Gregory Patrick

05/22/2022

Jaiden – Chapter 168

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Greg Patrick

"Here we are - home at last!"

 

"Jaiden, let's go inside and hope there is toilet paper in the bathrooms, `cause one of these kids needs to go – like last year!" "What do you mean, Charly?" "Take a big whiff, Jaiden, and you'll see." "Holy cow! Who did that?" "It was two of the children, Nathan Robert and Charles Logan."

 

Nathan Robert, did you and Charles Logan fart?" "Uh-huh." "Son, that stinks; don't do that again in the van, OK." "OK, Daddy, but I need to go potty." "Come on, let's go in the house, and you can run to your bathroom. Boys, you can go with your brother to potty; don't forget to flush when you get through, and then Daddy Peyton and I will come to help you get clean."

 

"Dale, please see if there are any cotton balls and mentholated salve in the van's glove box." "Already got it, Jaiden; no need to suffer when we don't have to."

 

"Amen to that. I think we will lay off dried butter beans and black-eyed peas for a while; that stench was horrible."

 

"Jaiden, it isn't the children's fault; we forgot to give them Beano before they ate their veggies." "Are you sure, Peyton?" "Positive, babe; it's packed in the luggage, and I looked in the glove box, and there isn't any in there." "As soon as the furniture arrives, I am going to Walmart and buy ten bottles of the stuff and put it everywhere. Those boys stink, and I'm sure their tummies don't feel too well with all that gas." "I'm sure you're right about that, Jaiden."

 

"OK, the children have pottied, and they're hungry, so let's go to the Hilton and meet up with everybody there. Then we can go get some supper at the Wharf Seafood House." "Daddy, can we get some skimp an' fis?" Mark Anthony, you have been so good on the ride home that you can try some new seafood, too; maybe some fried oysters and clams."

 

"What are oysters, Daddy?" "They're little types of seafood that live in hard shells in the ocean; they're really good cooked like French fries." "We try those, Daddy?" "Yes, Elijah James, we can try those too."

 

They got to the Hilton on the Bay and met up with Ginny, Granny, their husbands, and Mom Riley, Richard, Sally, and their babies. When they got to the seafood restaurant, they got the children situated in their high chairs and then got one of everything on the seafood cart for the children to try.

 

One thing was evident off the bat: the children love fried oysters, and the fried clam strips were inhaled. So, the dads let the children have the fried shrimp whole this time, and they let them try boiled and peeled shrimp for the first time."

 

"Dang, Jaiden, is there anything these children won't eat?"

 

"Charley, what was the one thing Charles Logan, Nathan Robert, and Elijah James spit on us at B. B. King's in Memphis?" "Oh, yea, chitlins. Even the dog sitting outside the restaurant wouldn't eat them."

 

"Can you blame him, "Charley?" "NOPE! The only way to cook those things is to sling them in the air, flush `em with a hose, and then boil the shit out of `em." "True, and even then, they still taste like crap – and smell like it too!"

 

"I guess you have to cultivate a taste for chitlins like you do with beer." "Charley, that's another thing I don't understand how anyone can drink. How can anybody drink anything that looks, foams, and smells like horse pee?" "Agreed, Jaiden; I never did like the taste of beer."

 

Well, Ginny, Granny, let's ride by your houses and see if your furniture has arrived." Everybody took off to Ginny's and Granny's houses, with the guys knowing their furniture would never come where they expected it. Sure enough, when they got to the places, there was no furniture.

 

Next, they said they were riding back to Jaiden's and Peyton's, but the guys took an unexpected turn in their neighborhood and stopped at three new houses. They got out of the cars and went into the first house, and Ginny and Grampy were surprised to see their furniture in the new home.

 

"Jaiden, why is my furniture in this house?" Jaiden took a set of keys out of his pocket, handed them to Ginny, and said, "Ginny, you and Gampy have taken care of me all my life, and now you are helping take care of my children; I thought it was time Peyton, Charley, Dale, and I did something to help take care of you and Gampy. Welcome to your new home!"

