk to Adam. She can show you the card games. I
won’t be long.”
Joan makes her call. She doesn’t have anything special to say; she
just wants to hear his voice and confirm dinner tomorrow. When she is
finished, she finds that Grace and Emily are already playing ‘Go
Fish’. Joan joins the game.
After a while, Emily’s ceases her constant chatter. Grace says,
“Emily, it’s your turn.” Emily doesn’t respond. Her eyelids have
become heavy and Grace observes, “I think she’s winding down.” Joan
removes the cards from her hand and she lays Emily across her lap.
She strokes her hair and smiles, “A hundred and ten percent all day
long, and then poof, lights out. That’s so cute.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard and family return early from the hotel, because Trenna wants
to help Helen prepare the turkey. Emily and Trevor immediately go
back to sleep on the couch, and Richard naps in a stuffed chair.
Joan and Grace come down later and observe Emily and Trevor sleeping
on the couch. Joan at first smiles, but then she thinks about Zoe,
‘They’re both sailing.’ She then vows to only have happy thoughts for
the rest of the day. After all, it is her birthday.
Wonderful smells lure them into the kitchen, where Helen and Trenna
are sitting at the table. Joan and Grace quietly snoop around,
looking at all the goodies in the process of being made. Helen asks,
“Would you like some breakfast, birthday girl?”
Trenna– “Helen, why didn’t you tell us?”
Helen – “Luke had his birthday last week and we didn’t want you to
feel obligated to get Joan something.”
Trenna– “Well, it’s a good thing we have gifts for Will and the kids.
What we have wasn’t meant as a birthday present, but at least we’ll
have something to give you today. Happy birthday. How old are you?”
Joan – “Eighteen, old enough to vote.”
Trenna– “Well, you be sure to learn about the issues, so that your
vote will count for something.”
Joan – “I’ve been involved with school politics. I’m sure Grace will
help me out. She knows a lot of political stuff.”
Grace – “Yeah, I think the best thing we could do is to vote everyone
out of office.”
Trenna– “Ah, an anarchist. Well, sometimes the less politicians do,
the better it is for everyone. But if you don’t participate, you will
have no effect at all.” She redirects to both of them, “Why don’t you
let your mother and I fix you breakfast? Would you like a bowl of hot
oatmeal to start?”
Joan and Grace both agree, and Helen starts the oatmeal. Trenna
begins preparing the rest of the meal. When the oats are ready,
Trenna adds brown sugar, and serves it to the girls. “This is very
simple, oatmeal with brown sugar on top, but it’s good for you. It
has a lot of fiber, vitamins, and protein. Some say that oatmeal can
lower your cholesterol. If that’s true, it goes well with the next
part of the meal.”
Trennareturns to the kitchen, and after a while, she brings creamy
scramble eggs, mixed with bacon and cheese. She and Helen have made
enough for all of them, and they sit down together to enjoy the
meal.”
Joan – “I don’t normally eat a big breakfast, but this is really
good.”
Trenna– “Thank you. Actually, I’ve purposely made the portions
smaller than usual. I think we’ll have a light lunch, so we’ll all be
hungry for dinner. Your mother and I have already planned the menu,
but is there anything special I can make for you?”
Joan – “Dad mentioned your peach cobbler. Could you make that?”
Trenna– “It’s already on the menu.”
Emily and Trevor wander in from the living room. They both have a
seat. Emily cuddles up next to Joan and groggily asks, “Who won the
game?”
Joan – “Oh, you did. Don’t you remember?”
Emily smiles and rubs her eyes, “No.”
Trennabrings Emily and Trevor bowls of oatmeal, and they begin to
eat. She comments, “After you eat, you two stinkers need to have
baths. We didn’t get them done last night.”
Emily – “Did you bring my clothes?”
Trenna– “Yes, your daisy shirt and jeans, just like you wanted.”
Joan – “I like your jammies. I have a pair with polka dots, too.”
Emily smiles, “We have good taste. Hey, your dad showed me a picture
of you. You had your hair curled in front. Could you show me how to
do that?”
Joan – “Sure, it’s easy. I just use a curling iron.”
After Emily finishes eating, she asks Joan to go up with her to the
bathroom. Joan gets her a towel and shows her the soap and shampoo.
“Is this the soap you use?”
Joan – “Yeah, Mom and I both use it. It’s called Oil of Olay.”
