Satisfied hed said enough on the matter, Edward paid the check, and strolled down the street, with Sheldon following.
Sheldon thought a lot about his father for the first time in a very long time. He wondered what hed think of his life choices, or if hed be proud of him, or what hed have thought of Amy. It was a strange feeling to wish for fatherly advice from a man who been dead for twenty years. He looked at his Uncle's hat, the curled wore brim, the sweat ring around the middle, the dust, dirt and the frayed edges. When Edward bought it, it was bright blue, with a pure white "R" on it, now it was almost grey, and barely held together at all. But Edward had wore that hat everyday since his brother died, and took it everywhere with him. When he wasn't wearing it, it sat in the dashboard of his truck. The very same truck he was fixing the night his heart had finally given out.
Sheldon looked in a toy store window with a tiny toy harp in the front. Something in him stirred, and he found his phone in his hand. He looked at the smiling face avatar he used for her, and he wished she could be with him now, shed really love it here. They passed an oak tree with generations of young lovers initals carved in them, some had grown over some were fresh from summer flings. There in front of him were the very weathered and old letters L.C. + A.B He wondered if his meemaw remembered him carving those letters or if she even knew they exsisted.
His grandfather was one of the only people to encourage his scientific career. "Sheldon, the best equations are the ones that always balance every time." Poppop had told him. As an extrodinary five year old, Sheldon had assumed he was talking about math, but now saw it in a new light.
Edward eyed his nephew as he limped slowly down the quiet little street, wondering what he could be thinking about. He knew the boy was always the odd one out in any given situation, that he was smart as a tack, but also always a little sad. Alone. Perpetual wall flower, never joined in with the other kids, always kept to himself. His sister in law, Mary gave him reports of Sheldon's acheivements and accomplishments over the years, and also his very diffucult childhood. When Sheldon left for college he was 11 years old, so Edward remembered Sheldon as a little boy, but as he gazed at the man beside him, he realized not only had the boy hed known grown out of his shell, there was a pride in his walk now, that was never there before. Then he realized what Sheldon was thinking about and playful smile grew on his face.
They got back in the truck and pulled up to his Uncles house, which had once been his popopop's house as a boy. When he passed hed willed it to Edward and Sarah. It was a large wore old Victorian with falling paint chipps and rickety steps. The porch creaked with every step and there were large daddy long leg webs in the corners. Sarah Cooper looked up from her readers digest. "Eddy you home early?"
"Yeah, I found this one at the train station paying a a visist." He gave a chin flick to Sheldon who came up the steps trying not to touch anything dirty.
"Why Shelly, oh my goodness! Its been ages. How are you dear?!"
"Fine thank you." Sheldon answered.
"Id better phone your mama, she's worried sick about you. Youre little friend Leonard called her, everyone's plum cornered about ya."
Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Im fine Aunt Sarah. No one need worry about me." Sheldon was becoming increasingly irritated by the fact no one believed he be on his own. It was like no one trusted him, or thought he was strong enough. A part of Sheldon wanted to stay away just to prove he could do it.
His Aunt Sarah was on the heavy side, but not as round as her husband, had a kind, warm face, and glasses that sat on the edge of her nose. Her many bracelets jingled as she walked. She fussed about, making comments about how thin he looked and that he needed to eat more, shoving cakes and pie in front of him, which he tried and failed to refuse.
"Well now Shelly, tell me about this girlfriend of yours." Aunt Sarah over the top of her bifocals, as they sat down with tea in their hands.
Sheldon blushed. "Her name is Amy Farrah Fowler and she's a nuerobiologist."
"So she's a brain doctor? Like on TV?"
Sheldon breathed in slowly trying to maintain patience. "No. Shes works with the brain. You see, Neurobiology is the study of cells of the nervous system and the organization of these cells into functional circuits that process information and mediate behavior. It's a subdiscipline of both biology and neuroscience and while
Neurobiology differs from neuroscience, it's a much broader field that is concerned with any scientific study of the nervous system. Neurons are cells that are specialized to receive, propagate, and transmit electrochemical impulses. In the human brain alone, there are over a hundred billion neurons" Sheldon rattled off.
Aunt Sarah and Uncle Edward looked at each other with the same look Penny got when Sheldon tried to explain something to her.
"Yes she a brain doctor." Sheldon said finally trying with all his might to keep a civil tounge.
"Well that's all fine, tell us more about her! Wheres she from whats her family like…" Sarah smiled.
"Well, she's from Glendale, her mother is pleasant enough…I haven't met her father and I believe she has cousins somewhere in Lassen, up in the wine country.
"When are going to meet this girl?"
"I was planning on bringing her to the family reunion later this summer. Perhaps you'll meet her then."
"Oh my, I cant wait - she seems absolutely charming from what yer mama told us."
Sheldon had a funny look on his face. "She is charming, and very sweet. She makes me oatmeal just the way I like it and she gets this funny little wrinkle in her nose when she's mad at mad for being right about something." Sheldon said fondly.
Edward threw his wife a knowing look smiling.
"Well this girl seems to sure have had an impact on you Shelly. Why the last time I saw you, you couldn't even go to bed at night without yer pack of weekly PJs or that nightlight you refused to sleep without, now look at ya…a man of the world."
Rather pleased with himself, Sheldon smiled softly.
"So what are you doin for a livin these days? " She asked. "Still working for that school?"
"No actually I quit."
"You quit? Why? I thought you loved school!"
"I do. But the university would allow me to pursue other avenues of Physics, and was forcing me to continue with String Theory, something I had devoted my entire academic career to, with out any results. When I petitioned the board of directors to retract their position, they said no."
Sarah looked at Edward. "Well honey, I don't really understand any of that…but well now that means yer outta work aint ya?"
"Well technically yes, but a true scientist is never out of work."
"Well I suppose I could give ya job at the train station sweepin' the floor or something…" Edward offered.
A shiver went down Sheldon's spine at the thought of being a janitor. "While your offer is heart felt and in the best of intentions, Id rather be hung by the neck than be a janitor in a quaint, but po-dunk little provinace such as this. You people don't even have wifi."
"Whats a why-figh?" She asked
Sheldon closed his eyes and counted to ten before answering. "Let me explain. WiFi, is local area wireless technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet using 2.4 GHz UHF and 5 GHz SHF radio waves. The name is a trademark name, and is a play on the audiophile term Hi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any "wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards".However, since most modern WLANs are based on these standards, the term "Wi-Fi" is used in general English as a synonym for "WLAN". Only Wi-Fi products that complete Wi-Fi Alliance interoperability certification testing successfully may use the "Wi-Fi Certified" trademark. Many devices can use Wi-Fi, e.g., personal computers, video-game consoles, smartphones, some digital cameras, tablet computers and digital audio players. These can connect to a network resource such as the Internet via a wireless network access point. Such an access point (or hotspot)" He put up little bunny ears with his fingers. " Has a range of about 20 meters indoors and a greater range outdoors. Hotspot coverage can comprise an area as small as a single room with walls that block radio waves, or as large as many square kilometres achieved by using multiple overlapping access points."
Edward and Sarah looked at each other again.
"So it's a computer thing?"
Snorting and clenching is fists Sheldon muttered. "Yes…it's a computer thing…" "Thats nice dear...let me show you to your room."
Sheldon looked at the ceiling for solace. "I should be used to this by now." He said under his breath.
