Gregory A.
Patrick
Jaiden Chapter 94
12/30/2020
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Greg Patrick
Sunday rolled around and Dale purchased the supplies to make the
knishes. He was at the Temple at 5:30, in
the synagogue's kitchen laying out the ingredients he would use to teach the
ladies of Hadassah his way of making the desserts. As he was doing so, the members of Hadassah
started arriving at the temple and making their way to the kitchen. Fifteen ladies in all had come to the temple
to learn Dale's secret to making his famous knishes.
Dale got the ladies gathered around the prep table and explained
the ingredients he used to make his knishes, and the brands of the ingredients
he liked best. He began with the process
of making the dough for the knishes, and discovered that most of the ladies had
been overworking it, which made their knishes tough. So, he showed the ladies how to mix, knead,
and roll out the dough. He watched
carefully as the ladies began making the dough, and helped a few of the
Hadassah members change their methods of handling it.
Once the dough was rolled out to the proper thickness, the ladies
were shown how to measure the dough for the perfect sized knishes, and then how
to place the ingredients inside the dough, be it beef, chicken, or jam, jelly,
or marmalade.
When Dale completed his instructions to the ladies, they placed
their knishes into a preheated 375-degree oven, and baked them until they were
a light golden color. The knishes were
removed from the oven and allowed to cool a few minutes. Madie, one of the ladies in the group, asked
Dale how he prepared the coffee Mrs. Schaffer told her was the best coffee she
had ever drunk. Luckily, Dale had
thought to bring a bag each of Hawaiian Grog and Monsoonal India Malabar
coffees with him.
He got his burr grinder out, set it on 6, and mixed half a hopper
of each of the coffees together and ground the coffee. Several of the ladies had never seen a burr
grinder, so Dale explained how it worked, how it ground the coffee to produce
the best flavor possible, and told the ladies where they could order one.
When the coffee was made, the knishes had cooled enough to taste
them. The ladies were ecstatic at the
changes and taste in their knishes. Dale
was now a favorite among the ladies of Hadassah in the temple. When he got home, Jaiden asked how the
evening had gone for him. Dale replied
that the evening was a success, and the ladies made the knishes the same way
he did, and they all turned out great,
and tasted delicious. Jaiden said he was
glad the evening went so well, but he told Dale again that he didn't have balls
big enough to interact that way with all those ladies. "Jaiden, that is why I am now their
favorite. I bet if I mentioned I wanted
any kind of Jewish food, they would have it at the house before I got
home." "Dale, Matza Ball Soup is one of
my favorites in the winter time when it's cold as crap outside." "Jade, I will remember that." Jaiden was grinning like a Cheshire cat when
Dale replied to him.
"Have the children had a good time tonight?" "They have, Dale. They acted like they had to potty, so Charley
got them upstairs, and when he took them into the bathroom and turned to get
everything ready, they started laughing like crazy and took off in five
different directions. It was hilarious
to see Charley have to admit the children had pulled a classic Jenny prank on
him." Charley walked into the den and
found Dale laughing so hard tears were rolling from his eyes. "What's so funny, sweetheart?" "Charley, I heard the children had to potty
really badly today. Were you able to get
them to the bathroom in time?" Charley
looked at Jaiden and said, "You didn't."
"Charley, I have to admit: uh,
yes I did." "Damn, Jaiden. Just wait until it happens to you. I have ALL the parents telephone numbers, and
Dr. Brannen lives just around the corner, the Rabbi lives next door, and
there's always Andy." "Charley, you
wouldn't." "Quite the contrary, Jaiden!" "I guess I stepped into that." "Yep, bro, you sure did."
Charley walked to his bedroom and Dale followed him. Charley shut the door, looked at Dale, and
said, "I have no intention of telling anybody anything that happens to Jaiden
with the children, but he doesn't know that, and it will fester in his head
when the kids pull one over on him. He'll
go nuts trying to figure out when I am going to make the telephone calls that
won't happen. He'll wind up telling on
himself before I ever say anything."
