Chapter 9 - After The Concert
The music was loud and there weren't many seats empty. Welcome to a concert of the twenty-first century.
After the concert, Jack and Jake were back home. Janet was sleeping and everything looked like it was under control. Jake rushed up the stairs to his room and Jack went to meet Janet.
"Hey! How was the concert?" said Janet, half sleeping and half awake.
"I think I lost some hearing in my left ear." Jack said. Janet laughed.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey. I guess you just gotta keep up with the times!" She winked and went back to sleep.
The next day, Janet woke up and went downstairs to watch some Saturday morning TV. She was surprised to see Jake already sitting on the couch, eating cereal.
"Jacob? What are you doing up so early?"
"Maybe I can catch a good movie on TV."
"Well, that's what I thought I would do."
"Come. Sit."
"OK, I feel like a dog, though."
"You're not a dog, Ma."
"I'm not?"
"No! I'm surprised you didn't know that..."
"Hey, Jacob, why are you being so nice to me?"
"You want the truth?"
"Whatever sounds more believable"
"Well, Ma, I wanted to spend more time with you. You think I had a good time last night at that concert?"
"You mean you didn't?"
"I did! I did! I just think it would've been better with you sitting next to me."
"Aww, thank you Jacob!" Janet hugged Jake and Jake tried to get away.
"Now, Ma, what do you wanna watch?"
"There's this show on Tuesday, Five Simple Rules or somethin' like that."
"Eight, Ma."
"Whatever"
Jake smiled at Janet. "You never said that before..."
"I'm trying to be hip. I was watching MTV and taking notes."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Wow, you people changed since when I was a girl"
"You know, I never thought about it that way..."
Janet had Jake right where she wanted him. "Jacob?"
"Yeah ma?"
"Do you like me? I mean, not as a mother, but as a close friend? Someone who you can share all your problems with?"
"Yeah. But, don't tell me your problems, OK?"
"OK, I understand. Do you want me to leave?"
"No. Stay."
So, they stayed on the couch. Jack was sleeping, like usual. Janet felt like going back to sleep, too. And she did. She woke up around 2:00pm and noticed that she was two hours late for work. So, she went over to the phone, and she was going to call and say she was sick.
"No, it's too late to say that." she said to herself. "But, what if {owner of flower shop} thinks that I passed away? And, he'll make funeral arrangements and invite my family and then I'm going to have to say that I'm not dead. Why, oh why did I fall asleep? Janet, you're killing yourself over nothing! Leave it alone! Oh my, it's Saturday! I don't even go to work today! JANET! Take a chill-pill! Haha! I always wanted to say that!" She chuckled a bit and went upstairs to see if Jack was still sleeping. "Take a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. There, feel better? Look, there's Jack watching TV. There's nothing to worry about! Should I go to a doctor? No! I can't! Then he'll say I'm pregnant again! I can't be pregnant! I'm too old to be pregnant! I already have one child! Another one won't make me any happier!"
"Janet, are you OK? You look so pensive! Deja vu..."
"Deja vu?"
"Remember when we had Christmas with the Ropers?"
"Yes..."
"And Mrs. Roper said I looked pensive?"
"Yes..."
"Do you remember what I said?"
"Oh, I'm just thinking of whale-gutting in the arctic."
"Oh my God, you remember?"
"Of course I do! I'll never forget Christmases with the Ropers'"
"There was only one!"
"Well, that's why I remember them!" Janet chuckled to herself. "How was your sleep?"
"Long, but good."
"Do you know you sleep like a bear?"
"Meaning?"
Janet growled, to explain how Jack sleeps.
"Oh, I love it when you growl!"
"So, Jack, what are you watching?"
"Discovery Channel has the life of elephants. There is absolutely nothing on TV."
"I know what you mean. Hey, I think there's a John Ritter movie on HBO."
"Really? Which one?"
"Problem Child. He plays a guy that adopts a child with his wife. And the boy is an annoying little brat. Did you know that the person that plays his wife is his actual wife?"
"I've never even heard of the movie. It sounds interesting."
"Yeah, I saw it once before."
Day grew into night and Jack & Janet haven't moved since 2:00pm. Janet didn't need an expensive dinner, or a diamond necklace. All she wanted was to be with Jack. And for Jake to love her, not only as family, but as a close friend.
