Dinner Party

by Michael Brent Jones

  Chapter 13

  I left it up to Jenny to be here for the party, which we unanimously decided, would be another tea party.

  Jenny and I were so excited to see what actually would occur that Friday; we tried to guess different scenarios that might happen. It seemed odd to me that there was no invitation in the mail that week. I figured since the food wasn’t a big factor it was just an open invite party again.

  I had a feeling that things would be different that Friday, and that I shouldn’t go into it with any expectations. I tried not to worry, because despite all of my previous worrying, each party had worked out great.

  Friday afternoon came and sure enough David pulled up to the house to drop off Jenny. It warmed my heart to see her pull a small handful of papers out of her backpack. Each page was filled with what I could only guess were questions.

  “I’m not planning on asking all of the questions, I figured I’d ask you which ones we should ask.” She said handing me the stack of paper. She then proceeded to pace in the living room as I sat down on the couch to read through them.

  ‘Who was the most special person in your life and why? For each.’

  A tear welled up in the corner of my eye. I tried to think back on when I was that age, hoping I could remember being even a fraction as innocent and loving, but the memories were vague. Why had it never occurred to me to ask such important questions?

  It seems each conversation they talked about, should have led me to ask it, but somehow I hadn’t.

  ‘What was your biggest fear?’ I continued reading.

  ‘What brought you the most happiness?’

  ‘What was something you wish you would have done different and why?

  …Most questions I had thought of stemmed from actual events in history. I see now partially, it was just to add to the knowledge I was proud I had acquired, about how history actually unraveled. Each of Jenny’s questions were profound. We had touched on many of them at varies points in the dinner parties, but I was impressed that she wanted to make it a conscious effort to ask those important questions to each person.

  I couldn’t get over how her questions seemed so much more valuable and deep; all actually useful to attaining happiness.

  Jenny turned and asked me, “What is some good advice?” she said as she sat down.

  “That is a good question! Should I add it to the list?” I asked.

  I was surprised and honored to hear her reply, “I’m asking you grandpa!”

  “Oh, well let me think for a moment. Hmmm…”

  I was happy she asked. As I looked into her eyes while I was thinking, until that point, I had never realized how much her eyes are like her grandma’s. I started to think about what I would have wished I would have known earlier in marriage.

  Then it came to me, “Well Sweetie, being human, all too often we mess up and find ourselves in a situation where we have to choose between being mean, or feeling dumb. I hope you’re never mean; no matter how hard it is. It is always better to say, ‘I was wrong, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” and just move on. Who are we to never be wrong?’ Oh and never be mean out of laziness either, that’s important too.”

  My heart melted as she wrote the whole thing down. “Thanks grandpa,” she said and got up and gave me a hug.

  The thought was sweet that came to my mind, ‘I really wouldn’t mind just having a tea party with Jenny.’ I am so proud of my son for raising an amazing girl.

  We put a big pot of cinnamon tea on the stove to boil. There wasn’t much to do besides start the tea, get the cups out and the toast ready.

  Jenny sat in the big arm chair reviewing her questions with a pencil in hand, prioritizing them and trying to think of more.

  I found myself sitting at the table waiting for the teapot to sound, when I noticed that Jenny’s head was starting to bob. She tried to fight the sleepiness by shaking her head.

  The tea sounded and I got up and turned off the stove; looking at the clock it was exactly seven, but there was no knock at the door. It was a surprise to me that Jenny wasn’t getting more anxious, but looking over at the arm chair, I noticed she was sound asleep.

  Fifteen minutes passed by in silence except for the ticking of the grandfather clock. The fifteen minutes soon because fifty minutes and I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I tried to fight the urge to fall asleep, but resting my head in my arms sounded so good. I figured I would hear any knock at the door, and even if I didn’t, I didn’t think anyone of them lacked the confidence to just walk in and wake me up. Just the thought of who might wake me up made me laugh.

  With my head resting on my arms on the table, I felt my eyes which were already shut start to get even heavier; I thought to myself how nice a little nap would be.