"Charley, that is about the most devious thing I have heard of or seen
you do." "Yeah, it is, but I forget
about it and he doesn't." "Dale walked
over to Charley and kissed him passionately and then said, "When you get that
devious look on your face, you are so damned sexy it drives me crazy." "Well, lover, as soon as we get the children
in bed, I'll do something about that."
"Do you promise, Charley?" "You
bet I promise, lover boy. I am going to
send you into total bliss when the children go to sleep."
"Charley, it's going to be at least thirty minutes before I can go
back to the den." "Why is that,
Dale." "Charley, look, it's pretty
obvious." When Charley looked at Dale,
he didn't see a cub scout tent, he saw a tent big enough for an Army platoon. He walked up to Dale from behind and said,
"Sweetie, I can fix that right quick."
Dale leaned his head back on Charley's chest as Charley undid Dale's
belt, unzipped his pants, and dropped them to the floor along with Dale's
briefs. He reached down and grabbed
Dale's flag pole and began gently massaging it.
After about ten minutes, he felt Dale's body stiffen, and felt a
pulsating feeling in his hand as Dale began to empty everything he had inside
of him. Charley caught the flood in his
hand, and walked into the bathroom and washed it down the sink drain.
Then he got a warm washrag and cleaned Dale of any evidence of what had
happened before they went back to the den.
"Dale, sweetheart, do you feel better now?" Dale turned and looked at Charley with glazed
eyes as he kissed him as sensually as he could.
"What do you think, Hubby? When
the children are asleep, you and I are going to go to Mars and back." Charley had the biggest smile on his face
that Dale had seen in a long time. Yep,
they were going to rock each other's world when they were finally able to go to
bed.
When they walked back into the den, Jaiden looked at the two of
them and said, "Guys, you should have just gone to bed and had a good
time. The look you have on your faces
tells me something happened while y'all were in the bedroom. I could have put the children to bed for you." "Now you tell us!" "Yea, it's kinda mean, isn't it? Touché!"
Dale was doubled over he was laughing so hard.
Dale went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee since Peyton
and Richard were due home from the hospital at any time. He fixed a cup of coffee for Jaiden, the way
he likes it, took it into the den, and handed it to him. As he sat down, he looked at Jaiden and said,
"That was good. You got Charley just
right." "Jaiden looked at Dale and said,
"Yea, I did, and it was fun."
When Peyton and Richard walked in the door from the hospital,
Jaiden sat his coffee on the kitchen counter and hugged Peyton like he hadn't
seen him in weeks. Peyton said, "Wow,
sweetheart. What brought this own?" "I guess the little bit of private time
Charley took with Dale earlier turn me on."
"Great, let me get a shower and we can bathe the boys and see if they
will go to bed earlier, and I will do something about that." Jaiden got up, picked up three of his boys
and headed to their shower with Peyton in tow with the other two boys.
When they got to the shower, got the boys undressed, and bathed
them, they put the boy's onesies on them, and put them in their beds. As soon as the boys laid down, they
immediately went to sleep. Peyton took
Jaiden by the hand and led him to their bedroom, and pushed him on the bed,
clothes and all. Peyton laid on the bed
and began making out with Jaiden like a second date rendezvous in the most
private place they could find.
By the time their tryst had ended, Jaiden and Peyton had
intercourse twice, oral sex three times; twice in bed, and once in the
shower. By the time they got to bed,
they were so tired they had a hard time keeping their eyes open, so Jaiden
snuggled as close to Peyton's back as he could without pushing him off the
bed. He threw his arm across Peyton and
pulled him in tight. When they woke up
the next morning, they were snuggled up just like they were when they fell
asleep. The babies were sleeping longer
than usual that morning, so Jaiden and Peyton took advantage of the extra time
they had together. Jaiden rolled over on
his back, and Peyton leaned to his right and rested his head on Jaiden's
shoulder and his body against Jaiden's left side.
Jaiden never took his eyes off Peyton as he ran his fingers through
and planted his nose in his hair. It was
just as they had first met, when Jaiden first smelled the freshness of Peyton's
hair, and enjoyed the soft, supple feel of his skin. It was not hard to recognize when the two
were together that their love had grown in ways others could not possibly
understand, but what people saw was unmistakable.