 

Ginny and Gampy sat on their couch and cried; they couldn't believe Jaiden had done something so nice for them, and Ginny couldn't believe how strong her urge was to whip Jaiden and Peyton for doing it. "Well, don't just sit there; look around and see everything; I hope you like it; we had two people from your church here in Erie help arrange everything." "Who are they, Jaiden?" "You'll find out shortly, Ginny."

 

They toured the house and noticed that it had four bedrooms. One of them is a large ensuite master bedroom, three other very nicely sized bedrooms, and two additional bathrooms. When they got to the kitchen, Ginny had a fit. In the kitchen was every conceivable appliance Ginny could think of to make her life incredibly more effortless than it had ever been.

 

They left their cars in the home's driveway and started to walk a couple of houses down the street. The guys started up the driveway, and Ginny and Granny asked if Jaiden thought it was proper to visit someone without calling first. "Ginny, Granny, I don't think they will mind; they're wonderful people."

 

They walked into the garage, and Dale and Charley proceeded to walk into the home without knocking or ringing the doorbell and waiting on someone to greet them. That drew a harsh rebuke from Granny and Ginny, after which Dale turned and said, "Aw, it's OK, come on in."

 

They walked into a gorgeous kitchen like the one in Ginny's and Gampy's new home. When they walked into the den, Granny put her hand to her mouth as tears began streaming down her face; she noticed her and the Reverend's furniture in the house. Like Ginny's, this house had four bedrooms.

 

The main bedroom was ensuite, a den, a living room, and a deck in the large backyard where Granny, the Reverend, and their friends could enjoy being together. The surprise came when Granny opened the door to the bathroom in the main suite. As she did, her son and daughter-in-law were standing there.

 

Jaiden said, "Ginny, Granny, meet your church members who helped get everything decorated in your and Granny's new home. Granny looked at her son and asked, "You knew about this the whole time, and you didn't tell me?"

 

"Momma, if I told you and daddy, it wouldn't have been a surprise, and I would have broken a promise to the guys.

 

After viewing Ginny's and Granny's new homes, Mom Riley said, let's walk down the street and look at that new home on the right; Jim and I might like to buy that house. I really don't want to live on another farm if we ever move from the one in Orange Beach.

 

They got to the house and noticed that although it was new, someone was in the process of moving in. So, Peyton said, "Mom, let's look at it anyway. Nobody's here, so if the doors are unlocked, we can look inside and see what the house looks like."

 

Peyton's suggestion was not one that Granny and Ginny liked at all. Granny said, "Peyton, we can't just walk into someone's home and look around."

 

"Normally, I wouldn't do that, Granny, but I really want to see the inside of this house." So, everybody walked onto the deck in the back of the house, and Peyton proceeded through the back door as if he owned the place.

 

"Guys, this house is gorgeous! Richard, look at this den and how it's arranged, I love this setup." Richard didn't walk inside as Peyton did, but he did stick his head inside the French doors to see the den. When he saw the den, Richard said, "OH, HELL NO! You didn't, Peyton. Richard saw the furniture that had been in Sally's former apartment in the den.

 

He took Sally by the arm and led her into the house. When she saw the furniture in the den, she started crying, and looking at Jaiden and Peyton, she asked, "Why, Peyton, Jaiden?"

 

Peyton said, "Sally, when you and Richard became a part of the family and got married, we told you that Jaiden and I wanted to buy your first home for you. So, WELCOME HOME to Erie.

 

Sally, Richard, and the rest of the clan walked through the house. Sally's, and Richard's boys would have their own bedroom as soon as they were old enough – if they wanted their own rooms. Sally was amazed at how exquisitely they were decorated. They got to the master bedroom first, and when they opened the door, it was the dream bedroom Sally had always wanted.

 

"Peyton, Jaiden, how did you guys know this was my dream bedroom?"

"Sally, look in the bathroom, and you'll see the answer to your question. When Sally opened to door to the master bath, there stood her mom and dad; they had been in on the secret the whole time. Sally really cried when she saw her parents.