The music was loud and there weren't many seats empty. Welcome to a concert of the twenty-first century.
After the concert, Jack and Jake were back home. Janet was sleeping and everything looked like it was under control. Jake rushed up the stairs to his room and Jack went to meet Janet.
"Hey! How was the concert?" said Janet, half sleeping and half awake.
"I think I lost some hearing in my left ear." Jack said. Janet laughed.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey. I guess you just gotta keep up with the times!" She winked and went back to sleep.
The next day, Janet woke up and went downstairs to watch some Saturday morning TV. She was surprised to see Jake already sitting on the couch, eating cereal.
"Jacob? What are you doing up so early?"
"Maybe I can catch a good movie on TV."
"Well, that's what I thought I would do."
"Come. Sit."
"OK, I feel like a dog, though."
"You're not a dog, Ma."
"I'm not?"
"No! I'm surprised you didn't know that..."
"Hey, Jacob, why are you being so nice to me?"
"You want the truth?"
"Whatever sounds more believable"
"Well, Ma, I wanted to spend more time with you. You think I had a good time last night at that concert?"
"You mean you didn't?"
"I did! I did! I just think it would've been better with you sitting next to me."
"Aww, thank you Jacob!" Janet hugged Jake and Jake tried to get away.
"Now, Ma, what do you wanna watch?"
"There's this show on Tuesday, Five Simple Rules or somethin' like that."
"Eight, Ma."
"Whatever"
Jake smiled at Janet. "You never said that before..."
"I'm trying to be hip. I was watching MTV and taking notes."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Wow, you people changed since when I was a girl"
"You know, I never thought about it that way..."
Janet had Jake right where she wanted him. "Jacob?"
"Yeah ma?"
"Do you like me? I mean, not as a mother, but as a close friend? Someone who you can share all your problems with?"
"Yeah. But, don't tell me your problems, OK?"
"OK, I understand. Do you want me to leave?"
"No. Stay."
So, they stayed on the couch. Jack was sleeping, like usual. Janet felt like going back to sleep, too. And she did. She woke up around 2:00pm and noticed that she was two hours late for work. So, she went over to the phone, and she was going to call and say she was sick.
"No, it's too late to say that." she said to herself. "But, what if {owner of flower shop} thinks that I passed away? And, he'll make funeral arrangements and invite my family and then I'm going to have to say that I'm not dead. Why, oh why did I fall asleep? Janet, you're killing yourself over nothing! Leave it alone! Oh my, it's Saturday! I don't even go to work today! JANET! Take a chill-pill! Haha! I always wanted to say that!" She chuckled a bit and went upstairs to see if Jack was still sleeping. "Take a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. There, feel better? Look, there's Jack watching TV. There's nothing to worry about! Should I go to a doctor? No! I can't! Then he'll say I'm pregnant again! I can't be pregnant! I'm too old to be pregnant! I already have one child! Another one won't make me any happier!"
"Janet, are you OK? You look so pensive! Deja vu..."
"Deja vu?"
"Remember when we had Christmas with the Ropers?"
"Yes..."
"And Mrs. Roper said I looked pensive?"
"Yes..."
"Do you remember what I said?"
"Oh, I'm just thinking of whale-gutting in the arctic."
"Oh my God, you remember?"
"Of course I do! I'll never forget Christmases with the Ropers'"
"There was only one!"
"Well, that's why I remember them!" Janet chuckled to herself. "How was your sleep?"
"Long, but good."
"Do you know you sleep like a bear?"
"Meaning?"
Janet growled, to explain how Jack sleeps.
"Oh, I love it when you growl!"
"So, Jack, what are you watching?"
"Discovery Channel has the life of elephants. There is absolutely nothing on TV."
"I know what you mean. Hey, I think there's a John Ritter movie on HBO."
"Really? Which one?"
"Problem Child. He plays a guy that adopts a child with his wife. And the boy is an annoying little brat. Did you know that the person that plays his wife is his actual wife?"
"I've never even heard of the movie. It sounds interesting."
"Yeah, I saw it once before."
Day grew into night and Jack & Janet haven't moved since 2:00pm. Janet didn't need an expensive dinner, or a diamond necklace. All she wanted was to be with Jack. And for Jake to love her, not only as family, but as a close friend.