When Peyton and Jaiden heard their sons stirring around, they got
up, helped them potty, washed them off, and dressed them for the day. Ginny and Granny would be at the house within
the hour, and they wanted to have the boys cleaned, and fed, so Ginny and
Granny could take it easy when they got to the house. Dale cooked cheese grits and puff-scrambled
eggs for their breakfast. Jaiden asked
Dale what made the eggs "puff-scrambled."
He explained to Jaiden that you get the pan barely hot enough to cook
the eggs, pour them into the pan, and then take the pan off the heat until it
no longer cooks the eggs. Then you put
the pan back on the heat until the eggs start cooking, and then repeat the
process until the eggs are sufficiently cooked.
It makes the scrambled eggs super soft, and maintains a flavor you don't
get when you cook the eggs too fast and too hot.
When they put the eggs and cheese grits on the babies' plates and
put the plates on the high chairs, the babies took their spoons and ate
surprisingly slowly until they ate every drop of food they had been given. And like they have been doing for a while,
they didn't make any mess on the highchair trays or drop any food on the floor.
When Granny and Ginny walked into the house through the garage
door, they saw the babies had been fed, and the dining room and kitchen had
been spotlessly cleaned. Ginny looked at
Jaiden and asked, "Did you boys leave Granny and me anything to do?" "Yes, mam.
You can check the bedrooms and the bathrooms and make sure we cleaned
them to your standards. Then you can sit on the couch in the den, and see
if it is still comfortable, and push the on-off button on the television remote
to see if it is still soft to the touch, and makes the television come on
fairly quickly. Then you can push the
channel button until you are sure your favorite shows still come on television
on the same channels, and at the same time as they always have. If the babies want to go outside, you can put
their coats on them, and let them play out back inside the fence . If they are funny, as they usually are, you
can exercise your facial and throat muscles and laugh."
"Jaiden, I don't know what Granny and I are going to do with you
boys!" "You can love us, Ginny, like we
love the two of you. Short of that, we
aren't going to leave any messes so you have to work too hard to clean them
up. It is enough that the two of you
take care of ten children." Ginny knew
the boys did what they did out of love, so she shook her head and smiled.
When the boys got home from school, there were three large bags of
mail sitting in the den. When Dale and
Charley walked in the door after getting home and saw the mail, they said
Jaiden was going to have a fit. And have
a fit he did. He commented that people
were being too nice to Richard, Peyton, and him. When he opened all the cards in the bags, the
money he counted was unreal to him. Dale
looked at Jaiden and asked, "How much?"
Jaiden replied, just shy of $200,000.
"Jaiden, are you kidding us?"
"Nope, Dale, I am not. There is
almost $191,000 in checks and money-orders.
Peyton was napping while Jaiden opened the mail. When he awoke and was getting ready to go do
rounds at the hospital, he and Jaiden went out on the deck and discussed what
they wanted to do with the money. Both
guys thought the same thing: have Dad
Dale put it in Richard's investment account to grow the money so Richard and
Sally could purchase a home like the one they were living in; a nice home, in a
very nice neighborhood, with plenty of room and a large nursery for the
children they wanted.
Peyton saw Richard at the hospital and pulled him aside to talk to
him about what he and Jaiden had decided to do with the money. When Peyton told Richard that they were
having Dad Dale deposit the money into his investment account, Richard was
incredulous at the news. He looked at
Peyton and asked, "Why?" "Richard,
Jaiden and I told you we intended to buy you a house like the one we are living
in once we finish our residencies and internships. The money we are having put in your
investment account is to do just that."
"Peyton, that is too much!"
"Richard, it is not too much.
Considering what you have gone through in the past year with Seth, it is
nowhere near too much, and Jaiden and I think you deserve it for how you have
weathered your trials and tribulations.
You will have 1.2 million dollars invested with this deposit. Jaiden and I have almost five million
invested, so we don't need the money, and don't want it, so we intend to put
whatever we receive in the mail into your investment account at Dad Dale's." Richard threw his hands in the air as tears
started rolling over his cheeks. Peyton
pulled his brother into a tight embrace and held him until he composed himself.
