Upon arriving, Levi and Anthony greeted everyone then made their way up the stairs to Ira’s room. Jake followed after them with his eyes. “Those two are after Ira. I hope he’s not still sleeping”, Jake said as he shook his head.
His father laughed. “Knowing your son, Jacob, he’s not and he’s got something up his sleeve for his cousins. Now, why don’t we all get sat down? I would certainly like to give my poor aching knees a rest.”
His mother nodded in agreement. “Same here. And my feet are killing me.”
“Sorry Mom. Sorry Dad. Why don’t we all get seated then?” Jake moved so that he could let his parents sit down. “It’s been a crazy day and it’s barely started.”
His father laughed. “Tell me about it. And, just so you know, you should watch your back. Anthony is coming after you’re overachieving ass.”
“What do you mean?”
“In any way possible”, his mother said. “He just wants to outdo you. I’m sure he’ll let you know it soon enough.”
Jake laughed and shook his head. “It’s gonna be a cold day in hell when that boy surpasses me with all of the things I’ve accomplished in my career. I’m a revolutionary in more ways than one. I may be known for my stem cell research as a treatment for TBI and the subsequent awarding of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, but I’ve done a lot more than just that. I’m an expert in my field. I’ve done more studies into traumatic brain injury than have ever been done before, and have been looking into ways to apply my stem cell research to different neurological issues. He’s got a long way to go before he can say he’s outdone Uncle Jake.”
Before anyone could say anything in response to Jake talking about his achievements, there was a series of loud crashes and bangs from upstairs, and two boys yelling, “WHAT THE FUCK?!”
The boys’ grandfather laughed. “I told you Ira had something for his cousins.”
“So I see.” Jake took a deep breath. “IRA BENJIMAN!”
Ira came down the stairs laughing. “You stupid jokers should know better than to mess with me. I’m a bad, bad man when it comes to pranking!” he called over his shoulder. When he reached his father, he looked at him expectantly. “Yeah Dad?”
“What the hell was that all about?”
“Well Dad, I knew that Tony and Levi would have something in store for me if they got here before I got up so I made sure that I was up so that I could mess with them.”
Jake nodded. “There wasn’t a better way to handle that? A simple, ‘Boo, ha ha, fuck you I’m awake’, wouldn’t have sufficed?”
“No, not when they had water balloons that they were going to pummel me with.”
“Say hello to your grandparents and apologize for all the noise. To everyone.”
“I do apologize. I hope I didn’t scare anyone down here.”
“You didn’t scare us”, his grandmother said. “Hell, your Grampa called it.”
He grinned. “Hi Gramma Brie. How are you doing?” he said as he bent down to wrap his arms around her neck.
“I’m doing fine, Ira. Are you excited for tonight?”
“Oh yeah. Been excited about tonight for the last three years”, he laughed as he released her and turned to his grandfather. “How are you, Grampa David?”
“I’m good, Ira. You gonna give me a hug too or look at me like a moron?” his grandfather chuckled.
Ira bent over and hugged his grandfather. “I’ve missed you, Grampa. You and Gramma both.”
“It’s not like you didn’t just see us in March when I came out to celebrate Matt and Pilar’s birthdays with them.”
“Well, when I have Dad constantly in my ear about how I need to cherish every moment I get with you two every time I get one it’s hard not to miss you even though I just saw you in March.”
David Draiman looked at his son after his grandson released him. “Jacob Micah.”
“Dad, we never know when you or Mom are going to leave us, so I tell my kids to cherish every moment they get with you so that they have good memories of you.” He looked at his son. “Where is your older sister?”
“In her room primping, I guess. I don’t know”, Ira said with a shrug.
“Go tell her that your grandparents are here and she needs to get down here to say hi to them before I break my foot off.”
“It’s humanly impossible to do that, Daddy”, Miri called from the hallway. When she started down the stairs she paused. “GRAMMA! GRAMPA!” she exclaimed as she ran down the stairs.
David and Brie both laughed at her enthusiasm. “Hello Miriam”, they said together.
She stopped in front of then and hugged them both at the same time. “It’s good to see you guys again.”
They smiled. “How are your studies coming?” David asked.
“They’re good. My advisor says that I have five years left of what’s supposed to be an eight year program, but I’m going to see if I can cut that in half. I don’t want to be in school that long. I’m going to try to turn eight years into four. I’m taking this summer off, but not next summer. I’m going to just buckle down and start doing what I’ve got to so that I can get through school.”
“How is your fish?” Brie asked.
“Kimiko is still a feisty little cuss, but I think she’s met her match.”
“What do you mean?”
“She has a new bowl mate. His name is Ryoji and he is for sure the dominant one in the bowl, which when I bought him, I had to buy a bigger bowl. But, I will sit at my desk in my dorm for hours and just watch them. They have epic battles. It’s hilarious.”
“So, Kimiko is white with a black spot, right?”
