Friends' All
by:
Will B
(Copyright
2007 by the Author)
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
From Chapter 7: Sarah and Matt go out to dinner and make new friends; Tom Dixon is smug, and Matt has bittersweet memories..
Chapter 8
August 20th There is still warmth in the setting Sun.
Matt and Gary had passed their driving test and gotten their licenses. Sarah had invited Gary and his parents, Tom and Joan, Pete and Joe, and Al and Steve to dinner to celebrate this momentous occasion in the two teens’ lives. Jake, who had moved into Sarah’s house as a lodger, was there also.
Dinner was over and everyone was sitting on the back porch, enjoying the last rays of the day.
“Matt, what are your plans now that you have a license, but no car?” Al asked.
“I’d like to get a car and get a job. Mom said she might be able to help me finance a car, but I would have to pay for the insurance and upkeep myself,” Matt answered.
”What kind of job do you have in mind?” Steve asked. Both Steve and Al had mischievous looks on their faces.
“I think I’d like to have a job working in the outdoors. Believe it or not, I enjoy yard work,” Matt answered.
“Now, I have a surprise for you,” Al grinned. “I work for a big company and we have nation-wide connections; we also have teams of lawyers to do our legal work. I contacted one of our lawyers in Chicago, and he has accomplished several things. He has informed your step-father that if he ever tries to bother you again, or hinder you in any way, he’ll be arrested and charged with abuse of a minor.”
“Wow!” said Gary, who fortunately had no idea as to just what form that abuse had taken, although Matt had told him about his step-father’s cruelty.
“Secondly,” Al continued, “I had the lawyer look into your parents’ affairs, and it seems that your step-father had hidden what little money your Dad had left for you, and the insurance policy your Mother had taken out that identified you as the sole beneficiary.”
“Good heavens!” said Tom and Joan in amazement. Steve looked at Al and gave him a thumbs up.
“Finally,” Al said, “The lawyer arranged for the house to be sold, and he has sent me the money in an “escrow account,” which will be made over to you as soon as we get to the bank to open an account in your name. I have here a check for $8,500.76, which is the amount that will be placed in your account. I know nothing that will take the place of your parents’ but this is yours.”
Matt stood up, with tears in his eyes, and hugged Al, and then he hugged Steve too. Then he also hugged Sarah who hugged him back.
“Did you know about this, Mom? Is this why you had this great dinner party?” Matt asked Sarah.
“Well, I did have some idea, and Matt. I just want you to know that in the weeks that you’ve with me, I’ve come to . . . to . . . love you as much as if I were your birth mother and you were my birth son.”
Sarah hugged Matt again.
Everyone sat quietly for a few minutes. Matt got up and motioned to Gary to follow him into the back yard where they could be heard talking quietly, then more excitedly, and then laughing. They came back to the porch, and Matt cleared his throat.
“Al you asked me what my plans were. Well, I’ll tell you and everyone here. I am NOT going to buy a car.”
There were gasps of surprise from everyone.
Matt continued, “I am gonna buy a truck, and then I’m going to go into the lawn-cutting, leaf raking, snow shoveling business. I can work outside, after school, make some money, get some exercise, and still have some fun.”
Everyone clapped and said “Great idea,” and “Congratulations.”
“Oh, but wait, there’s more,” Matt went on. “I’m taking on a partner, not hired help, but a partner. Please welcome my partner, fellow lawn mower, leaf raker, and snow shoveler, Mr. . . . GARY DIXON!”
There was more applause. Tom and Joan looked at each other and smiled. Pete and Joe looked at each other and grinned. Al and Steve looked at each other and laughed (in a pleasant way). Sarah and Jake looked at each other and held hands.
Matt and Gary looked at each other, formally shook hands, turned to their listeners and said in unison, “We are the Dufus Duo, your lawn we will mow, and rake your leaves when autumn winds blow, and shovel your walks when down comes the snow!”
Now there were cheers and shouts of laughter, until Tom stood up.
“Boys, I think your plans sound great, but I cannot allow this to happen.”
Gasps of surprise and groans went up.
“No, I cannot allow this unless. . . . UNLESS . . . . Gary comes
in as a full partner, so I am going to invest some money in this venture so that
he can provide TWO riding lawn mowers, and some snow shovels. I am sure that
after the first season he’ll be able to pay me back out of his earnings.
Now there were more cheers and shouts of laughter and applause.