When he and Peyton completed their rounds, he took Sally into the
physician's dictation room and told her what Peyton and Jaiden had done and
why. Salley looked at Richard with red,
swollen, watery eyes. Richard held her
as she asked the same question he had, "Why?"
"Sally, they really want to buy our first home for us, and putting that
money in our investment account goes toward doing that. It is something they really want to do. Peyton told me how much money they have
invested, and it blew my mind. He said
they had all they needed, and they wanted to do something nice for me because
of what Seth and I have gone through this past year. I would argue the fact with him, but he is as
stubborn as Jenny, and arguing with him wouldn't do any good. Sally, the way Seth and I have had to live
all our lives, makes it so hard for me to believe how someone like Peyton and
Jaiden could love Seth and me so much, that they would do all they have done
for us. A new family for Seth and me, so
much love we don't understand, but appreciate more than anyone will ever know;
an environment where Seth will never be hurt again. It is so much for me to try and process in my
mind. Sally, I am having such a hard
time believing how much Seth and I have been blessed by Peyton, and Jaiden, and
their families."
"Richard, I know. I have
seen you struggle with that, but you need to let go and let God! Talk to the Rabbi and see if he can help you
with your feelings. Talk with the
Reverend, he has talked to you about things before, and he helped you
tremendously." "Sally, you are
right. I'll talk to the Rabbi tomorrow
and call the Reverend and talk with him at the church." "Thank you, Richard. It kills me to see you hurting." "Sally, it's hard for me to understand how
someone who was just a friend a year ago, can be my brother now, and love me
the way Peyton does, the way Jenny does, and the way their parents do."
"Richard, it is a blessing because of the person you have been and
are; for how you did what you had to do to protect Seth. I know that Seth's protection is a sore point
with you, but you did what you could, what you had to do, and Hashem has
blessed you for that. The sooner you
realize that, and accept it, the better you are going to feel."
"Sally, you are right like you usually are. I am so blessed by what has happened, and I
am incredibly blessed to have met you and have you in my life." Sally didn't say a word as she leaned into
Richard, lovingly kissed him, and tenderly hugged him.
Tuesday, when Richard got home from school, he called Rabbi Rob
and then met him at the synagogue. They
talked for an hour over the feelings Richard had, and the Rabbi told him
basically the same thing Sally said, except the Rabbi told Richard that when
things became hard for him to handle, speak to Hashem and listen for His
answer.
When Richard left the synagogue, he drove to Ginny's and Granny's
church, and spoke with the Reverend for more than an hour. The Reverend's advice: pray to God and listen for His answer. The Reverend saying that was God's answer
that the Rabbi was right. Richard prayed
in Jewish fashion between the synagogue and the church, and what the Reverend
said was Hashem's answer: Pray unceasingly, especially when things are hard for
you to wrap your head around them.
Richard went home and hugged Peyton and Jaiden like never
before. When they looked into Richard's
eyes, they saw a glow, a gleam that they had never seen. Richard was finally accepting their love, and
the love of Peyton's family and their love for Seth. He finally understands his blessings, and why
he received them. Love had finally
conquered the bad, God has prevailed.
Peyton went out on the deck and stood at the railing while looking
a million miles away. Jaiden gave him a
few minutes before going out, wrapping
his arms around Peyton's waist, and saying, "I love you to Mars and back,
Peyton, and I always will." Peyton
turned, looked at Jaiden with red swollen eyes, and said, "Jaiden, I think
Richard is finally understanding our love, and our family's love for him, and
Seth, and what that does for my heart is beyond words."
"Sweetheart, I understand, and I feel the same way you do. Hopefully, more donations will come in that
we can put in his investment account so that when we complete our residencies
and internships, he will have the money he needs to build Sally and him a nice,
new home they both deserve. You and I own the house his parents had because I
bought the mortgage before it went into foreclosure. We can sell the house if he doesn't want to
keep it, and give him that money toward his house. I think we should at least let him know down
the road, and give him a choice in what he wants to do with the house. I know I don't want Seth to live in that
place and re-live the horrors he experienced there." "Agreed, lover."
"Peyton, this is Seth. Did you
really ask Dad to give me your car during Hanukkah?" "Little brother, I did, and I hope you enjoy
it." "Peyton, thank you so much, that
was really nice of you to do that for me.
