Jake couldn’t help but laugh as he made himself and the twins a bite to eat from breakfast. “What’s so funny, Dad?” Seth asked.
“Your grandparents. Grampa has just turned off his phone so that he and Gramma can have some peace and quiet for the night. They had Abby with them while Gramma went to the doctor.”
“Oh Lord”, Jeremiah said when he and his family came in from their little house in the back. “That couldn’t have one well.”
“Went better than we might think. Dad only had to yell at Abby about complaining of boredom once.”
“Good news that. When I talked to Dad yesterday, he mentioned Mom was in a lot of pain when they got home. Whatever came of that?”
“Mom had a doctor’s appointment, like I said. Not sure exactly what’s going on besides poor circulation, carpal tunnel and arthritis. Knowing Mom, that’s code for, ‘they’re not sure but they have a theory and once they have answers I might share’. She even joked that between the three she’ll loose complete use of her hand by the time she’s 90.”
Jeremiah laughed. “Yeah, that’s Mom. Any news from Dad?”
“No. He said he’s fine. They were relaxing for an evening at home alone.”
“Any idea what they were doing?”
“It sounded like something they would do. Did either of them threaten to shut off their phones?”
“Mom’s was already off. I tried calling her phone and found out when I automatically got voice mail. Dad, however, said he was going to shut his phone off once we hung up. Knowing Dad, it happened.”
“Oh yeah.” Jeremiah poured himself a cup of coffee after searching the cabinet for his cup. “He wants to have a quiet night with Mom because they’ve been here for two months with us and the grandkids. So, do you know what happened while they had Abby for Mom’s appointment?”
“She complained once about being bored and Dad put a stop to it fast. Mom shouldn’t have had to listen to it- obviously, she was there for an appointment- and Dad wasn’t about to put up with it.”
“How did they come about watching Abby when Mom had an appointment?”
“I’ll bet you anything”, Delilah said as she came into the kitchen after getting ready for her day at the clinic, “that Jessi just popped up and told them that she needed a baby- sitter because she had no one else. Then Mom or Dad tore her head off so because she needs to learn better planning and these last minute meetings that she always seems to have are getting old.”
Jake nodded, setting his wife a plate on the table as she made herself a cup of coffee for the morning. “That actually makes a lot of sense. It’s scary how well you know my family sometimes, love.”
“I’m bound to have learned a few things over twenty plus years, dear”, she said with a sarcastic grin.
Jake chuckled. “Smart ass.”
“Thank you. One of the things I’ve picked up being married to you.” She kissed him before sitting at the table to eat breakfast real quick.
Jake shook his head. “Anyway”, he said to Jeremiah, “Delilah is correct. As Mom and Dad were leaving for Mom’s appointment Jessi knocked on the door and told them that she needed an emergency babysitter and Jessi nearly got her head taken off. Not sure by which parent, but it happened.”
Jeremiah repressed a laugh and shook his head. “I can’t believe that shit. Jessi should know better. When Mom and Dad were travelling all the time she didn’t have them there when she needed an emergency babysitter. We don’t have them here anymore when we need emergency sitters. What the hell makes her so special that she can just spring Abby on Mom and Dad? Nothing other than the fact that she’s closer.”
“Well, she was gotten ahold of by one of them.” Jake sighed. “I just wonder what’s going on with Mom that she scheduled a doctor’s appointment.”
“If she wants us to know, Jake, she’ll tell us. Anyway, we’re all supposed to be working on letting them go so that when it’s their time it’s not so hard.”
Jake sighed. “I know. I’m trying. It’s difficult. I’ll get there though.”
“Hopefully, it will be before they actually go Jake. If will only make it that much harder if they go before you’ve accepted it. ‘It is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life; 'tis rather an embryo state, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he be dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals?’.”
“Who said that?”
“Benjamin Franklin.”
“Can’t say the man wasn’t profound, that’s for sure.”
---------------
Jeremiah sat in his class room and waited for his philosophy students to come on for their class. He was grading papers at his desk as he waited. He thought about what he said to his brother before everyone went their separate ways. I think I’ll open the class with that this morning, he thought. That might set the perfect tone for the topic of discussion today. We are, after all, discussing loss.
A few at a time, his students filled the classroom. He looked out at them and sipped the chai he had in his travel mug and looked back down at his papers. Once most everyone was in the room, he shot a look to the person that was sitting closest to the door and they jumped to close it. That meant that if you weren’t in the room, you were shit out of luck. He’d started lecture and he wasn’t about to repeat anything for you. If you had questions and you weren’t there- ask a classmate.
He stood and went out into the main part of the classroom. “Good morning everyone”, he said.
“Good morning Professor D”, the class said.
He chuckled. “You are the first class to call me that.”
One of the guys at the back of the class raised his hand and spoke. “Would you rather we call you Dr. D?”
