Sydney knew that Jack grew up in Baltimore, but she did not know that he still had family there. She really didn't know anything about the relatives of either of her parents.
Since Jack made the decision to turn around and visit his aunt he hadn't said a word to Sydney, except that they were only about 15 minutes away.
Finally Sydney spoke. "So Dad, what did Carolyn mean when she said, 'all that that your aunt had done for you?'"
"She helped raise me after my mother died," he answered her.
"How old where you when she died?"
"Twelve."
"That was awfully young."
Ever the realist, Jack pointed out that Sydney was a lot younger when she lost her mother.
"How did she die?" Sydney asked.
"See that building over there?" Jack said. "That was my old high school. They converted it into a satellite branch of the University of Maryland. This whole neighborhood has changed. All these buildings; this all use to be woods or vacant lots when I lived here."
Sydney tried to picture her father as a child. She wondered if he was as serious about things then, as he is today. She also noticed that he just did one of the things he is very good at doing, he completely ignored her question as though it was never even asked.
Jack pulled up and parked at the curb, in front of a old brick house. They were clearly in an old working class neighborhood with brick homes and large porches. He didn't speak as he looked at the house across the street, from where they were parked.
"Is that her house?" Sydney asked. "Dad?" she asked again, when he didn't answer her.
"No," he said turning to look at the house he was parked in front of. "This is their house. Let's go."
As they were getting out of the car Sydney couldn't help but notice how Jack kept focusing on the house across the street.
Carolyn met them on the porch. She had seen the car drive up. She gave them both a hug and said how glad she was that they had changed their mind. "Come on in. Mamma's in the kitchen. She'll be so happy to see you."
As they walked through the front door Jack glanced around the room. Not much had changed. There were some new furniture mixed in with pieces that had been there for as long as he could remember. There were more family pictures on the walls and tables. Sara was known for her family pictures. She always had a camera. There was one thing that hadn't changed; the house still smelled of Sara's homemade cooking.
Carolyn held Jacks hand as she walked them to the kitchen. "Mamma, we have company."
Sara spent most of her day in the kitchen. She was either reading the daily paper, building her jigsaw puzzle or cooking. Today she had been sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking lemonade. She turned when her daughter called her name.
Jack walked over to her chair. He got down on one knee, "Hello, Aunt Sara."
"Johnny? Johnny is that really you?" she said as she focused on his face.
"How are you, Aunt Sara?" he asked her.
They hugged until she pushed him away. She gently slapped his face. In a sweet and loving voice she mocked anger and said, "I'm angry at you. Leaving me for all these years and now you show up and expect me to welcome you into my home?"
She saw an old hurt in his eyes and she quickly hugged him again. "Oh my Johnny, of course you're welcome. I missed you so much. Come sit down," she said as she jester for him to take the chair next to her.
"Mamma," Carolyn said, "he's not alone."
Sara turned to see who else had entered the kitchen. Jack stood up and walked over to Sydney. He took her elbow and walked her over to the table where his aunt was sitting. "Aunt Sara, this is my da...."
"You don't have to tell me who this is," said as she stood up. She hugged Sydney and told her how nice it was to see her again, after so many years. Sara then took Sydney's face in her hands.
Speaking to Jack she said, "She's the mirror image of her mother, except those eyes."
"I know," Jack answered.
"My eyes? What's they mystery about my eyes?" Sydney asked recalling that Carolyn had also made a comment about her eyes.
Sara said that she would get the photo albums and show Sydney what was so special about her eyes. Jack tried to talk her out of it. He really didn't want to flip through pictures and memories. "Aunt Sara, that's not necessary. Sydney your eyes resemble my mother's." He figured if he gave away the mystery there would be no reason to pull out the photo album.
"You have pictures of my Dad, when he was young?" Sydney asked, ignoring Jack's attempt at a protest.
It could be argued that Jack learned his command techniques from his aunt. She was always directing people to do what she wanted to have done. She was also an expert at ignoring protests. She ordered Jack to sit down at the table. Carolyn was to make sandwiches for lunch. Sara was still using a cane, since she broke her ankle, so she directed Sydney to follow her and help bring in the photo albums.