Dad is teaching me how to drive on the farm's back roads, and he says I
am doing well in my lessons." "That's
great Seth, it is a really good car in excellent shape, so if you take good
care of it, it will last you a long time.
When you graduate from college, maybe Richard, Jaiden, and I can buy you
a new car for your graduation gift."
"Peyton, y'all don't have to do that, and you know it." "That's true, Seth, but if you earn it, you
are going to get it. Richard earned the
car Jaiden and I bought for him, and we aren't going to treat you any
differently. You are my little brother,
and I love you more than anything in this world, and I want the best for you,
and as long as I can, you will get the best.
Understood?" "Yes, sir, thank
you." "You are welcome buddy. Enjoy the car, and be careful when you start
driving on the streets." "I will
Peyton. I love you." "I love you, too, little brother."
"Jaiden, Seth called me today.
Dad gave him the car like I asked him to do. Seth is so excited, and he was so sweet on
the telephone. I wish I could have been
there to see his face when Dad handed him the keys." No sooner had Peyton said that when he heard
a `ping' on his phone. When he picked up
the phone, it was a text from his Dad, a short video. Peyton hit the button to play the video, and
it was of Seth when his Mom and Dad gave him the car. There was no doubt Seth was happy, and
appreciated the car, but the way he cried, and hugged their Mom, got to
Peyton. He put his hand up to his mouth
and didn't say a word.
When Richard got home, Peyton asked him to sit on the couch so he
could show the video text to him. When
Richard saw the video, and saw how happy and surprised Seth was, a lone tear
rolled from his left eye. It was the
same for Peyton. Richard hugged his
brother, and thanked him profusely for all he had done for Seth, and for loving
the two of them the way he did.
"Richard, I think you are finally realizing that we really do love you,
and we truly are happy that you and Seth are part of our family. The day that happened for our family was the
happiest day we ever had. Mom and Dad
have been so happy, they are like spring chickens strutting around on the
farm. You two have given Mom a new
perspective on life, and a new happiness that is hard to explain. And Jenny, she couldn't be happier. All she talks about is her new brothers and how much she loves you
two." "Jaiden and I feel the same way,
so please, let us love you and share what we have with you. We know we don't have to do that, but it's
what we want to do because of our love for you and Seth." Richard hugged Peyton and gave him the
family's seal: a kiss on the forehead."
Richard had gone downstairs to his room when Jaiden walked up
behind Peyton at the French doors, wrapped his arms around Peyton's waist, and
kissed him on the cheek. Peyton didn't
move or say anything as Jaiden said, "Peyton, the way you talked to Richard was
so loving, and you made me so proud of you."
Peyton reached down, grabbed Jaiden's right hand, and raised it to his
face. He kissed Jaiden's hand and
lovingly held it under his chin. Just as
he did that, he heard, "Da-Da." He
looked down, and all five of their sons were hugging them on their legs. Peyton looked up at Jaiden and said, "I think
we are teaching our sons how to love. I
can't wait to hear them say, I love you."
"That's two of us, sweetheart."
Jaiden and Peyton went to their bedroom and put on a pair of swim
shorts, and took their boys into their bathroom and helped them potty. As the boys finished their business, Jaiden
cut the shower on and got it to the right temperature. When he did, all five boys began playing in
the spray and having the best time.
Their Dads sat back and watched their sons. It amazes them how the boys play together
with out squabbling. They let them play
for a good fifteen minutes before they started bathing them. Once the boys were bathed and dried off, they
stood at the door waiting to go into their bedroom.
When Peyton opened the door, each boy walked to his bed and waited
for their Dad to put them on their beds, put their big-boy underwear on them,
and then put their onesies on. When
Jaiden and Peyton got the boys dressed for bed, they laid down and immediately
went to sleep. Peyton cut the lights off
leaving the night lights on. They sat
holding hands as they watched their sons sneak off into dreamland, and marveled
at the beautiful creations who lay before them.
The wonderment and mystery of it all sat on top of their hearts. There was more love in that room than anybody
could possibly describe.