“Dear God, please don’t. THAT ladies and gentlemen is my older brother. How many of you have heard of Dr. J Micah Draiman, the neurologist?” A lot of hands went up. “That’s my big brother”, he laughed. “He’s been Dr. D since he worked for the VA at the beginning of his medical career. If you have to call me Professor D that’s fine, but I would prefer Professor Draiman. It’s just a little more respectful and I am you teacher.”
They all groaned. “We thought you were going to be the cool one!”
“You can call me Professor D. It’s doesn’t really bother me, I just prefer that you call me Professor Draiman. I busted my ass for the title of Professor and for Doctor. I have my Doctorate in Theology. Now, if we’re done discussing being casual with me vs. being respectful, how many of you did your reading for today?” Books started coming out of book bags and he laughed. “Yeah, that’s that I thought. Now, quote of the day. Tell me who said it. ‘It is the will of God and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life; 'tis rather an embryo state, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he be dead: Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals?’.”
And with that he started class. They discussed what he’d had planned, discussing the quote itself and the stigma that death had on society. There were some that feared it, some that embraced it. Either way, they all understood it was inevitable. “Now, as Philosophers, it’s our duty to ask the hard questions.” One of his students raised a hand. “Yes?”
“Professor Draiman, may I ask YOU a personal question?” the young woman asked.
“Go on.”
“Why is this such a difficult topic for you to discuss right now? I’ve had friends take your class before and this is never a difficult topic for you?”
“How can you tell it’s difficult?”
“I can hear the quaking in your voice as you speak.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. I just gave our quote of the day to my brother this morning in regards to our parents, who are elderly and not much longer for this world we fear. Right now, the topic is a little raw because all of my siblings, as well as myself, are working on coming to that acceptance where we can indeed celebrate that two more children have been born amongst the immortals. Any other questions?” Silence. “Then I would like everyone to open their books to the chapter we’re on. I believe we’re in Chapter 5.” They opened their books with groans as he found the chapter on one of his Android pads and turned to his lecture notes on the other. He had to refer to his notes so that he didn’t lose track or go off on a tangent like he was known to do. In his tenure at the college, he’d been known for getting off track occasionally in his lectures. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Not on this topic- which he could talk about for hours on end. He had to make sure that he hit the points that he needed to hit in the lecture over the next couple of days so that he could test them on what they’d learned so far.
They were a great class and had lots of questions. Jeremiah loved it. He could tell that this class was going to be the best class he’d had yet.
---------------
Jordan and Malachai sat in Jordan's home studio and listened to the tribute album that different bands had been helping put together for the band that their father had been in. There were several times when she wanted to scream because there were simple technical things that were wrong. Then they listened to Wrought Iron's version of the song their father had written for their mother. Jordan's eyes widened in horror as the song started. She looked over at her older brother. "I'm gonna kill him", she said. "I told the little bastard not to do Mom's song."
Malachai shook his head "It sounds horrible. There's so much wrong with it. They're not re-recording it. I won't allow it."
Jordan turned off the recording and called Ryan, the vocalist for the band Wrought Iron. She had the phone on speaker so that Malachai could chew his ass as well. "Ryan, have you heard the finished product of that
song you did for the Disturbed tribute album?" she asked.
"No", he said cautiously. What's wrong with it?"
"Every fucking thing", Malachai cursed. "We told you to leave that song alone because it was a song that was unique to our father's voice. We told you that it was specifically written for our mother. Did you listen? No. And we' e been telling you thus since we signed your guys to Unholy Deliverance."
Ryan scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure it doesn't sound that bad. We tweaked it a little so that it sounded like Wrought Iron."
"IT'S NOT A WROUGHT IRON ALBUM, YOU DOLT! IT'S A DISTURBED TRIBUTE RECORD!" Jordan shrieked.
"Can I hear it?"
Malachai started playing the recording for Ryan to hear. "Can you hear how out of tune the guitar is?" Malachai asked over the music.
"I don't see the big deal. It doesn't sound bad."
"You're going to force us to play it for our parents, aren't you?"
"I defy you to play it for your parents and let them say that it sounds bad."
Jordan looked at the phone, giving Ryan a go to hell look that she wished that he could see. "If we play this atrocity for David and Brie Draiman and by some miracle they like it, we will both apologize to you wholeheartedly. Won't we, Malachai?"
"Of course. But, if they dislike it, it gets cut and you will come to our brother's house so that they can rip your head off", Malachai said. "Am I clear?"
"Crystal. Get ready to apologize because there is no way that your parents won't love what we did with that song," was Ryan's reply.
"For your sake, you had better hope so."
Jordan hung up and shook her head. "That kid doesn't seem to realize just how much shit he's in when Mom and Dad hear that song sound like shit. Do you think there's any way we can convince Mom and Dad to come back before March so that we can play for them?"