“Thanks, Dad,” Gary said as he hugged his father. “Thank you, Mr. Dixon,” Matt said and went to shake his hand, but Tom stopped him, and instead pulled him into a hug. “So I was wrong was I?” Tom asked Matt and Gary with a smile.
Just then Sarah’s phone rang.
* * * * *
The phone call
Sarah answered the phone.
“This is Adele Pritchett from the Department of Social Services. Is this Mrs. Schultz?”
“Speaking.”
“Mrs. Schultz, I am sorry to call so late, but I had a phone call from my brother, who is Director of Admissions at Sinai Hospital. A patient was admitted, who seems to have been a passenger from a Dutch cruise ship that is docked in the Baltimore harbor. This patient is very sick, and near death. He seems to be calling someone, but we cannot make out what he is saying. I know it is late, but is there any way you could come to Sinai Hospital, or perhaps you have someone who could bring you? Hopefully you will be able to understand what he’s saying. I AM sorry for the imposition.”
“I’ll be happy to come, and I think . . . “ Sarah paused and she turned to Jake who had come in and was standing nearby. “. . . I think I have a friend who is also Dutch who could come with me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Jake heard the last part of the conversation and said, “I’ll take you, Sarah.”
Sarah went outside to her dinner guests and said, “I’ve been asked to go to Sinai Hospital to help a patient who only speaks Dutch. Jake’s going to drive me. Tom, Joan, do you think you could take Matt home with you to spend the night?”
“Of course we can, Sarah,” Tom assured her.
“We’d be happy to,” Joan added.
“Matt, please get some things and go with the Dixons. I don’t know how late it will be when we get home.”
“Sure, Mom.” Matt went inside to throw some clothes in an overnight bag.
Pete and Joe and Al and Steve said good night and left for their homes. Matt came down with his bag, and hugged Sarah. “Good night, Mom. Yes, I’ll be good. Yes, I’ll remember to brush my teeth, and I’ll remember to say please and thank you,” he assured her before she had a chance to say anything else.
“Oh, go along with you, Matt, I know you will.” Sarah gave him a pat on the back, and a peck on the cheek. Matt left with Tom, Joan and Gary, and Sarah locked up the house and went with Jake to his car.
Jake and Sarah drove to Sinai Hospital on Northern Parkway in silence. When they entered the main door, the Director of Admissions met them and took them to a room where the patient was located. A tall man in sea captain’s uniform was in the corridor.
“I am Capt. Willem Alexanderje of the Prinzessin Beatrix. The passenger was traveling on our ship to Baltimore. His papers give his name as Johan Keynes. He was not in good health and stayed mainly in his stateroom. When he became ill, we thought it best to bring him to a hospital since he had a Jewish Prayer Book, the Dutch Consul suggested that he be brought here. We have brought all his luggage because we felt sure he would not be able to return to the ship.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Sarah said. “I am sure his family will appreciate all you have done for him.”
“Mrs. Schultz,” the Director of Admissions said, “I should warn you that the patient is delirious and appears to be very near death.”
“I understand, Sir. My husband was a doctor, and I am not afraid of death.”
Sarah went to the door, but Jake turned to the Director and made a whispered request. The Director nodded and went down the corridor walking very rapidly.
Sarah went into the room, and saw a slender figure in the bed, a man in his forties. As she drew nearer, she heard him say “Ess zat you, meine bubbalah? I vant to see meine Sadie-Sis.”
Sarah took a deep breath and approached the bed, “I am here, Hans. Your Sadie Sis is here!” She stood at his bedside clasping his hand.
The delirium seemed to dissipate and the man looked at her and said, :”Danke Gott, I haf found you. I vanted to see you von more time before I died.”
“Hans, my dear Brother, I thought you were dead. I thought you had been taken to a concentration camp. How did you escape? How have you been living?”
“Liessen, meine dear. I haf wreeten a Djournal; eet ees een meine luggage. I wrote eet for you, and aafter. . . . aafter ve say our gute-byes you can read eet. Meine vill is there also, and I haf left you vat money I haf. For now, let me zgust luke on your face und danke der Gute Gott zat ve haf bean reunited. Aaaaach! I yam so tired.”
(A few minutes go by).
“I love you, Hans,” Sarah said.
“And I luff. . . .” Hans’ eyes closed for the last time, and his hand relaxed.
