Chapter 23 Thanksgiving
Today is the day. I’m going to fly. It’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I give myself a squeeze as I lie under my blankets and then spring out of bed.
I’m two months into my six-month plan to live and I never imagined it would include flying off to Mississippi.
I definitely didn’t dream big enough. Living is crazy.
Ever since Jake knocked on my door two months ago, I’ve been a bundle of nerves, anxiety and excitement; wondrous things have happened and awful, awful things have happened.
The picture of Vee face down on her bed flashes through my mind.
I slide into a pair of leggings and an oversized gray sweater, feeling oh so trendy in a comfortable pair of chunky sneakers I bought just for the trip. Vee gave me advice on flying that I should wear layers, as planes are notoriously cold or hot but never just right.
Jake and I have seats next to each other and he graciously offers me the window seat.
The takeoff is indescribable. One minute I’m chatting excitedly with Jake and the next minute there is a deafening roar that goes on and on and I’m pressed flat against my seat, unable to move or breathe.
Jake smiles at me as panic rises in my eyes.
I couldn’t scream because the roar forced all the air out of my lungs.
He pats my hand. “It will be over in a few minutes.”
I don’t know how he can lift his hand when I can’t even blink. Then, just like that, the noise level drops to just a buzz, and I can move and breathe again.
“Wow.” I gasp.
Twisting in my seat, I stare out the window as we pass the Statue of Liberty—and my eyes tear up.
I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Of course, I’ve seen Lady Liberty hundreds of times in my life, but this bird’s-eye view is majestic.
An unbidden picture jumps into my head: my grandfather all alone on the bridge of a ship and seeing her for the first time, with his shirt and the jewels pressing against his sides.
My family’s story suddenly seems so real and tears prick my eyes.
How strange that a change in perspective makes a common experience completely new and different.
I nudge Jake without taking my eyes off the statue. Jake leans over to see what I’m looking at then he gently wipes my tears away. He starts to say something but then smiles at me with such tenderness in his eyes, I must look away.
Together, we watch her fade from view.
The landing is the exact reverse of the takeoff. Thank God my seatbelt held; otherwise, I would have been thrown into the seat in front of me. This time, I can’t breathe because my seatbelt is cutting through my midsection as it strains to keep me in seat 14A.
When we get off the plane with our bags, I’m a new person—a world traveler.
I’m someone who has seen Lady Liberty from above and understands the world a bit more in all its complexities and perspectives.
My smile keeps getting bigger and bigger as we work through renting a car and checking into our hotel.
We eat dinner at an Applebee’s, and then it’s time for me to spend my first night in a hotel. I flop on the crisp white sheets, thinking, I’m really living, and living is beyond my wildest dreams.
The next day on the short drive to Aunt Beth and Uncle Joe’s, Jake explains, “We are doing this to keep the peace. Auntie Beth is pissed we aren’t coming to her place for Thanksgiving.
I explained we are down to visit Vee, but sometimes she can be awfully pigheaded.
We’ll have lunch with them today and then spend Thanksgiving with Vee tomorrow. ”
“It’s strange they aren’t going to the clinic’s Thanksgiving. Vee would have been all alone if we weren’t visiting, right?”
Jake shakes his head. “I know. Auntie Beth I guess still hasn’t forgiven Vee for sending her packing a year ago. I’m so glad this plan popped into my head. Vee tried to tell me it isn’t a big deal, but it is. And the icing on the cake is we miss dinner at Sandy’s.” He chuckles softly.
Five minutes later, right at 1:00 p.m., we pull up to a white clapboard house.
The house is modest but nice. Jake rings the bell, and we stand outside in the warm sunshine.
A large buxom woman in a housecoat opens the door and swallows Jake up in a hug.
She turns to me and engulfs me as well. Ushering us in, she yells, “Joe, Jake and Emma are here! Get up here and greet our guests.”
A lanky man comes up from the basement, wiping his hands on his work pants, smiling. He has a kind face.
Aunt Beth tssks and exclaims, “Joe! Jesus, wash your hands. Jake and Emma are from New York City; they aren’t used to dust and dirt from your hobbies.” She holds her fingers up in air quotes when she says hobbies.
Joe gives us a sheepish look and scurries off to the kitchen in the back. Jake whispers, “She clearly hasn’t seen the subway, huh?”