When Jaiden and Peyton went back into the den and sat on the couch
to relax and watch a television show, Peyton's phone rang. "Hey, sis, to what do I owe this call?" "Pure love, little bro! Peyton, giving your car to Seth was a really
sweet thing for you to do. I talked to
him on the phone a few minutes ago and he was so excited." "I talked to him, too, Jenny, and he sounded
thrilled. He told me how Dad was
teaching him to drive on the farm's back roads the way he taught you and
me." "That's what Seth told me, Peyton. Dad sent me a copy of the video text he made
when he and Mom gave Seth the car, and the way Seth hugged Mom really got to me
and Ron." "It was the same for me and
Jaiden, Jenny."
"Jaiden and I have been receiving gifts of money from the awards
exposure and we put it in Richard's investment account so that he and Sally can
build them a nice, new home when we finish our internships and
residencies. It was hard for Richard to
understand, so I told him he was our brother, and we loved and wanted to do that
for him and Sally. Jaiden and I have a
tremendous amount of money invested, so we want to help Richard and Seth to
understand what real family is, and that we have, and will always have, his and
Seth's backs."
"Peyton, you and Jaiden are the best young men I have ever known
and loved. You have set wonderful
examples for your boys, and my and Ron's boys.
Since we spent the time we did with you and Jaiden in Erie, all my boys
talk about is wanting to be as sweet, and as loving as their uncles. You make me so proud, Peyton. I call you my little bro, and I hate to admit
it, but you are all grown up now, and, well, I sometimes cry when I think about
how you and Jaiden love each other, and how you treat others. I keep telling the boys that if they follow
the examples you and Jaiden have set, they will be blessed the way you
have. They have done some incredibly
kind things for their friends in the synagogue and at school, and they have
been rewarded for their mitzvahs."
"When Ron talks to the boys about the kind things they do for
others, especially for some of their school mates who maligned them for being
Jewish, they always say, "that's what Uncle Peyton and Uncle Jaiden would
do. Peyton, I can't tell you how proud
that makes us of our sons, and how proud they quickly acknowledge they learned
that behavior by watching you and Jaiden."
"When the news of the Oslo events hit the news here, and Rob and I
were recognized by the news crews as being your sister and brother-in-law, the way some of the kids at school treated
the boys, did a complete turn-around.
The kids who used to pick on Nathan, Ben, and Peter Michael are now
asking them about Judaism, and what it means to be Jewish. People are visiting the temple and are being
unbelievably loving to us, and we to them.
Letters we have gotten from guys who were in the skin-head movement are
letters of apology for things they did and said. Peyton, everything people have said about
you, Jaiden, and Richard has been nothing short of heart rending. I would love for you three and the babies to
come up for a visit, to meet the members of the temple, and to get to know many
of the people in the community who have been so kind after the news of your,
Jaiden's and Richard's accomplishments.
Peyton, I am so proud of you three."
"Jenny, we've had a number of donations come in again. Let me talk to Jaiden, Richard, and Sally and
see if we can manage a long weekend."
"Peyton, I hope you can." "Jenny,
I'll call you back by tomorrow."
"Jenny, I talked with Richard and Jaiden, and our problem is that
Jaiden and I work all day, every day, at Dr. Brannen's office, and Richard
works at the hospital every day in the ER.
In the evenings, Jaiden, and I do rounds at the hospital, and work in
the emergency room. We have weekends
off, but flying up one day and flying back the next would be a bit much on the
children and us. We discussed flying out
there in June while Richard and Sally are on their honeymoon." "Peyton, that would be a good time, the
weather will be warm but not too hot, and the mountains will be greening
up. The only thing here is that the
ocean is always cold coming off the north seas from the ice caps." "Jenny, I know this is a mean thought, but I
would love to see the boys hit that cold water and see what they do. We take them to the lake here, and they don't
like the cold water. We can't wait to
see how they do once the water warms up.
It's always cool, though, so they probably won't like it too much. We'll see."