 

They went across the hall, and when they opened the door to that bedroom, it was designed in a way that Sally had dreamed about; she and Richard were in shock. It was the same in the next bedroom, an ensuite bedroom. Richard remarked how beautifully the bedroom had been decorated and furnished.

 

When they opened the bathroom door, Richard broke down and sobbed; Seth and their dad were standing there with grins from ear to ear.

 

Richard grabbed and hugged Seth in a bear hug. When he realized he had not hugged his dad, he turned and did so before asking, "Dad, did you and Seth know about this the whole time it was happening?" "Son, we did, and Seth and I have been incredibly antsy to see your and Sally's reaction when you finally saw the house.

 

"Seth, aren't you supposed to be in school?" "Not for the summer semester, Richard; Dad and I talked about it, and we agreed that some downtime would be good for me."

 

"Well, since you are out of school for the summer semester, can you stay with Sally and me for a while?" "Richard, I can stay if you want me to, and I can help Sally take care of the boys while you are at work. I've even learned how to cook to help Sally and you when I'm here. I also went to parenting classes at the university to learn how to change diapers."

 

"They used real babies with dirty diapers for the changing exercises, so I can change those diapers too." Sally hugged Seth and cried at how considerate and sweet he had been to learn new skills to help her at home; she shed quite a few alligator tears Alabama style - as Seth learned to say.

 

"Peyton handed Sally and Richard the keys to the house and said, "enjoy your new home. It's debt-free, and the cupboards are fully stocked with food. The freezer in the garage is stocked with any kind of meat your heart could desire; of course, we being Jewish, there is no pork among the meats. But, Sally, your mom told us you loved lamb, so we made sure to have plenty of that in the freezer for you."

 

Jaiden said, "Y'all settle into your new homes. Come to the house at seven sharp, and we'll sit on the deck and enjoy some of Dale's peach and strawberry knishes and coffee."

 

At seven sharp, everybody piled into the Riley-Reynolds-Anderson-Leonard home and went to the deck to rest, chat, eat knishes, and drink coffee. But, of course, the children knew they were home and went wild in the backyard on their playthings.

 

It wasn't long before everyone heard Nathan Robert and Charles Logan yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, damn cat!" Jaiden quipped, "I guess old habits are hard to break."

 

Peyton had prepared a pallet in one of the downstairs bedrooms for Richard's sons so he and Sally could stay a little longer instead of going home by 8 to put the boys to bed.

 

"Jaiden, what are you and Peyton going to do tomorrow?"

 

"Richard, we will pray that the boys sleep late so we can. Then we'll have lunch, take all the children to the beach, and let them run to their heart's content. They hadn't been able to do that while we were in Memphis."

 

"If Sally feels like it, maybe we can put the boys in their pram and join y'all. I think Sally might like to take a leisurely stroll on the beach; I know I would. She hasn't been out of the house in over a month, so I'd like to see the smile on her face that she has when she's outside."

 

"Come on, the more, the merrier. Then, we can go to Tony's and see Phil for lunch. I don't think I let him know we were returning to Erie this weekend."

 

"What about temple services tomorrow morning?" "Dang, I'm so tired I didn't even think of that. We'll do everything after we go to the temple. Mrs. Schwartz will enjoy seeing how the children have grown, and they'll love to see her. It'll be fun to reunite with everyone, especially doc. He hasn't seen the children since we left for Memphis, and without him, we wouldn't have the babies."

 

The following day, everyone arose early, had breakfast, and got ready to go to the temple. When they got to the synagogue, they were mobbed by their fellow members who had missed them during their absence. Most welcoming were the widows who thought the guys were handsome – and wished they were younger so they could pursue the young doctors.

 

The Rabbi recognized the four young men during the service and welcomed them home to a standing ovation. Rabbi Kravitz announced that the synagogue would hold a luncheon at the country club to welcome Jaiden, Peyton, Dale, and Charley and their ten children home when the service was concluded.

 

So goes the lunch the guys had planned at Tony's; that would have to happen on Sunday.

 

The luncheon was a grand affair enjoyed by all: prime rib, grilled asparagus, and baked potatoes with every topping one could imagine. Jaiden was in heaven eating his all-time favorite meal, and the children were tasting finely cut prime rib for the first time. By all indications, they were thoroughly enjoying the steak.