Beth ushers us into the living room, and we sink into an uncomfortable, bright floral couch.
She hurries off and returns quickly with a tray of iced tea and some little rolled sandwiches.
As she places everything on the low table in front of the couch, Joe comes in and shakes Jake’s hand, then reaches for mine.
Holding my hand, he states sincerely, “Girl, I can tell just by looking at ya’, I like ya’. We’ve been wondering who the lucky lady is that snared our Johnny.”
Beth cuts in, “You know he likes to be called Jake now. Jesus, Joe, hush up.”
She pours the tea and hands around little China plates for the sandwiches.
Smiling, I take the plate and glass, but each time I try to shift them from hand to hand, my butt sinks deeper into the overstuffed cushions.
Any deeper and I may never get off this couch.
I spot Jake setting his glass down on the low table in front of the couch, so I hoist myself out of the couch pillows and scoot a bit forward to do the same.
I’m going to be exhausted by the time I finish my tea with all the scooting and sinking I’m doing.
We chew quietly on the dainty sandwiches.
Beth breaks the silence and asks, “How is your mother and Oliver?”
Jake replies evenly, “They’re doing fine. They seem reasonably content, but would be more so if I buckled down and went to work at the firm.”
“Yep, I’m sure that sticks in Oliver’s craw,” Beth says. “But you’re a grown man, you can do what you want, honey. But clearly you know that, as you got engaged to Emma. Boy, that must have blown your mother’s top.”
Jake gives my hand a squeeze. “Aww, they’re fine with it.
I was just telling Emma the story of my parents and what happened.
I wanted to ask you about how they met and what they were like in college.
You were at Ole Miss when they were there, weren’t you?
” Jake asks these questions rapid fire, clearly trying to change the subject.
Beth pauses, looking reflective. Glancing at Joe, she says, “Joe, go get us some beers. If I’m going to tell this one, I need something stronger than sweet tea.”
Joe hops up and comes back in short order with four beers. As soon as he hands Beth hers, she takes a long swig. Then she pulls herself up and goes over to a cabinet along the wall, taking out a bottle of bourbon and splashing some of the brown liquid in the bottom of a stout glass.
Bringing the glass back to her chair, she raises it in a solo toast and states, “Turns out I need something even stronger than beer.”
Joe frowns but doesn’t say anything. I’m relieved she doesn’t offer us any.
Leaning back in her chair, Beth says, “Carol and John were two years ahead of me at Ole Miss. Both of ’em beautiful, smart, and nice.
They met when they were juniors and took the same finance class.
They fell hard for each other. They let me hang out with them, and we would go on double dates whenever I had a boyfriend.
Their connection was beautiful. Honestly, I was jealous of them, but you couldn’t not like them because they were swell to everyone and so great together. ”
Taking a sip from her glass, Beth continues quietly, “Ever since we were little, Carol and I had dreams of moving to New York City. The plan was, once I graduated, we were going to go. Acting was our first plan and that morphed into steward-esses, but by college we were dead set on advertising. Carol was a really good artist, and I loved words. We were going to work at an ad agency, that was our plan, and I was okay with John coming along too. As I said, everyone loved John.”
Pausing, she downs the rest of the bourbon with a quick swallow.
Her voice hardens, “Well, that isn’t quite how it went down.
Carol and John went to New York as soon as they graduated.
I figured this way they’d work things out, so by the time I show up two years later, they’d have everything set.
But on the day of my graduation, Carol came down from New York for it.
She was pregnant with your sister and told me I couldn’t come.
It hit me like a ton of bricks, and it hurt.
” Beth’s face flushes an angry red. “Oh, I know she couldn’t ban me from going to New York if I wanted to, but what she was telling me was I was on my own.
She wasn’t going to be my advertising partner or any other sort of partner.
She never told me why or explained anything to me.
Boy, was I pissed.” Beth sits quietly for a moment and her shoulders droop.
Joe injects congenially, “Well, if you had gone to New York, we never would have met and remember things didn’t work out so well for either one of them, did it?”
Looking over at Joe, a little fondness creeps into her voice, “You are right. And we never would have created a supermodel, would we?”
Goose bumps rise on my arms. Looking at Jake, I raise my eyebrow. It’s strange to hear Beth refer to her daughter as a supermodel. Especially when she’s sitting in rehab, probably needing her mother right now.