  I felt myself drifting asleep when all of the sudden I was wide awake and I felt warm. Naturally I lifted up my head from the table to see Ann sitting right across from me.

  Ann seemed to have about her an air of keenness and a cheerful intimacy; but also very businesslike.

  Describing the scene would sound drab and serious from lack of emotion, but I felt I didn't need emotion; like as if emotion was nothing more, than something to help us not miss something else a lot more subtle, and a lot more important.

  I felt immediately pulled up out of the dust and gloom, by her mere presence. I was changed as if it were in the twinkling of an eye; and I realized that in that twinkling of an eye flashed my whole mortal experience; my whole lifetime compared with eternity was but an instant.

  I still was who I was before, but I was better now, I knew it, and she knew it. She stared into my eyes, and I could tell she could see everything.

  I knew she already knew my heart, but now the deepest corners of my mind as well. Though I could not see the reason at the time, I trusted something important was happening.

  I felt a tingle or more of a singe, and realized she, or should I say we, were purging my mind, and my heart. Every crack was sealed up, every scare was healed, and all debris was swept up and burned.

  My chest started to tighten as I got scared that this was really only a dream, I felt if I moved, it would all just fade away. Ann waited a few moments and then smiled, as if she was suppressing a laugh.

  It was real, there I was, and there she was. I had dreamed about this moment so many times, but it always seemed different in my dreams, more primitive; an embrace rich with emotion, but I didn’t feel let down. ‘What now?’ I thought to myself. She smiled again and I just started to speak.

  “I don't know what to say. There are so many questions I wanted to ask, and things I wanted to say, but now all I can think, and all I feel I ever want to think is that I love you.”

  “Let's go,” she whispered.

  “What?” I said feeling overwhelmed.

  She stood up and took my hand, and we started toward the door. "Wait, what about Jenny?" I asked.

  “Oh she has people watching over her; a person would have better luck stealing the crown of England… And I told David to come,” she said and winked. “He doesn't know why or even that it was me… yet, but he'll be here in a few minutes.”

  "And the book." I asked.

  “I put a letter in Jenny's coat pocket; she will take care of it," she said with a smile.

  "Alright."

  We opened the door, and as we stepped out all that was heard when the door closed was the pitter patter of rain on the doorstep.

  Grandma was right, Dad was there in a few moments, luckily I heard the door close as Grandma and Grandpa left.

  Looking around not seeing Grandpa I felt confused and so I opened the door that had just closed. There was no one in sight. A cold breeze blew in and sent chills all throughout my body.

  Shivering from the cold, I reached to close my jacket, and heard the crinkle of paper in my jacket pocket. Reaching in, I found the letter from Grandma. I read it, and right as I finished Dad knocked on the door. I tucked
the letter back in my coat pocket, buttoned it up and opened the door.

  “Hey Dad!”

  “Hey!...” Dad said a little perplexed.

  Right then I remembered I needed to grab Grandpa’s papers. “I’m going to get my stuff real quick!” I said and ran up the stairs.

  I first grabbed my backpack and then wondered where the papers would be, and if they were even all together. My mind was drawn back to the letter in my pocket, and though I don’t remember knowing my Grandma very well, the thought still came, that she might have thought this through as well.

  I scrambled to open my backpack to find a big stack of white paper with a red ribbon tied around it. I hurried down the stairs. “Ready!” I said.

  “Did you already say goodbye to grandpa? Where is he actually?”

  “I don’t know exactly, he just left.”

  “Did he say where he was headed?”

  “No, but I don’t think we need to worry. I’m ready to go if you are.”

  I know Grandma must have thought that through as well, because after a pausing for a few moments, he just nodded his head and smiled.

  “Alright let’s go.”

  We got in the car and headed home. Grandma was right; that week he sent me the last chapter and a letter for me from him in the mail. I made sure I get the mail every morning now.

  My heart races every time I open the mail box. It has been two years now and I think the book is ready for the world; I hope they are ready for it.

  -Jenny Parker

  The End