Emily smiles and thinks to herself, ‘Great, Joan soap!’
Joan starts to leave, “Call me when you’re finished and I’ll curl
your hair.”
Emily – “No, wait! I won’t be long. There’s not much of me to clean.”
Emily slips out of her pajamas. Joan smiles, amused as she watches a
sliver of white disappear behind the curtain. As soon as the water
begins to flow, so does the singing.
“…\ I’m a happy girl.
Everybody knows,
That the sweetest thing that you’ll ever see,
In the whole wide world,
Is a happy girl.
*I used to hide in a party crowd,
Bottled up inside,
Feeling so left out.
Standing in a*\ …”
After Emily dresses, Joan blow dries her hair and puts in the curl
that she wanted. As they head downstairs, they meet Trenna and Trevor
as they head up for his shower. Joan escorts Emily to Grace and Luke,
who are sitting on the couch, “Time to meet my brother.”
Emily – “But…”
Joan interrupts, “No buts, we already talked about this. I’m going to
talk to your mother for awhile.”
Emily frowns, “Okay.”
Joan leaves and Emily sits down beside Luke, “So, what do you like to
do?”
Luke – “Joan calls me a science geek. I like learning about things.
I’ve made Joan a neat birthday present.”
Emily – “It’s Joan’s birthday?” Tears begin to fill her eyes, “But, I
don’t have anything to give her. Nobody told me.”
In an unusual display of affection, Luke begins to hug her, “We’ll
think of something. Why don’t I make my gift from me and you?”
Emily – “No, it has to be something from me, something special.” She
begins to think, and then suddenly she has an idea, “Can you take the
record player up to your room?”
Luke – “Sure, it’s not that heavy. Why?”
Emily – “I’ll tell you after we get up there. She flips through
Will’s records until she finds the one she wants. Okay, let’s go.”
After talking to Trenna about things they each like to do, Joan says,
“I have no idea how to get to know Trevor. What does he like to do?”
Trenna– “Trevor is all boy. I don’t suppose you want to play combat?”
Joan – “Not really. Does he like to do anything that isn’t boyish?”
Trenna– “He likes to read, but he still enjoys it when I read to
him.” She retrieves a paperback book from her purse, “He likes short
story science fiction. I’ve read the first three stories to him. Why
don’t you two have a story time together?”
Joan – “Thanks, I can do that.”
Joan returns to the living room where Grace has been trying to
entertain Trevor, “Hi, I’m Joan.”
Trevor – “Yeah, I know.”
Joan – “Your mom thought you might like me to read you a story. Does
that sound like fun?”
Trevor doesn’t seem too enthusiastic, but he agrees. Joan sits in the
stuffed chair and pulls Trevor onto her lap.
Grace – “I’m going to see if Luke needs rescuing.”
Joan smiles as Grace leaves, “Let’s see what we have.” She opens the
book. “The next story is called, ‘\ \ `The Last
Question <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzD_A1TK-sRLY3VJQWw0cFdmS28/edit?usp=sharing>`__\ \ ’.
Is there such a thing? Let’s find out.”
She begins to read, “The last question was asked for the first time,
half in jest, on May 21, 2061, at a time when humanity first stepped
into the light…”
Joan finishes the story and Trevor asks, “So, AC became God?”
Joan – “It’s just a story. You should ask your mom and dad about
God.”
Trevor – “What do you think?”
Joan – “I don’t think anyone knows what God is. He’s beyond our
experience, but I do know that he loves us. Come on, it’s time for
lunch. Are you hungry?”
When they gather at the table, Helen announces, “This is just going
to be a snack. We want you all to be hungry for dinner.” She directs
herself to Joan, “This is a treat with you in mind, birthday girl.”
Helen leaves the room, not clarifying further. She returns with two
plates of sliced cantaloupe, “I called your Aunt Olive and asked her
to ship them to us. Arizona seems to be the only place that has them
this time of year. She told me she kissed each one as she put them in
the box.”
Joan chortles, “Oh boy, thanks!” She looks around, but doesn’t see
it. Then, Helen retrieves the shaker from her back pocket, “Salt,
thanks, I needed this.”
Helen – “I know.” She has a seat and asks, “So what have you men been
up to?”
Kevin – “Dad and Uncle Richard have been talking about Grandpa, and
I’m been listening. We’ve also been sort of watching the parade. The
M&M balloon committed hara-kiri on a lamp post.”