 

Dale had mashed some of the baked potatoes and added cheese, sour cream, and butter to the mix. He didn't know if the children would like the potatoes with those ingredients, but he prepared the potatoes for the children to try. The dads were surprised when the children ate every morsel of their potatoes - and their steak. The asparagus was something they hadn't quite yet mastered, but they tried it.

 

The children wanted ice cream for dessert, so Jaiden told them he'd stop and get them ice cream on the way home. No sooner had he said that to the children than the waiters brought out vanilla ice cream and sat it in front of the boys.

 

Alaina Noelle appeared sad because she didn't get any ice cream when her brothers did; however, she grinned widely when the waiter sat a big bowl of strawberry ice cream in front of her, her all-time favorite.

 

"I have no idea what we are having for dinner, Richard. Seth said he was making dinner, and whatever it is, smells so good it's driving me crazy." "Do you want me to go see what he's cooking?" "Sure, but when you get within five feet of the kitchen, he'll tell you to stay out, that what we are having for supper is a secret until he sets it on the table."

 

Richard tried to see what they would have for dinner, but Seth wouldn't let him in the kitchen. Finally, about thirty minutes later, Seth told Richard and Sally dinner was ready.

 

Sally sat down at the dining room table and was amazed at what Seth sat before her and Richard. "Seth, this looks delicious; how did you learn to prepare food like this?" I took some home econ classes at the university to learn how to cook. I researched what foods made breastfeeding mothers' milk taste more delicious to their babies. These dishes are what I found in the recipes that I thought would go well together."

 

Richard said, "little bro, the food smells amazing, and I'm sure it will taste the same." "I hope so, Richard; I did my best." "No doubt, Seth; let's thank Hashem for the food and the person who prepared it."

 

When the food had been blessed, Seth served Sally and then Richard. Sally first tried a weird-looking concoction of a leafy green vegetable with potatoes in a creamy white sauce. She closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and savored the dish. "Seth, this is delicious; tell me what it is."

 

"Sally, it is fresh spinach with baby Yukon gold potatoes. It has mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, chilies, and ginger sauteed in hot oil. Once you get the seeds sauteed, add the potatoes, turmeric powder, and a little salt."

 

"While all of that steams, make a paste out of a half-cup of poppy seeds and fold it and the spinach in with the potatoes and slow-cook it until the spinach is cooked. The bread to eat with it is buttery Indian roti that I made from scratch."

 

"The tea has ruptured cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, and a little milk. The other vegetable dish is Vegetable Dahlia, with carrots, cauliflower, and a slight touch of capsicum pepper. It also has cumin seeds, chopped onion, and chili powder."

 

"What is in the chicken, Seth?" "Promise you won't go `Ewwww' if I tell you?" Richard promised. I made the chicken with licorice and ginger with a bit of lemon juice. You brown the chicken on both sides and put minced veggies, ginger, and mushrooms under the chicken. Everything goes in a Dutch oven heated in a five-hundred-degree oven to melt butter with oil after putting carrots and a little white wine on top. Don't worry about the wine; the alcohol cooks off in the oven. Once everything is in the Dutch oven, you cook it on the stove over high heat. I thought it might burn cooking it on high heat, but it didn't."

 

Sally looked at Seth and said, "Seth, this food is fantastic, and I would never have thought of making tea like this. But, you said the dishes are supposed to make my milk better for the babies; how is that?"

 

"Sally, the vegetable dishes and the roti are supposed to improve the heartiness of the milk and make it savorier, and the chicken dish adds light flavors of licorice and ginger to the milk that the babies are supposed to like. The caveat of the ginger is that if the babies have had an upset tummy, the ginger helps to relieve the upset stomach."

 

"That is interesting and something I will have to read up on. How long is it supposed to take before these tastes are in the breast milk?" "Sally, the Danish study said about eight hours and that it would be in the milk for the same amount of time the next day. I hope it does what it is supposed to do for the babies." Richard said, "Seth, I'm sure it will, but we will know for sure tomorrow by the babies' reactions when they feed."