Jack continued to protest the idea. "Jack, you know it's useless. You know Mamma and her pictures. She flips through at least one album a day. Now sit down and relax."
Jack's mind whirled as he thought of all the reasons he didn't want Sydney to look at the pictures. When he realized that her seeing the pictures was inevitable, he started to sit down. He turned when he heard the backdoor open and a familiar voice calling out. The voice may have been dulled by age, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. He addressed Carolyn. "Carolyn, where's your mother? I've got her prescriptions here."
Carolyn tried to answer. Her mouth opened, but she didn't know what to say.
The visitor turned and saw Jack. "Sorry, didn't realize you had company."
He looked at Jack. Squinted to be sure he was seeing whom he thought it was. "Jonathan?"
Jack could feel his pulse rate increased, but he didn't say a word.
Sara and Sydney had returned to the kitchen as the two men were still staring at each other.
"Don!" Sara said surprised to see her visitor. Although she found the current situation uncomfortable at least she was able to find her voice. "Look who's here for a visit," she said.
"I see," he said.
"Come in Don, have a seat," Sara instructed. "Carolyn's making some lunch. Why don't you join us?"
"No, I just came by to drop off your medicine. One of the prescriptions wasn't ready. I have to go back later this afternoon. I'll call you and Carolyn can come over and get it."
Then he saw Sydney. He looked at Jack and said, "That little girl of your's turned into quite a beauty. She looks like that mother of hers."
"Her mother had a name." Jack said coldly.
"Stop that you two," Sara ordered. "Now Don, you come sit down."
"No, I got to go to the VFW Hall. We're planning a rally against those war protester's this weekend." Then to Jack he said, "Is that what you're in town for, boy? Help those communist protest the war?"
Jack didn't answer. He walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. He opened up the door of the wooden chest and took out a bottle of scotch. He poured a shot glass full and drank it down quickly. He stood with his eyes closed as he struggled to get his emotions under control. He was pouring a second glass when Sydney came in.
"Dad, are you all right?" she asked. The last time she had seen him this emotionally upset was when he told her that her mother was still alive.
"I'm fine," he answered her.
"Who was that man?" she asked him.
He drank down the second glass of scotch. "My father," he told her.
Since Jack made the decision to turn around and visit his aunt he hadn't said a word to Sydney, except that they were only about 15 minutes away.
Finally Sydney spoke. "So Dad, what did Carolyn mean when she said, 'all that that your aunt had done for you?'"
"She helped raise me after my mother died," he answered her.
"How old where you when she died?"
"Twelve."
"That was awfully young."
Ever the realist, Jack pointed out that Sydney was a lot younger when she lost her mother.
"How did she die?" Sydney asked.
"See that building over there?" Jack said. "That was my old high school. They converted it into a satellite branch of the University of Maryland. This whole neighborhood has changed. All these buildings; this all use to be woods or vacant lots when I lived here."
Sydney tried to picture her father as a child. She wondered if he was as serious about things then, as he is today. She also noticed that he just did one of the things he is very good at doing, he completely ignored her question as though it was never even asked.
Jack pulled up and parked at the curb, in front of a old brick house. They were clearly in an old working class neighborhood with brick homes and large porches. He didn't speak as he looked at the house across the street, from where they were parked.
"Is that her house?" Sydney asked. "Dad?" she asked again, when he didn't answer her.
"No," he said turning to look at the house he was parked in front of. "This is their house. Let's go."
As they were getting out of the car Sydney couldn't help but notice how Jack kept focusing on the house across the street.
Carolyn met them on the porch. She had seen the car drive up. She gave them both a hug and said how glad she was that they had changed their mind. "Come on in. Mamma's in the kitchen. She'll be so happy to see you."
As they walked through the front door Jack glanced around the room. Not much had changed. There were some new furniture mixed in with pieces that had been there for as long as he could remember. There were more family pictures on the walls and tables. Sara was known for her family pictures. She always had a camera. There was one thing that hadn't changed; the house still smelled of Sara's homemade cooking.
Carolyn held Jacks hand as she walked them to the kitchen. "Mamma, we have company."
Sara spent most of her day in the kitchen. She was either reading the daily paper, building her jigsaw puzzle or cooking. Today she had been sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking lemonade. She turned when her daughter called her name.