Trenna– “Was anybody hurt?”
Will – “They didn’t say. It happened just before we came down.”
Trevor – “Uncle Will, Mom says you should talk to me.”
Trenna– “What I said is that you should spend some time with your
Uncle Will.”
Will – “Sure, what would you like to do?”
Trevor – “I don’t know.”
Will doesn’t speak, but the expression on his face says it all.
Trenna comes to the rescue, “Maybe your Uncle Will can tell you the
story about that plaque in the living room.”
Trevor – “Okay.”
Joan – “Good, then I’ll steal Uncle Richard for awhile.” She looks at
Emily, “Is that okay?”
Emily – “Yeah, Luke and Grace and me have been having fun, but I get
you later.”
Joan – “Deal.”
Trevor – “Mom, is God a computer?”
Everyone’s jaw drops, but before anyone else can say anything, Joan
speaks up, “It’s the story I read to him. It’s called The Last
Question. The ending was a real surprise. Had I known, I would have
picked another story. I’m sorry.”
Trenna– “That’s okay. Honey, let me read the story while you spend
time with your Uncle Will, and then we’ll talk.”
After their snack, Will takes Trevor into the living room. He takes
the plaque off the wall and has a seat with Trevor on his lap. “This
picture is of me carrying a girl out of a fire. Her name is Elizabeth
Goetzmann, but I didn’t learn that until later.
Your Aunt Helen and I were watching a play. Then suddenly…”
Joan decided to talk to Richard while they took a walk, “Why didn’t
you tell me you had a family when you came the first time?”
Richard – “I was hopeful but not optimistic that your father and I
would be able to resolve our problems. Had it worked out differently,
I would have told you. I never told Emily and Trevor about your
family until just before your father came to visit. I felt it was
better for them not to know then to have to deal with the pain of
knowing you exist and regret not having the opportunity to know you.”
He stops momentarily and smiles, “Can you imagine what a basket case
Emily would have been had she known you existed?”
Joan – “Yeah, she does seem to idolize me.”
Richard – “Trenna has two brothers who have children, but they are
all boys. Emily has met your Cousin Florine, but they just didn’t
seem to connect, not like you and Emily have appeared to.”
Joan – “Yeah, Florine is kind of strange with her talking to flowers
and all.”
Richard – “It does seem strange. She told me that she talks with
them, not just to them.”
Joan – “The flowers talk to her?”
Richard – “That’s what she told me, but I have thought about it for a
long time. Who knows, perhaps they do? How do you know they don’t,
just because they’ve never spoken to you?”
Joan doesn’t know what to say. Maybe that’s how God talks to Florine.
This certainly changes her perspective of her cousin.
There are a few moments of silence while Joan ponders this. Then she
decides to ask Richard a question she’s been wanting to ask, “What do
you think about nursing? I have just been wondering about it,
thinking that it might be something that I want to do.”
Richard – “Nurses are the backbone of medicine. They have one of the
most important jobs. They are the ones who see the patients the most.
I don’t know what I would do without them.”
Joan – “But it’s hard, isn’t it?”
Richard – “They do have to deal with a lot of stress. It’s especially
hard when your patients are children. Not everyone can be saved, and
it’s heartbreaking. But there are some who are healed, and that’s the
focus. If you decide to make that a career, I for one will have the
utmost admiration for you.”
Joan thinks about what Richard has told her and smiles without
comment. Richard continues, “Johns Hopkins has some of the best
nursing programs in the country. If you attend, you can live with us
while you’re in school.”
Joan – “Thank you, Uncle Richard. I might decide to do that, but
there are courses offered here, too. I’m still not sure what I want
to do, or even if nursing is the right choice.” She pauses and
smiles, “Emily would love it, though.”
Richard – “I’m sure she would.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adam, Carl, and Lilly arrive at about four. Carl and Adam bring
coleslaw again, but today’s batch is much smaller than what they made
for the crab feast last summer. Lilly brought two pies. One is
pumpkin and the other is lemon meringue.
Will, Richard, and Trenna have been watching the Cowboys and Broncos
game. Trenna has been cheering for the Broncos. Will and Richard are
undecided about which team they want to win, but have been playfully
annoying Trenna by cheering for the Dallas cheerleaders. Carl
retrieves a beer from the fridge and joins them.