After the boys went to bed, Jaiden walked outside and sat in a
chair on the deck, legs out straight, twiddling his fingers as his hands lay in
his lap. Peyton watched Jaiden through
the doors to the den, and knew something had to be causing him an enormous
amount of grief, and it had to be something Jaiden had taken to heart for him
not to mention it to Peyton. Peyton
walked to Jaiden, put his arms over Jaiden's shoulders, and said, "Hon, I know
something is really bothering you. If
you want to talk about it, I am here to listen if that is what you need, to get
whatever it is off your heart. Peyton's
chin was resting on the top of Jaiden's head as he reached up and softly
stroked Peyton's face. He still didn't
say anything and he didn't look up, so whatever it was, it was causing Jaiden a
lot of mental pain.
Peyton pulled up a chair, sat next to Jaiden, and quietly held his
hand. Nothing was said for the longest
until Jaiden, staring ahead, said, "Peyton, do you remember watching Jamey Pate
playing ball at North Carolina State, and you said he looked like he was in
pain, how he grabbed his leg, and winced as he fell to and got off the
floor? "Yes, why?" "The reason he winced, and grabbed the knot
on his foreleg, was because he had a neoplastic tumor that was diagnosed as a
rare cancer, called Epithelioid Sarcoma, on his shin bone that traveled into
his ankle. They did several surgeries,
huge amounts of radiation, and an
unbelievable amount of chemo, and his smile never left his face. He had unbelievable pain, and never complained
and never quit trying his best at whatever he did. He kept riding his skateboard and he kept
playing ball at the college. Through all
the radiation and chemo, he kept giving it his all and going to school."
There is no telling how many surgeries and rounds of chemo he had,
how many times he was in the hospital.
There were at least 30 rounds of radiation and chemo in all. The pain he was in had to be unbelievably
ghastly. His family was all but
destroyed by their grief when the diagnosis was made. Everyone's heart shattered into a million
pieces. It had to test the family's
faith even though his Dad was a pastor.
I can't begin to understand the pain his parent's felt, and I hope I
never find out by experience. With
everything that young man went through, he never lost the smile on his face,
never."
"I don't understand, and I probably never will, why cancer strikes
children and teens when they haven't even begun to live their lives. It cements my desire to be so dynamic in the
field of oncology, that when I see something like that, that Hashem will give
me the knowledge and ability to rid a child of such cancer."
"Watching Jeremy and Seth endure what they did nearly killed me,
but we were able to get them well.
Medicine didn't get Jamey well, and I don't understand why, and I keep
asking myself who or what is to blame that Jamey didn't survive. For pete's sake, Peyton, he was only twenty
years old. He shouldn't have died at
that age of such an unfathomable
disease. My heart breaks for his parents
and his brothers. People say time heals
all wounds, but it doesn't. There is no
way Jamey's family will ever understand why their son and brother had to die
the way he did; it is a death that will haunt his family until the day they
die. It just isn't right, and it isn't
fair that someone so young should have to die the way Jamey did."
"Jaiden, I understand how you feel and why. I understand the questions you have about
Jamey's death, about the cancer that killed him. But everything considered, you have to
understand that you can't always be the
one with the answer to cure everyone of everything. Sometimes you have to turn it over to Hashem
and accept His will in whatever He has set to happen."
"Do you remember October 25, 2018," and what happened on that
day?" "Yes, that is the day my friend
supposedly killed himself; supposedly is the term I use because of what his
drama-queen wife was doing before my friend died, and during his funeral." "What do you mean, Jaiden?"
"Peyton, my friend was a very devout Mormon. He and his wife were married in the
temple, and had been raised in that
religion all their lives. I knew him all
his life, and he was always a decent, loving person, but like most teens, he
got into some mischief. He did his
mission, and married after he got home two years later."
"He became despondent, and looked elsewhere for the attention he
wasn't getting at home. When he went to
work, the father of the children his wife had been keeping, started keeping
company with, and at some point, began having an affair with his wife, the good
temple Mormon."
"She had her boyfriend with her at her husband's funeral and the
bishop of their church allowed him to be there; to sit behind her during the 15
minutes of family time with his body before he was carried into the church
sanctuary – all the while refusing to let his parents spend their final moments
with their son. The funeral home
attendants stood guard so his mother couldn't go into the Seminary Room to see
her son."
"I understand what Jeremy's brother said about time not healing
everything. It's been two years since my
friend supposedly shot and killed himself, and I still haven't, and will never
get over his death. I don't believe, and
I will never believe, he killed himself.
