78
Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Jane was picking at her food at the high-end, socially distanced restaurant, watching her father try to get as many war stories out of her cousin Joe as possible.
“So, did you see heavy action? I mean, you must have. That’s what you guys are all about.”
“I don’t like to talk about that too much,” Joe responded. “Plus, I really am not supposed to talk about it.”
“We really started to kick some ass when the President got in, though, right? I mean, the previous guy wasn’t doing much of anything.”
“I don’t know too much about that. I did serve with some guys that had been there for a while, who showed me the ropes and introduced me to the Kurds who were our allies. They told me the basic approach was pretty similar. It took a little time to finish the job, I guess.”
“Time Okomo wasn’t going to give you,” Jeff said.
“Well, all that stuff is pretty high above my level. I just followed orders and hoped for the best.”
“But do you agree with the President’s decision to pull out and let the Kurds take over?”
“Well, again, not my decision,” Joe said, smiling stiffly. “I will say, the Kurds are great fighters and great allies, and tremendous people.”
This seemed to stymie Jeff for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “Well it’s great to see you back home and in one piece. We have been really proud of you and probably bragging way too much about you.”
Joe smiled as he thought about a friend’s response to almost this exact statement to his family: “No, no, no. You really could never brag too much about me.” It would have been the macho D-Boy thing to say, but he passed on the opportunity.
“So, are you traveling a lot?” Mary asked him, trying to change the subject.
“Yeah, now I have to go around wherever the President goes. He’s doing more rallies now, so he’s going all around the country.”
“Mostly Republican states?” Jane said suddenly.
Her mother and father were almost startled to hear from their normally sphinxlike daughter.
“Well, I guess,” Joe said. “I think we have one or two rallies in Pennsylvania and Michigan and places like that coming up. I think they’re more swing states.”
“How about New York?” Jane said. “I’ve never been there.”
“I’m not sure,” Joe said. “I guess it’s possible.”
“I’d like to see the northeast,” Jane said.
“Where’s this coming from?” Mary said. She turned to Joe. “She never talks to her boring old parents about stuff like this, so thank you for drawing her out.”
“Well, there’s a lot to see up there,” Joe said, and let the matter drop.
Mary said, “How’s your mom?”
“I saw her a few weeks ago,” Joe said. “She seems good.”
“And how’s Mike? Your dad?”
“Ah, he doesn’t change. I saw him a few weeks ago too. He’s okay. I’m just happy neither of them has had the virus. They’re both just getting into that age group. They both said to say hello, by the way.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Mary said. They could have called, she thought.
The waiter came over and they ordered.
“This place is famous for steaks,” Joe said. “It’s all on me. They pay me well and I have no expenses.”
Jeff briefly protested, but Joe would have none of it.
“You can get me next time,” Joe said. “And there will be a next time.”
After they had ordered, Joe said, “I have to go to the men’s room. I’ll be right back.”
Jane got up and said, “Me too,” so quickly that everyone looked at her and laughed.
“Not the men’s room…” she said, smiling sheepishly.
Joe looked quizzically at the waiter and he pointed out the general direction of the facilities. Jane walked quickly to keep up with him.
“Listen,” she said as they entered the side hallway to the rest rooms. “Is there any way you can take me on one of your trips out east?”
“Uh…” Joe said.
“I just need to get there for something.”
“Uh, I don’t know,” Joe said. “You want to come out to Washington?”
“Or New York,” Jane said.
“Um, what will your parents say?”
Jane shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m 18 now.”
“Why do you need to go out east?”
“I can’t talk about it. It’s nothing illegal or… bad.”
Joe looked doubtful.
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” She turned away and started walking.
“Wait!” Joe said. She turned back.
“I just wasn’t expecting this. It might not be a bad idea.”
“It’s not like we know each other real well. It’s not like I expect anything.”
She stood, miserable, with her arms folded. Joe felt a wave of guilt wash over him.
“But we are family. …You have friends out there?”
“Yes,” Jane lied, leaping on this suggestion like a lifeboat in a raging sea.
“It’s a boy, isn’t it?”
“No,” Jane said, a little too loudly.
“It’s a girl?” Joe said, confused.
“No,” Jane said.
“Okay,” Joe said. “This is mysterious. But I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we say this is my graduation gift to you. Do you have somewhere to stay out there?”
Jane shook her head.
“Okay. Let me know where you want to go and I’ll set something up for you, give you a little cash for food once you get there. You okay flying alone?”
Jane nodded mutely.
“Well okay then. I’ll call you. What’s your number?”
Jane gave it to him.
“Okay, it’s a deal. And now, I don’t know about you, but I actually did have to go to the bathroom.” He smiled and turned toward the men’s room.
Jane laughed and turned toward the ladies’ room. Once inside, she leaned on the sink in relief and inhaled. She washed her hands and went back to the table.
Joe came back to the table after she had returned.
“Hey, Jeff and Mary, I had an idea I’d like to run by you. I missed Jane’s graduation last year… well I guess everyone else did too, thanks to the pandemic. I was thinking now that things are opening up a little bit, maybe as a graduation gift I can pay for a trip for Jane to go someplace.”
Jane beamed. Mary and Jeff looked at her and then back at Joe.
“I haven’t seen you all in so long,” Joe said. “I think it’s time we got better connected. And I’m in a position now where I can do this. I’ll just use airline miles, I won’t even have to spend a cent. I’d like to do it.”
“You want to do this?” Jeff asked Jane.
“Uh, yeah,” Jane said, her attention fully elevated.
“You promise to be careful?” Mary said.
“Yes,” Jane said.
“Well I think that’s very generous of you, but that’s not necessary,” Jeff said.
“It would be my pleasure,” Joe said. “Like I said, won’t cost me a cent. I’ll never be able to use the miles I already have.”
Jeff and Mary looked at each other. Jeff finally spoke.
“Well, if she wants to do it, I think that would be great. Thank you so much, Joe.”
“My pleasure,” Joe said. Then he quickly added, “Uh, it’s from my dad as well.”
Jeff and Mary looked at him with a bit of surprise, then at Jane, who was beaming now.
“Well, here come the appetizers,” Joe said. “I hope you’re hungry.”
Jane ate that evening with an appetite that she had not been able to muster for some months previous. She maintained her cheerfulness all evening.
Her mood was barely dented even when they arrived home in the Buick to see the neighbors pulling out of their driveway with what appeared to be a trailer full of all their belongings.
The “We Stand With the President” sign remained unmolested on their own lawn. Mary got a good look at the wife this time through the car window as they drove past each other.
This time there could be no mistaking the tearful expression of fear and helpless rage as they pulled away.
© 2020 Nolan O’Brian