To Emily’s delight, Joan has once again taken her under her wing.
They have been watching `Miracle on 34th
Street <http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/>`__\ ’, a Thanksgiving
tradition for a Joan. Joan is pleased to learn that Emily had never
seen it, and that she still believes in Santa Claus. She treasures
watching Emily sparkle as she watches.
Emily chatters through the whole movie, about what is going on, and
Christmases past. When they approach the part of the movie with
Joan’s favorite quote, she makes Emily stop to listen.
“Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.” (Fred
Gailey)
Joan wants Emily hear this, since Joan has heard it almost verbatim
from the utmost authority.
It’s finally dinnertime and all are famished. They gather around the
table and Trenna is once again asked to say a prayer,
“Lord God, on this day of Thanksgiving, we ask your blessings on our
family, our friends, our home, our health -- and on the food we are
about to eat. We thank you for this time together and the many gifts
that you have given us. Help us to remember in this time of bounty
those less fortunate. And may your love consume us all that we might
share in your glory. Amen.”
Trennasmiles and holds up her glass, “And may we all be in heaven
half an hour before the devil knows we’re dead.”
After a little laughter, Trenna continues, “It is often taught that
the Pilgrims invited the Indians to the first Thanksgiving to give
thanks to them for saving their lives. That is not what really
happened. The Pilgrims invited the Indians to join them in giving
thanks to God…”
Dinner was delicious and all leave the table having eaten more than
they should have. When the kitchen is clean, they all return for the
birthday celebration. Will relinquishes his seat at the head of the
table and places Joan there. They open the gathering with the
traditional Happy Birthday song.
Unknown to Joan, the order of the gift giving has been decided in
advance. Luke is the first to offer his gift. He hands her an oblong
box, “Open it.”
Joan removes the wrapping to find a\ `Drinking
Bird <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/DrinkingBird.jpg>`__\ .
She places it on the table and Luke brings a glass of water, “See,
this is so cool. It’s actually a heat engine. The gas…”
Joan interrupts him, “Great, thank you, Luke. I would rather just
watch the bird drink and not know why.”
Luke – “Yeah, but this is just to explain your other present. See…”
Joan interrupts again, “What other present?”
Luke – “Well, I’ve taken this concept, and employed laser and
pneumatic technology to create a drinking bird on a much larger
scale. It was fascinating when I discovered…”
Joan decides to let Luke give his schpeil, since he seems determined
to do it anyway. After a briefing of the technology behind his gift,
of which only he understands, he goes into the other room to retrieve
it. Grace has to help him tilt it through the doorway, because
upright, it almost reaches the ceiling. “Unwrap it.”
Joan – “Do you have a ladder?”
Trennagets up and gives Joan her chair to stand on. Joan begins at
the top and peels away the wrapping, “It’s Big Bird!”
Luke – “Yeah, I thought I would jazz him up a little for you. Let me
get the water and the plant, and then I’ll plug it in.”
Joan steps off the chair and stands back. She wonders in the back of
her mind if it will explode when he plugs it in.
Luke – “The plant is a Bleeding Heart. It’s a perennial, so it’s
perfect. There are three more pedestals, so you can have up to four
plants in all. All you have to do is change this gallon jug of water
when it gets low, probably once a week.” He plugs it in. A fan begins
to whisper below and a laser flashes, illuminating the birds’ butt.
Slowly, the bird begins to dip, and once down, it sucks water from a
basin. When it rises, a little water flows into the plant below.
After a few minutes, it repeats. “Neat, huh?”
Joan – “Yeah, it actually is. I’m always forgetting to water the
plants in my room. This will come in handy.”
Luke – “Well, that’s part of why I made it. I’m glad that you like
it. If you want to know more about how it works, I’ve written a…”
Joan interrupts, “No thanks, I would rather remain mystified.”
Lilly – “Okay, it’s my turn. Mine isn’t as grandiose as Luke’s, but I
think you’ll like it. Happy Birthday.”
Joan opens the present to find the drawing that Lilly had purchased
at the church rummage sale, “\ \ `Joan of
Arc <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Joan_of_Arc_Drawing.jpg>`__\ ,
how pretty! I love the saying.”
Lilly – “I was hoping you would. I remember you reading the Joan of
Arc book this summer.”
Joan – “Thank you. I’ll find a nice place in my room to hang it.”