 

The following day, Richard sat in the den with Sally as she fed the boys. Both noticed that the babies seemed more relaxed as they suckled on their mother's breasts, and after feeding, they slept more soundly and were satisfied longer.

 

"Seth." "Yes, Richard." "The experiment worked wonderfully. The babies were more relaxed as they had their meals, and they slept more soundly and were satisfied longer between feeding times.

 

Seth's mom called to check on Sally and make sure Seth was not getting in Sally's and Richard's way. Sally told her mother-in-law about the meal Seth cooked the night before and what Seth said it was supposed to do and what it did. Mom Riley was proud to hear Seth was helping around the house, and she was amazed that he would research and cook the meal as he did the night before."

 

"Richard told his mother that not only did Seth help straighten up the house and cook lunch and supper, but he also changed diapers all day, so Sally could rest. Mom Riley was so proud of Seth and could hardly wait to tell his dad what he had done.

 

Jaiden, Peyton, Dale, and Charley were out taking a walk with their children when they stopped by Richard's and Sally's home. Food was left from the night before, so Richard warmed some of it for the guys to try. When Peyton and Dale tasted what Seth had prepared, they looked at Richard and said, "Seth cooked this!" Richard said he did, and the guys raved over how delicious the food was.

 

"Peyton, I told Mom what Seth cooked; you can tell her you tried the food and what you thought about it." "Richard, believe me, I will talk to Mom and tell her about this food. This stuff is incredible. By the way, where is Seth?" "He went to the store to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. As good as the food was last night, I can hardly wait to taste what he wants to prepare tonight."

 

"Talking about Seth, he is pulling in the driveway now."

 

"Richard, I got the vegetables for tonight. I get started on dinner shortly." "Seth, we have company in the den; why don't you come and say hello?"

 

Seth walked into the den, saw the guys, and noticed the children playing in the backyard. "Hi, guys, what's up?"

 

Peyton said, "Well, for one, we tried some of what you prepared last night, and it was amazing. Where and when did you learn to cook like that?" "I took some classes in what little free time I had at school so I could help Sally and Richard when I came to visit." "Little bro, the food was incredible; I am so proud of you." "Thanks, I tried hard to make it good." "Rest assured, Seth, it was."

 

"Seth, we're planning on taking the children to the beach tomorrow around lunch; would you like to go?" "Sure, as long as Richard will cook lunch for Sally." Sally heard Seth and said she could prepare lunch, and Seth told her he wanted Richard to do it since she was spending her time taking care of the babies. Richard told Sally he reckoned she knew who was on her side, and they both laughed. "Seth, go to the beach; I promise I'll fix lunch for Sally." "OK, Richard, but it better be good!" Everybody laughed at Seth's comment, but they knew he meant what he said; it better be good.

 

When the guys got back to their house with their children, they told Ginny and Granny what Seth had cooked the night before and how delicious it was. They also told the ladies how protective Seth was of Sally. Ginny said, "Peyton, when I met both of those young men, I told you they were special, and I meant it; they are special!" "Ginny, they truly are."

 

Peyton's phone rang, and he noticed it was his mom calling. "Hi, Mom, how are you and Dad? "We're doing well, son; how are you and your family." "We're doing well. We are taking the babies and Seth to the beach tomorrow. We stopped by Richard's while we took a walk with the children, and Richard warmed some food Seth had cooked the night before. Mom, it was amazing. I didn't know he could cook like that. He said he took some classes at the university. Next time he is home, let him cook for you and Dad; he will blow your mind."

 

"Richard and Sally told me what he cooked and said it was delicious. If you think it was delicious, it had to be." "Believe me, Mom, it was. He has helped keep the house clean, changed diapers, and washed clothes and dishes. I am so proud of him I could shout." "Peyton, I feel the same, and when I tell your dad how well Seth has been doing in Erie, he will be as proud of Seth as we are."