Jack walked over to her chair. He got down on one knee, "Hello, Aunt Sara."
"Johnny? Johnny is that really you?" she said as she focused on his face.
"How are you, Aunt Sara?" he asked her.
They hugged until she pushed him away. She gently slapped his face. In a sweet and loving voice she mocked anger and said, "I'm angry at you. Leaving me for all these years and now you show up and expect me to welcome you into my home?"
She saw an old hurt in his eyes and she quickly hugged him again. "Oh my Johnny, of course you're welcome. I missed you so much. Come sit down," she said as she jester for him to take the chair next to her.
"Mamma," Carolyn said, "he's not alone."
Sara turned to see who else had entered the kitchen. Jack stood up and walked over to Sydney. He took her elbow and walked her over to the table where his aunt was sitting. "Aunt Sara, this is my da...."
"You don't have to tell me who this is," said as she stood up. She hugged Sydney and told her how nice it was to see her again, after so many years. Sara then took Sydney's face in her hands.
Speaking to Jack she said, "She's the mirror image of her mother, except those eyes."
"I know," Jack answered.
"My eyes? What's they mystery about my eyes?" Sydney asked recalling that Carolyn had also made a comment about her eyes.
Sara said that she would get the photo albums and show Sydney what was so special about her eyes. Jack tried to talk her out of it. He really didn't want to flip through pictures and memories. "Aunt Sara, that's not necessary. Sydney your eyes resemble my mother's." He figured if he gave away the mystery there would be no reason to pull out the photo album.
"You have pictures of my Dad, when he was young?" Sydney asked, ignoring Jack's attempt at a protest.
It could be argued that Jack learned his command techniques from his aunt. She was always directing people to do what she wanted to have done. She was also an expert at ignoring protests. She ordered Jack to sit down at the table. Carolyn was to make sandwiches for lunch. Sara was still using a cane, since she broke her ankle, so she directed Sydney to follow her and help bring in the photo albums.
Jack continued to protest the idea. "Jack, you know it's useless. You know Mamma and her pictures. She flips through at least one album a day. Now sit down and relax."
Jack's mind whirled as he thought of all the reasons he didn't want Sydney to look at the pictures. When he realized that her seeing the pictures was inevitable, he started to sit down. He turned when he heard the backdoor open and a familiar voice calling out. The voice may have been dulled by age, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to. He addressed Carolyn. "Carolyn, where's your mother? I've got her prescriptions here."
Carolyn tried to answer. Her mouth opened, but she didn't know what to say.
The visitor turned and saw Jack. "Sorry, didn't realize you had company."
He looked at Jack. Squinted to be sure he was seeing whom he thought it was. "Jonathan?"
Jack could feel his pulse rate increased, but he didn't say a word.
Sara and Sydney had returned to the kitchen as the two men were still staring at each other.
"Don!" Sara said surprised to see her visitor. Although she found the current situation uncomfortable at least she was able to find her voice. "Look who's here for a visit," she said.
"I see," he said.
"Come in Don, have a seat," Sara instructed. "Carolyn's making some lunch. Why don't you join us?"
"No, I just came by to drop off your medicine. One of the prescriptions wasn't ready. I have to go back later this afternoon. I'll call you and Carolyn can come over and get it."
Then he saw Sydney. He looked at Jack and said, "That little girl of your's turned into quite a beauty. She looks like that mother of hers."
"Her mother had a name." Jack said coldly.
"Stop that you two," Sara ordered. "Now Don, you come sit down."
"No, I got to go to the VFW Hall. We're planning a rally against those war protester's this weekend." Then to Jack he said, "Is that what you're in town for, boy? Help those communist protest the war?"
Jack didn't answer. He walked out of the kitchen and into the dining room. He opened up the door of the wooden chest and took out a bottle of scotch. He poured a shot glass full and drank it down quickly. He stood with his eyes closed as he struggled to get his emotions under control. He was pouring a second glass when Sydney came in.
"Dad, are you all right?" she asked. The last time she had seen him this emotionally upset was when he told her that her mother was still alive.
"I'm fine," he answered her.
"Who was that man?" she asked him.
He drank down the second glass of scotch. "My father," he told her.