I would not then, and I will not now, put it past his wife's boyfriend
to kill him, and make it look like he shot himself. The little drama-queen Mormon bitch married
the adulterous boyfriend within six months of his death. I would someday like to get an answer as to
why investigators never investigated his wife, and her boyfriend, for
complicity in his death."
"Jaiden, I know how hurt and angry you are about that death, but
to you realize you haven't even said his name?"
"Peyton, you know both of my grandfather's were Orthodox Rabbis. In the Orthodox movement, when a person dies,
their name is never again mentioned out of respect. In keeping with that tradition, the tradition
of my grandfathers, I won't say his name."
"Peyton, what is wrong with Jaiden?" "Charley, Jaiden is upset over the death of a
twenty-year-old young man, who died of a rare form of cancer, and that
triggered some deep-seated feelings about someone he knew who supposedly
committed suicide. There are interesting
factors about that death, and I understand why they made Jaiden so angry, but
right now, it's best if we let it go and don't mention it to him." "That bad, Peyton?" "That bad, Charley!"
"Peyton, they're having prime rib at the Country Club tonight, why
don't we take Jaiden and see if that will cheer him up a bit." "Dale, I don't know if it will cheer him up,
but at least it will get him out of the house, and maybe take his mind off what
is bothering him, but there is the problem of getting someone to watch ten
clones of Jenny." "You're right. Let's order a large all-meat at Tony's and
I'll go pick it up." "Good idea,
Dale. Do you have any fruit knishes we
could heat up?" "There are some peach
knishes in the fridge I could heat up for dessert." "Here's ten bucks, pick up some vanilla bean
ice cream at the store to put on the knishes, Jaiden should like that."
Jaiden walked into the house and said, "Peyton, I'm sorry my mood
isn't what it should be tonight, it's..."
"Jaiden, don't apologize, I understand, and I have your back. I'm your spouse, and it's my responsibility
to help you through the thick and thin of life.
And thinking of thick and thin, Charley has gone to Tony's to pick up a
large all-meat for dinner. Dale's making
coffee to go with it." "Good, misery
makes me hungry, and if I don't snap out of it, I am going to get really
fat." "Sweetheart, that isn't going to
happen. I am not about to try and
explain to your mother why I let you get too fat."
Jaiden kissed Peyton, laughed, and said, "I understand,
sweetheart, I wouldn't want to put you through having to explain that to
her." "Thank you Jaid, I wouldn't want
to face that daunting task."
"Peyton, you know I never speak badly about someone's religion or
faith, but I will tell you, since it will only be between the two of us, that I
have an extreme distaste for the LDS Church as they now like to be called. And whoever the chubby lady was from the
church the next town over, who slouched in the corner of a choir pew, and
stared at the family during the funeral, I'll never forget her presence at the
funeral any more than I'll forget the adulterous boyfriend being there. The wife and the boyfriend should have at
least gone to jail for adultery."
"Between the seminary teacher divulging confidences to my friend's
mother that he had confided in her, and the home teacher, who could have
stopped his death by recognizing his depression and getting him help, and then
saying he was going to continue in his capacity as the home teacher! How could the Bishop, and the church, be so
unethical as to allow either of those situations to occur, and go unaddressed,
unless, of course, the bishop is a coward?
I wrote that SOB a letter but it was returned because the church doesn't
have a mailbox. I should have sent it to
the Council of Presidents in Salt Lake City when the postman returned it, but I
didn't. I doubt they would do anything
anyway. At least the postman tried for a
month to deliver the letter before it was returned."
"Jaiden, is your friend's death bothering you that much?" "Sweetheart, more than you will ever know;
way more than you will ever know. I have
visited and left stones on his grave at least six times in the two years he has
been gone. I always go by myself. It's part of my way of coping with his
death." "Jaiden, I am so sorry, I didn't
know." "Peyton, not even Mom knows, and
I don't want her to know how his death has hurt me."
"Jaiden, has his death bothered you that bad for the past two years?" "Peyton, it has more than bothered me; a lot more than what Allison's husband's death ever would.