Grace – “Okay, it’s my turn. I’ve worked a long time on this. I even
made it rhyme this time. I hope you like it.”
Joan opens the present to find a plaque. Decoupaged on the front is a
poem. It reads:
**Joan of Arcadia**
**I want you to know,**
**That I’m ‘anti’ all through.**
**Except when it comes,**
**To a friend such as you.**
**Although sometimes you’re crazy,**
**With the weird things you do.**
**I love that about you,**
**It’s what makes you, you.**
**So for now and forever,**
**I’ll be your best friend.**
**Let’s walk the sewers together,**
**And sail boats through the end.**
Joan – “Grace, this is beautiful. Thank you.” She gets up and gives
her a hug.
Grace – “Lilly showed me how to do the decoupage.”
Joan – “Thank you, Lilly, for helping with this. It’s so beautiful.
Another treasure for my room.”
Adam gets up and retrieves his gift from the other room. He places it
on the table, “Here, I made this for you. Open it.”
Joan gently peels back the paper to reveal a sculpture about a foot
tall. It is a hand on a platform, surrounded by little fiber-optic
strands that point down toward it. Adam hands her a small figurine
wrapped in paper. She opens it, “It’s a female dancer!”
Adam – “Put it on the platform.” She does and then Adam adds,
“There’s a switch on the bottom. Turn it on.”
When Joan turns it on, the dancer begins to float around the
platform. Color pads of light from the fiber optics paint the
platform with changing colors. Music comes from the box, playing the
tune, Tiny Dancer. “It’s beautiful! Thank you.”
Joan chortles as she repeatedly turns the switch on and off. After a
few moments, she realizes that she should continue with the gift
giving and play with her music box later.
Richard – “Well, we didn’t know it was your birthday until after we
arrived, but we do have a gift for Will and you kids. He walks into
the other room and retrieves four wrapped presents. He gives one each
to Will, Kevin, Joan, and Luke, “Open them.”
They each open their present to find a framed picture of their
grandfather in his police uniform. “Will really liked this picture
when he came to visit. We decided to make copies for all of you, so
that when you have a home of your own, you’ll each have one.”
All thank Richard and Trenna for their thoughtful gift.
Kevin – “Mine is probably the smallest gift of all. It’s actually
half of a gift. You’ll get the other half on Christmas.”
Joan smiles and jokingly says, “I hate birthday-Christmas presents
combined.” She opens the card and discovers the contents. It’s a
record of certificates of deposit in her name. She exclaims, “Is this
what I think it’s for?”
Kevin – “Yep, and I have the other half put away for Christmas. Now
all you have to do is convince our parents to let you go.”
Helen and Will simultaneously ask, “Go where?”
Joan – “I was going to wait until after New Years to talk to you
about it. Our French class is taking a trip to Paris over spring
break. There is also an excursion to Domremy, where Joan of Arc
lived. I really want to go. Please!”
Will and Helen look at each other, but Will decides to speak, “We’ll
have to know a lot more about this trip, how many chaperones will
there be, where will you stay, and answers to a hundred questions I
can’t think of right now, but I think we’ll probably let you go.
However, if these riots in France are not over with by when it’s time
for you to go, the deal’s off.”
Joan – “Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you, Kevin.”
Emily – “My turn, my turn!” She pulls her chair out and then stands
on it. “Luke, will you start the music?”
Luke uncovers a computer that has been hidden in the corner, “Ready?”
Emily nods, and Luke pushes the enter key. When the music begins to
play, Emily sings.
*Some say love it is a river
*That* drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is a razor
*That* leaves your soul to bleed.*
*Some say love it is a hunger
An endless, aching need
I say love it is a flower,
And you it’s only seed.*
*It’s the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance*
*It’s the one who won’t be taken,
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live.*
*And the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long.
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong.*
*Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed that with the sun’s love,
In the spring, becomes a rose.*
Joan – “That was beautiful, and my favorite song. Thank you.”
Emily – “Luke took the record player up to his room and let me listen
to the song. I didn’t know until I heard it, but LeAnn Rimes does
that same song, too. I just had to finish memorizing the words.”
Luke – “And I downloaded a karaoke copy of the song.”
Joan – “Well, thank both of you. Emily, you are such a talented
singer. You will be great someday.”
Helen – “And now, last, but not least, is our gift. Your father and I
expected that you would refuse to drive the car, so we decided to get
you something else for your birthday. We are happy you have agreed to
at least drive sometimes.”