“Right. Ryoji is white with orange spots. I’ll so them to you later. I need to go feed them and my ferret, Sakura, real fast. I love you both and I’ll see you in a bit.” She kissed her grandparents and ran back up the stairs to her room.
“She loves her little pets, doesn’t she?” David asked Jake.
“Oh yeah. Sakura is a new addition. She spends more time with her critters than she does with people.”
“What’s the critter count to now?”
“Two Koi fish, a ferret, a guinea pig, and two humongous rats- not to mention the two huge bull mastiff’s we have out back and the stray cats that seem to love to congregate near the east side of the fence.”
“What happened to my dogs?”
“Sampson and Delilah? Had to have them put down. Arthritis was too bad and Sampson got depressed after you left. Wouldn’t eat.”
David nodded. “They were good dogs. It’s a shame it had to happen that way. I’d have taken them with me if I could.”
---------------
As the day went on, the rest of the family arrived and everyone said hi to their parents/ grandparents. Miranda and Isaiah were the last two to arrive, and they flew in together though they were living separate lives. They’d done everything together their entire lives until they graduated from Julliard. Isaiah stayed and taught, helping with the chorus line and teaching voice lessons. Miranda went off on her own and started auditioning. She’d had several bit parts in a few off Broadway productions, as well as on Broadway. But, finally, the role of a lifetime came her way and she had to snatch it up. In high school theater class, they watched the film version of a Broadway classic known as RENT. She fell in love and played Maureen in her school production. When she found that they were doing a reprise of it on Broadway, she had to audition. She knew the play like the back of her hand, but hoped that she didn’t get type cast which is why she auditioned for Mimi.
When she found out that she was cast in the show as Maureen, she went to the director and asked why. He said that he felt that Mimi wasn’t right for her. He could have cared less that she was Jewish… Maureen fit better. “You’re quirky, fun, and eccentric. That’s Maureen. That’s why I cast you in that role.” Once he explained it, she was cool.
Now, they were getting ready to open and she wanted her grandparents there. When she and Isaiah met up at the airport they updated each other on their lives. He was dating a girl that they’d graduated with and she was seeing a guy in the cast. He played Mark.
When they got to homestead, they raced to the door. “First one in gets to update Gramma and Grampa on what they’re up to”, Isaiah said.
“You’re on.” Miranda threw her purse over her shoulder and they counted it off. Isaiah won. His legs were just longer. “That’s ok. My news is bigger and should always follow boring shit about you”, she laughed as they walked over and greeted their grandparents.
“What are you two going on about?” David asked his oldest grandchildren.
“It’s nothing, Grampa. We’re just teasing each other”, Isaiah said as he hugged each grandparent in turn. “It’s good to see you. I know we saw you for Hanukkah but it feels like it’s been years.”
Brie smiled and kissed her grandson’s cheek. “Well, you two have such busy lives now, I’m shocked that you have time to think about us, let alone come home from your cousins’ graduation.”
“Gramma, there’s always a place in my thoughts for you. Grampa, however, is another question”, he teased.
David reached out and smacked his grandson in the head. “Who paid for Julliard? That’s all I’m saying.”
Isaiah laughed. “I know, Grampa, I’m teasing.”
The twins settled in and got comfortable. “Ok, so, who’s first?” Brie asked.
“That would be me, Gramma Brie”, Isaiah said. “I’m still teaching at Julliard. The acting teacher is about to retire and they’ve asked me if I wanted to take over the spot. I told them they’d have an answer by the new semester. I think I’m going to do it.”
“Good for you”, David said with a nod. “Seeing anyone special?”
“I am. Her name is Chelsea and she graduated with Miranda and me. She was a dancer. She’s dancing chorus in a ballet. I forget the venue.”
“How serious is it?” Brie asked.
“Pretty serious.”
“Good news all around for you, then.” She looked to Miranda. “What’s going on with you?”
“I’ll give you the not so big stuff, to warm you up to the bombshell. I’m seeing someone too. He’s a really nice guy. His name is Tommy. He’s really sweet.”
“Nice. He treats you right?” David asked.
“Like a queen, Grampa. No worries. He knows about the mafia like family we have here and he won’t cross me. Now, for the big news. You know how I’ve been trying to make my face a staple on Broadway, right?”
They both nodded. “Yeah. What about it?”
“I think I landed the role will help with that. I’m going to be playing a role I’ve already played before, but it just fits.”
“What’s the play and what the role?” Brie asked.
“RENT and I’m playing Maureen.”
“Congrats!” they said together.
“I want you both there if you’re up to it. It would mean the world to me.”
“The only thing that will keep us from that will be death itself”, Brie said. “We’ll be there with bells on.”
---------------
Finally it came time for everyone to get ready for graduation. David and Brie were taken out to their cottage so that they could shower and get ready. They were too old for to be riding ATVs and they would admit it readily. They didn't even ride the Harley anymore.