Jake went to the door opened it, and nodded to the Director, who came in with eight other men, all wearing the Jewish prayer caps and shawls. Jake helped Sarah to a seat, held her hand for a minute, and then put on his own prayer caps and shawls.
Jake began to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish, or Mourner’s Prayer.
“Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the
world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom
in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House
of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen. May His great name be blessed
forever and to all eternity.”
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and
lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and
hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say,
Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life,
for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
When the Prayer was over Jake thanked the Director and the other men who nodded. As they left the room, they murmured some words of condolence to Sarah.
The Director asked Sarah if she had given any thought to Hans’ burial, or would she like him to contact the funeral home? Sarah thanked him and said she would appreciate anything he could do to help. She retrieved Hans’ luggage, and now she just felt she had to get home.
“Jake, I thank you so much for arranging to have the necessary ten men here so the Kaddish could be said properly.”
* * * * *
Sarah nearly falls.
The parking lot of the hospital was not very well lit, and there were some rough places in the pavement.
Sarah and Jake walked quietly to his car. Sarah put one hand through Jake’s arm and carried Hans’ Journal in the other. Jake was carrying Hans’ luggage.
Suddenly she tripped and almost fell. Jake dropped the luggage and caught her, and as he held her, she turned to face him and found she could not, did not want to, move out of his encircling arm.
They looked at each other, and Jake felt the strongest urge to bend his face down and . . . and . . .kiss her. Sarah felt the strongest urge to lift her face up to his and close her eyes.
“Sarah, this has been a stressful night, and there are things I want to say to you, but perhaps not tonight,” Jake said.
“Yes,” Sarah said, “We will talk in the morning. . . . but Jake, I do not want to be alone tonight. I want to fall asleep with you holding me in my arms. Could you, would you do this?”
“My dearest, I would hold you in my arms as we fell asleep every night for the rest of my life. Could YOU, would YOU do that?”
For two people who weren’t going to talk until the morning, they had surely said a lot.
* * * * *
Gary and Matt begin to realize some things about their partnership.
Gary opened the door to the Dixon’s guest room. “Will you be comfortable here, Matt? I’m right across the hall and the bathroom is right next door.
“This is great. I think I’ll sleep like a log,” Matt assured him. Matt paused and then said “Gary, I am really looking forward to working with you as my partner!”
And I hope we will be partners in more than business, Gary thought to himself.
“Well, Matt, do you have everything you need?” Gary asked.
“I do, thanks,” Matt answered, and thought to himself, I have everything I need except for you, Gary.
“OK,” Gary said. “Sleep as long as you like. Dad leaves for work at 7:30, and Mom is going out for the day, so when you get up, I’ll fix us breakfast.”
Just the two of us in the house. I wish we. . . ., Gary thought to himself.
Just the two of us in the house. I wish we could . . . I would really like . . . Matt thought to himself.
“Well, g’night, partner,” Gary said.
“’Night yourself,” Matt answered.
The two boys went to their rooms, shut their doors, got into their beds, and thought about what the future might hold for them.
* * * * *
Tom and Joan indulge in pillow talk
Tom and Joan were also getting ready for bed. Tom was just wearing his pajama bottoms, and Joan was just wearing his pajama tops.
“Joan,” Tom said, “I have a feeling that we are never going tio have grandchildren from Gary.”
“How long have you known, Tom?” Joan asked.
“It’s just a feeling that’s been growing in me for some time.”
“Do you mind, dear?” Joan asked.
“A little, but you know, Matt seems like a fine young man. I don’t think he and Gary will come to any harm if they are . . . if they are with each other.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, dear. I’ve suspected for some time. But, there are some things that parents can’t do, and one of them is live their children’s lives for them. Now hold me in your arms.”
“I love you, Joan.”
“I love you…. Tom? What are you doing? What . . . ? Don’t. . . . Oh, no. don’t stop. Don’t stop. . . . mmmmfff! Mmmmffff! Aaaaaahhhhh!”
To be continued...
Feedback always
welcome:
As usual thanks to DD and E for their excellent
suggestions (and proofreading).
Author’s Note: I tried to insert the Hebrew words of the Kaddish, but I could not do it. It is inserted here with all due reverence and respect.
In addition to my two editors, I want to thank the “anonymous” friend who helped with the scene in the hospital. Hugs to you, friend. You know who you are.
Posted: 08/31/07