Will – “The computer that just played Emily’s song, it’s yours.”
Joan – “Really?”She gets up to go look at it. “Does it have e-mail?”
Luke – “It has the complete Microsoft Office package. You are also
subscribed to iTunes.”
Joan – “Will you show me how everything works?”
Luke – “That’s part of the deal.”
Joan – “Mom, Dad, thank you. This has been such a wonderful
birthday.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s Friday morning, and although they stayed up late last night, all
get up for breakfast at IHOP. Adam comes over at about nine, and he
and Joan are talking. Joan admires her Tiny Dancer sculpture,
enjoying the tune and watching the dancer move about on the platform.
Adam comments, “I’m glad you like it. There is something I have been
meaning to ask you.”
Joan – “What?”
Adam – “The reason I made this for you is because I know how much you
love to dance. That’s why I decided to take dancing lessons, so I
could dance with you. I was wondering, would you go with me to the
Mirror Ball next month?”
Joan – “I thought you would never ask? Of course I will.”
Adam smiles, “Then I have something else for you.” He pulls an object
wrapped in tissue paper from his pocket and gives it to her. Joan
unwraps it to find a male dancer for her sculpture. She places it
beside the female counterpart and turns on the music box, “Now, they
can dance together like us.”
As they kiss, Helen walks into the living room, “Oh, I’m sorry. I
didn’t know you were having a moment.”
Joan – “Mom, look what Adam gave me!”
She shows Helen the music box now with the two figurines dancing
together. “That’s really nice, and romantic! Does this mean…”
Joan doesn’t wait for Helen to finish, “Yeah, he finally asked me.”
Adams becomes puzzled, “How did you know I was going to ask you?”
Telling Adam how they actually learned of it wouldn’t be any fun, so
Joan says, “We’re women. We figure things out.”
Helen continues, “Well, I just wanted to tell you help to yourself to
lunch. Trenna and I have removed all the meat from the turkey, so
there is plenty to make sandwiches.”
Helen returns to the dining room where Will, Richard, Trenna, Kevin,
and Lilly are once again playing Euchre.
Emily and Grace come downstairs, “Come on, Joan. Your friend is nice,
but I want to do something with you, and you can talk to your
boyfriend after we leave.”
Joan looks at Adam who returns an understanding look. He smiles and
looks at Grace, “We haven’t had a ‘Day of Grace’ for awhile. I have a
new project at home I’d like to show you. Let’s go.” Adam and Grace
depart.
Emily sits down next to Joan, “Would you like to listen to music?
Then you can show me how to dance some more.”
Joan gets up and leafs through the records, trying to find one that
she thinks Emily would enjoy. She comes across one titled, “Snoopy
Vs. the Red Baron.” She puts it one and they start to dance as the
music begins to play.
The doorbell rings, but neither Joan nor Emily care to answer it.They
are having too much fun practicing line dancing. Helen answers the
door to find a man and two women, one of them noticeably pregnant.
Sister Sarah – “Hello, my name is Sarah McCauley, Sister Sarah, and
this is my sister and her husband, Anna and John Finnegan. Are you
Mrs. Girardi?”
Helen remembers Joan mentioning Sister Sarah on many occasions, “Yes,
it’s Helen, please come in. Joan has told me how much she enjoys
taking dance lessons.”
Joan notices them come in, stops dancing, and turns off the record.
They all have a seat. After the introductions, Sarah begins, “You
haven’t been to dance class in two weeks. I’ve been worried about
you.”
Joan – “I’m okay. I was dancing a lot at school, and I was sore from
doing that. I’ll start again next week.”
Sarah – “I’ll look forward to it. I’ve really missed you.” She
glances at Anna and then continues, “We were talking at dinner
yesterday and I mentioned you. I was surprised when Anna told me that
she knew you. We decided to come visit to see how you were.”
Joan looks at Anna, “The grocery store in Millersville, right?”
Anna – “I’m glad you remember. Our chance meeting has meant so much
to me. I really want to thank you.”
Joan becomes a little embarrassed, “Oh, it was nothing.”
Anna – “No, it was! I took your advice and now Sarah and I are
sisters again. But there was something else that I didn’t tell you
that day. The reason I didn’t want Sarah to become a nun is because I
wanted her to marry and have the children that John and I couldn’t
have. We had been trying for years, but it just never happened.” She
looks down at her stomach and massages it with her hands, “But look
at me now! We are twice blessed!”