They went in the same order that they went in when they would get ready to go out. David showered first so Brie could do her hair and makeup. She didn't need a lot of time to get ready. All she planned to do with her long silver curls was pull them up with a claw clip. A light layer of makeup and she was done. She dressed conservatively in a simple sun dress and sandal flats that were easy to walk in. "If I wasn't 80 years old I'd wear heels but I'm afraid my old joints just won't allow it anymore", she said when Jordan asked what she would be wearing.
When she walked out of the bathroom, David had his usual reaction to her. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Gorgeous as usual", he said with a smile.
She smiled back. "I'd be happy with just plain pretty, but I'll take gorgeous." She went to him and kissed his cheek. "I love you", she whispered in his cheek.
"Music to my ears", he chuckled. "I love you too", he returned the kiss. "Are we ready to go watch our grandsons graduate from high school?"
She nodded. "Call whomever is going to come out here and get us. I'd say we're ready."
"You do know that Jacob and Jeremiah are going to be all over us to stay in the main house until we go home?" he asked as he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket.
"They can both insist all they want. We need our privacy just like they do."
"They probably think we've stopped fooling around because of our ages."
"That couldn't be further from the truth."
He held up a finger to her once he got an answer. "We're ready. Ok. So we're all going to dinner before graduation? Whatever floats your boat, Jake. You're one running this ship. Your mother and I are just visiting. Ok, we'll be waiting. Bye." David shook his head. "The boy of ours... he's a trip."
"I know baby. He's bugging out over nothing."
"Maybe we need to have Delilah have a talk with him about relaxing."
"For all the good it will do."
Brie laughed. "I know. It's just how Jake is. Who are we to try and change him; especially at his age. I mean, he's 45. He's not changing."
"True. Guess it's time that we just accept him the way he is."
---------------
There were 46 Draiman's in the audience that night. It was a beautiful sight to Ira and Levi to be able to look up and see the faces of the people they loved most there to show their undying support.
Both of the boys had to speak because they were graduating as co- valedictorians. They gave their speeches, Ira speaking about the uncertainty of the future and Levi talking about seizing the opportunities that life presents them with. After they finished, diplomas were presented and pictures were taken with the superintendent of schools. "Graduating valedictorian and suma cum laude, Ira Benjamin Draiman." Ira walked up and got his diploma, shook hands with the superintendent and took he proof the he was now a high school graduate. "Also graduating as valedictorian and suma cum laude, Levi Joseph Draiman." Levi repeated the same process that Ira had gone through. Once they were both seated, the rest of the class was presented with their diplomas. The ceremony ended the way all graduations did- with the throwing of the graduation caps in the air.
The boys collected themselves and went to meet their family. "So, how does it feel to be high school graduates?" David asked his grandsons.
"Feels awesome, Grampa. We can't lie."
"Just wait until it's college graduation and it's your degree in hand", Jeremiah said to his nephews. "That's a feeling like no other."
"Especially when it's your Doctorate?" Levi joked.
Jeremiah laughed. "Not necessarily. That's a special sense of accomplishment."
"If you say so, Uncle 'Miah", the boys said together.
"Well, Levi and Ira need to get to my place because they're hosting a party", Jordan interjected. "Come on, boys".
"Yes, Mom", Levi said.
"Yes Aunt Jordan", Ira laughed.
Jake looked at their parents. "Delilah and I promised to help chaperone this thing, so we're gonna go with. Are you afraid to ride back to the house with Miri?"
They exchanged a look. "We love Miri, but the thought of her behind the wheel is a frightening prospect. We'd like to enjoy the amount of time we have left on the planet", Brie said.
"Jona and I can take them home", Jeremiah said.
"That cool with you two?" Jake asked.
"We'll be fine", David said. They followed Jeremiah and his family out to their vehicle. It was a van big enough for a soccer team. "Which of you is the soccer parent? Brie asked.
"Mostly me", Jona said. "I'm the stereotypical suburban housewife. Occasionally 'Miah drives Matt to his soccer games."
"Being a professor sometimes means working when you don't want to”, Jeremiah said.
"But Dad's pretty good about making it when he can", Matt said. "He said that you missed a lot of stuff when he was a kid, but you made it when you could, Grampa."
"Your Dad's right”, David said. "I did miss a lot but I made it when I was home."
"That's cool, Grampa", Matt said as he nodded.
They all loaded up and Jeremiah started the car. As he drove, he turned on the radio, quickly changing the station when an old Disturbed song started to play. "Sorry about that, Dad. I'm sure you didn't want to hear that."
"It didn't bother me. Your Mom and I don't listen to a lot of Disturbed anymore, especially now that the other guys are gone."
"Yeah. I kinda miss Uncle Danny, Uncle Mikey, and Uncle John."
David sighed. "Me too, 'Miah. Me too"
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