"No. There may be another way about it though. I think James is going to see if Dad wants to come watch the Super Bowl with all of us. Our Bears are on their way to the big game. Dad may want to come home and watch the game if there is a chance of the Bears winning the Super Bowl." Malachai shrugged.
"Well, we'll just have to hope that the Bears don't disappoint and take their asses all the way to the championship." She laughed. "But I wouldn't play this travesty for Mom and Dad during the Super Bowl.
That's just sacrilege."
He laughed. "No kidding. The last thing we want is Dad fuming during the game. That would be disastrous."
"So, are you going to talk to James to see if he's going to call Dad?"
"I can tonight. I know he's telling everyone in the area that he wants to Super Bowl suggestion to come from him. Football was always Jay's thing anyway.” Malachai shrugged.
"So, James suggests it and more than likely Dad will make the trip out to watch the biggest football game of the year. Mom and Dad will leave a few days before the end of the month so that that they can be here a week before the game. Do we play the song for them before or after the game?"
"Play it by ear, sis. That's all I can say. Maybe one of us should volunteer to be the one to pick up them up
and we can play it for them then."
"Isn't it Jake or Jeremiah that hands out that assignment?"
"Yeah. Jake always loves volunteers."
"You wanna flip a coin for it?"
Malachai laughed. "Sure", he said and pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it in the air."
"Tails."
The quarter flipped several times through the air before landing in Malachai's hand. He slapped the quarter onto the back of his opposite hand. It was tails. "Alrighty then, I'll talk to Jake about it."
"If you don't want to..."
"Nah, you picked them up when Levi and Ira graduated high school. I haven't picked them up in a couple of years. When Levi was in hospital because of his appendix."
"That was a scary time. My boy was sick and there was nothing I could do but trust in Jake's friend. Jazz was
worried about her big brother, Reece and I weren't leaving that hospital. I thank God every day for Ronnie. he was the only thing that kept me sane that entire time he was in the hospital and they had no idea what was wrong with him. If not for her and the family, I would have lost what's left of my sanity."
"What is family for, Jordan?"
---------------
Malachai walked into the house and heard the football game on TV. "What the hell?" he asked as he walked into the living room. James was sitting on the couch watching the most recent Bears game on the DV-R. "Hey bro. Watching the playoff game while my kids are in their lessons with their tutor so that I can see if Dad will come watch the Bowl with us or not. Wanna finish it with me?"
"Who's playing and what's the score?"
"Bears and Rams for the conference title and Bears are up by two and a field goal at the bottom of the 1st half."
“Ooh and we’ve got a really good team this year. Let’s see how the Rams do against our defense.”
“So far, they can’t get through us.”
Malachai sat down on the couch and watched the game with his younger brother. “So why did you DV-R the game?”
“Remember? Sunday was date night for me and Kenna. I have to keep the wifey happy so that I get nookie. I’m a pretty good dog but if you don’t pet me it’s hard to stay under the porch. Thankfully, I’ve never cheated on my wife because she pets this dog often and very, very well.” He tossed a piece of popcorn in his mouth.
“Are you saying that if she stopped screwing you that you wouldn’t be able to stay faithful?”
“No. I’m saying that it would be hard to stay faithful, but I’d do everything I could. I’m lucky that Kenna is as outspoken as she is and she tells me exactly what keeps her happy. If it’s a new car for her to take to her appointments, she gets it. If she needs supplies, I’m on it. I will do whatever it takes to make her happy and in return I am handsomely rewarded.”
Malachai reached into the popcorn bowl that was sitting on the glass coffee table and popped a couple of pieces in his mouth as he watched the game. The Bear’s intercepted the ball and were making a run for it. The cornerback had managed to break away from the other team and was sailing toward the end zone. Both men were on their feet and shouting at the TV. “GO; GO, GO, GO, GET YOUR ASS IN THAT END ZONE!” He went sailing in for the touchdown and the both went crazy! When the ball sailed between the uprights, they shouted for joy. With the extra point, the Bears were ahead by 20 points at the half and they would only have time to widen that gap. When the games went to commercial before the halftime analysis, James fast forwarded it and Malachai continued speaking. “So, you keep her happy and she takes good care of you?”
“That the way it works. I mean, Intoxication is doing really well for itself. Justin and I couldn’t be more proud. So, if I can afford to splurge on my wife and kids, I’m going to. If we couldn’t afford it, then she’d understand.”
Malachai nodded. “Cool. Now why don’t you fast forward past the rest of the game to see who’s going to the Bowl?”
“Oh, I already know. I looked it up. When the time is right, I’ll call and see what Dad thinks about coming out to watch the Super Bowl.”
“I need to talk to Dad when you do.”
“About?”
“Ryan Winters.”
“That kid who’s been wanting to sing Mom’s song for the longest time?”
“Yeah. He fucked it up.”
“Dude, can I hear it?”
“Do you want your ears to bleed?”
No comments:
Post a Comment