All offer congratulations. When they get up to leave, Sarah comments,
“Well, we just wanted to say hello. We plan to spend the rest of the
day with John’s family again. I’ll see you in class.”
As they are leaving, Helen notices Roger and Cee-Cee coming up the
walk. Cee-Cee pauses to talk to Sister Sarah. After a few moments,
she continues up the walk with Roger, “Hello, Mrs. Girardi. May we
come in to visit for a little while?”
Helen – “Sure, come in.”
They come in and have a seat. Cee-Cee continues, “Roger and I spent
yesterday evening with his family. We will be spending this evening
with mine. It is a custom in my family to visit friends on
Thanksgiving Friday. I hope you don’t mind.”
Helen – “No, all of this company today is quite a pleasant surprise.”
Cee-Ceelooks at Joan, “How are you feeling?”
Joan – “Much better, pretty much back to normal.”
Cee-Cee– “Good!I have been talking to my dance teacher and she would
like you to audition for her class at Dawson State next year. Have
you applied?”
Joan – “No, I haven’t done that yet. I was going to wait until after
the job fair this week. Do you think I can get in?”
Cee-Cee– “I know you can. That’s why tomorrow, we are going to start
working on your routine. My house, 9 o’clock.”
Joan’s excitement is written across her face, “That’s wonderful. I’ll
be there.”
Roger – “I have a bit of news. My English teacher will be retiring
after this year. I applied for the position, and he has given me a
great recommendation. I might be your English teacher if you go to
Dawson State next year.”
Joan – “That’s great news. I’m so happy for you, and for me. You are
a wonderful teacher. Now, all I have to do is get in.” She pauses and
looks at Cee-Cee, “Will you be okay with this?”
Cee-Ceesmiles, “It will be fine. Well, we have to go. We have other
friends to visit before dinner tonight.”
Cee-Ceeand Roger get up, and Helen opens the door for them. As she
does, Zoe darts through and plops herself onto Joan’s lap, “Look at
this!”
Joan takes the paper and Zoe points, “Read that part.” Joan reads,
“Zoe R. Keady has been accepted into St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary
School as a second grade student. Please have her report to on
November 28, 2005. Classes begin at 9 a.m.”
Joan looks up and Zoe gives her a big hug. “I’m so excited. I get to
go to a real school!”
Joan – “But how did this happen? I didn’t think you could go.”
While everyone was watching Joan and Zoe, Ms. Keady quietly came in
through the open door, “It’s gone. The tumor is gone.”
Helen – “Well, hello Ms. Keady. This is a nice surprise.”
Ms. Keady – “Hello Helen, you can call me Carol. Anyway, the doctors
didn’t expect the medicine to affect the tumor, only the symptoms.
They were as surprised as the rest of us.”
Emily – “Hi Zoe, I’m Emily. Joan has a coloring book of yours in her
room. Would you like to color?”
Zoe – “Yeah.”
Zoe and Emily run toward the stairs. Joan then exchanges glances with
Cee-Cee. Without saying a word, they both begin to glow, wondering
the same thing. Zoe and Emily stop on the stairs, and then return to
the living room. They each take one of Joan’s hands and coax her,
“Come on, we want you to come, too.”
Joan gets up and goes with them, still glowing with a smile painted
across her face. Cee-Cee calls after Zoe, “It’s nice to see you again
Zoe.” As she and Roger leave, she adds, “And it’s nice to meet you,
Ms. Keady.”
Helen has observed the exchange of looks between Joan and Cee-Cee,
and becomes curious once again. On the porch, she asks, “Cee-Cee, may
I speak to you for a moment?”
Roger takes the hint and continues to the car. “What is it, Mrs.
Girardi?”
Helen – “It’s okay, but I have been wondering how you and Joan have
gotten so close in such a short period of time. What is it that you
two have in common?”
Cee-Ceethinks for a moment before responding, “We both like to
dance.” She laughs, “We have similar taste in men. We are able to
talk about things, things that we can’t share with other people. But
what I enjoy most is that your daughter has a very special connection
to the universe.”
Cee-Ceewaits for Helen to respond, but Helen is speechless. Cee-Cee
continues, “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” Cee-Cee smiles,
“Goodnight, Mrs. Girardi.”
