Sunday Supper and Introductions
Conrad and Shauna made it back to the house with the Campbell women. "Finally! I thought the priest wasn't ever going to shut up!" the girls complained all the way back to their respective houses.
Conrad leaned in to ask Shauna a question, "Does this mean we're free for the rest of the day?"
Shauna laughed, "Not hardly. We've still got Sunday Supper and I've got to introduce you. Lucky for you eating around this place usually involves large quantities of beer and whiskey. My brothers will drink beer so they won't be much of a problem after awhile. Daddy and an assortment of others will debate politics and religion until it's time to eat. Dash will be of help in that arena if you can get him away from Allie long enough."
"And what will you be doing?"
She smiled at him as they made they're way into the house, "Like all good southern women, I'll be cooking."
"Finally! I thought we were going to have to call out a search party!"
"Not likely Sean. Get me a drink will you?"
"Sure, then you can start the introductions. I've already met Dash and Allie. I'm not concerned about them."
Brian came up to her with a toddler in his arms, "Hi, sis." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and reached out his hand to Conrad, "I'm Shauna's older brother Brian, how do you do?"
"I'm Conrad Hauser..." after a pause and a look at Shauna to confirm his response, "I'm your sister's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you. She talks a great deal about her family. I just didn't really understand what she meant about coming from a large family until today."
Frank joined the little party, "Just so we're formally introduced, I'm Frank O'Hara, the oldest sibling, this is my wife Carolina, and my daughter Melanie."
Carolina joined in with the welcome just as Sean and Ash walked up.
"Conrad this is my brother Sean and our neighbor Ashley Campbell. Unless I'm mistaken the two of them are now an item, although I could be wrong. They don't keep in touch like the rest of the family."
Sean and his sister eyed each other for a moment before they each decided that the other was forgiven, only because they didn't want trouble for their own new relationships.
Frank clapped Conrad on the shoulder, "Why don't you help me put the picnic tables together."
"Sure. I'd be glad to." He waited until the brothers had dispersed before leaning down to whisper in his girlfriend's ear, "Is this when the inquisition starts?"
She whispered back, "If it comes to a fight just remember that Brian and Frank are married and don't work out with dad as much. Sean's the one to worry about." She smiled encouragingly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Conrad followed her brothers outside and found himself surrounded by not only her brothers but a large quantity of what had to be her neighbors. She had warned him that he would have to deal with Campbell men as well, he just had had no idea there were so many, or that they were so large.
Duke eyed them all individually. Shauna was right; the hazing was going to be rough. He didn't think it would result to outright physical violence, but he was smart enough to realize that the approval of these men stood between him and putting a gold band around Shauna's finger. They formed a loose semi-circle around Conrad. Frank, as the oldest brother, apparently had taken the lead role in his interrogation. He spoke first, "So, you've come home with our baby sister." Conrad nodded and one of the Campbell men spoke up, "The clan and honor speech?"
Frank shook his head, "No. This is Shauna we're talking about." He turned his attention back to Conrad and the matter at hand, "You may not realize this but you're the only man she's ever brought home with her. That's an honor in itself. It speaks volumes on your character that we otherwise would be worried about."
Conrad again nodded his understanding, this time with a little more enthusiasm. What her brothers were telling him, in not so many words, was that Shauna was serious about this relationship. They wanted to know if he was equally serious.
"Your sister is a wonderful woman. It is an honor to know her, to befriend her, and to love her."
Sean's turn, he was not as easily swayed by fancy speeches as his brothers, too bad. Dash had helped him form some really kick ass responses-not that he'd needed help discovering his feelings on the subject-just putting those feelings in words. Dash, who had quoted at him the night before, in this arena, 'the pen is mightier than the sword', or the fists in his case.
Sean eyed him for a moment, "What makes you think you are worthy of our sister?"
"I'm not." That tactic surprised them; they were expecting him to wax eloquently on his qualifications. Dash had offered help in that area as well but he had listened when Duke had reminded him that Dash was the only Shakespeare in their unit.
"Explain. You tell us you are not worthy of our sister?"
"No. I'm not good enough for your sister-I don't deserve such a wonderful woman. No one is good enough for your sister-she's too amazing-but I do my best-I do better than my best"
Frank grunted, "Humph. How about her cooking? She ever tried to bake you cookies?"
'Uh, oh.' Duke thought to himself. Religion he was prepared to debate on-Shauna's cooking skills he was not. These people had known her a lot longer than he had; they knew she couldn't cook. If he lied they would know it and they could interpret that as dishonorable. If he told the truth he would be insulting the woman he loved-something he tried to avoid at all costs.
Damned if he did and damned if he didn't, he decided Shauna was more important than impressing her brothers, "Well, her, um, her ah, her cookies are good!"
Duke nervously anticipated their reply. After a moment they exchange looks. Frank decided the man had sweat enough for the moment, there was, after all, still their father to meet, "Yep, guess he's on the up and up." Frank extended his hand "Welcome to the family."
Duke looked at Frank warily as the others dispersed, "That's it?"
Frank clapped him on the back, "Yep bro, if you're man enough to stomach Shauna's cooking and then lie and tell someone who sure as hell knows better that it's great-all to save her feelings-that gets you in to this exclusive little thing we like to call family."
Brian and Sean came back with a picnic table in hand, "If you can eat her cookies and tell her that they're actually good then you must love her a hell of a lot."
Frank motioned Conrad to follow him to garage, "There are way more people coming today than will fit inside the house. It's our job-always has been-to set up tables for everyone." Conrad picked up one end of the long picnic table and walked back to the yard with Frank
"You mean there will be more people here?"
Frank laughed, "Oh, man this is gonna be a blast! The Campbell's had six children; three girls, Meredith, Elise, and Ashley, and three boys, James, Jonathan, and Michael. Each one of them, with the exception of Ash, who by the way is dating Sean, will have at least one person with them. The guys are all married and have an assortment of kids between them." They set the table down and went back for another one.
"Let me guess, each member of the O'Hara family also has at least two, and from what I've witnessed thus far, likely more, people coming to eat."
Frank grinned, "You catch on fast. Let's just see you try to remember all their names. Then you have to add on the friends of the family-I haven't even begun to mention them!"
Duke began to wonder how many people would be there, there had to be eight tables out there now. 'Eight tables that seat eight peopleā¦that's nearly fifty people!' Duke's feet began to hurt. He noticed Frank had tennis shoes on now and guessed that these shoes were part of the continued initiation process.