 

Jaiden was listening to Peyton's conversation with his mom. Finally, he said, "Peyton, we need to thank Hashem for putting Seth and Richard in our lives when he got off the telephone. He knew what He was doing when he sent those guys to us that night after Seth had gotten hurt." "I believe that with all my heart, Jaiden. They have made the lives of everyone in my family so much richer. Even Jenny changed some after meeting them. She is much gentler in her ways than she used to be, and so are her boys. I have seen that, and Ron loves it."

 

"Peyton, have you ever seen the movie Mariposas Verdes?"

 

"No, Jaiden, I haven't; what is it about?" "It's a movie about a case that caused the country of Columbia to make all Columbian schools change their rules and regulations to become more accepting and inclusive of alternative lifestyles." "How so, Jaiden?' "I'm not going to tell you that. Will you watch the movie with me tonight after the boys go to bed?" "Sure. From the look on your face and the inflection in your voice, it's something that apparently touched you in a major way." "It did. I cried when I saw the movie. It was based on a true story that, when I read about it, broke my heart, and helped me to realize how fortunate you and I are to have the parents we were blessed with."

 

After the children went to bed, Peyton, Dale, Charley, and Jaiden sat on the couch together and watched the movie. The movie proved to be the story of their lives and the pains with which they grew up. Dale and Charley, in particular, experienced the same physical and mental pains as the character Daniel and the emotional hurt experienced by Mateo.

 

As they watched the movie and saw the relationship between Mateo and Daniel unfurl, there was a sense of kinship with the characters. Peyton and Jaiden felt the same love the characters felt but had significantly different experiences from their parents over being gay. Dale and Charley, however, had the same experiences as Daniel.

 

Daniel and Mateo were subjected to many taunts from their classmates, some being horrifically public in front of crowds of fellow students at their elite school. As a result, the boys were outed by fellow students. In addition, the school's headmistress sought to permanently expel them from the school for egregious behavior against the school's code of conduct.

 

The headmistress was the last person who should comment on the boy's personal lives, given that her son had raped a virgin girl in a school bathroom and filmed the rape. He threatened the girl with the video being released to all her classmates if she said anything about the rape. He and his mother would later suffer the consequences of the boy's aberrant and illegal behavior.

 

Daniel was from an upper-crust family in the community, and his dad and mother were called to the headmistress's office to discuss the incident involving him and Mateo. She suggested that if the father filed a sexual harassment suit against Mateo, the school case against Daniel would most likely go away.

 

The father drew up and filed the lawsuit against Mateo, whose mother vowed to fight the suit. As for Daniel, his father brutally beat him for being gay and said being gay was not something he would tolerate.

 

The disruption in the lives and love of Mateo and Daniel was unbearable to them, and the ridicule it led to against Mateo took its toll.

 

Mateo's grandmother, who lived with Mateo and his mother, went to his room to summon him for dinner. When he was not there, she got his mother, who found cards Mateo had written to people who were meaningful in his life, or had some influence - good or bad.

 

Mateo's mother fled the house searching for him, but she didn't find him. A school security guard saw Mateo standing on a high wall and called out to him to try to get Mateo to step down. That is when Mateo, with his outstretched arms, fell forward off the school wall – and ended his life.

 

All four guys were crying at the end of the movie, and Peyton – he was livid and wanted to get his hands on Daniel's father. While the four guys agreed the movie was horrifically sad, they were glad the Columbian government had the forethought to legislate a change in school regulations and require all Columbian schools, public and private, to institute the new policies providing for tolerance and acceptance of alternative lifestyles. Mateo's life will not have been in vain, although his loss to his family will be forever unrelentingly painful.

 

The guys finally knew what had been eating at Jaiden, making him feel ill at ease: the realization that he and the guys were not the only ones to have felt the loneliness and heartache they had while growing up.

 

They could finally rid themselves of the pain they held in their minds, finally release that pain, and move happily forward with their lives. They knew the fight wasn't over, but they were more steadfast than ever in their intent to help those like themselves avoid the pain of being different in a society with cruel intent.

 

Mariposas Verdes – Green Butterflies – would forever hold a particular spot in their hearts whenever and wherever they saw them. They would indeed know Mateo had spread his wings to fly.