Chapter 5 – The Dinner Party

Drs. Hartley and Bellows met up again on the third day of the convention, in the workshop about Patient Delusions. After the presenter spoke, he fielded questions from the doctors in attendance. Both Bob and Alfred asked questions that showed they were not just trying to learn about the treatment of a disorder – they were trying to see if the presenter happened to believe in things such as witches or genies. At the end of the seminar, they sat down in the hallway.

"Do you have a patient who thinks he has seen a genie?" Alfred asked Bob.

"Well….to be honest….yes. He believes that this genie – blinked into his workplace and sat in his lap. A girl genie. A very PRETTY one, no less. And you?"

"I have two astronauts who have strange things happen to them – and in sitting in this workshop, I'm now wondering if they have a – believe in genies or witches or something."

Neither man wanted to give away the identity of their patient, now.

Roger Healey greeted the Bellows and the Hartleys at his door, and brought them into the home. Emily looked around the house, which was lovely and obviously decorated by a woman with good taste. There were a few indications that a child lived there as well, by a few toys in the corner and a child-drawn picture tacked to a small bulletin board that had "I (heart) U" on it, but the child was nowhere in sight. Emily went into the kitchen to see if she could help Tracy, and came across another young couple in there, with two children.

"Oh, Mrs. Hartley, welcome!" Tracy told her. "I didn't know you had arrived. Emily Hartley, this is my brother Tony Nelson, his wife Jeannie, and these two tornadoes are their children, Janae and T.J." She indicated the two children who were busy in one corner twirling themselves around, making themselves dizzy and then laughing about it.

"I am pleased to meet you," Jeannie shook Emily's hand, and then turned to her children. "Janae, T.J., go up to Skylar's room and play, please."

"I'm glad to meet you too," Tony said.

Emily was awed. She didn't expect to meet TWO astronauts that had stepped on the moon. "It's my pleasure."

In the meantime, Janae did something that caught Emily's eye. She pulled her brother in to her side and was about to assume a strange position. Jeannie caught what she was doing and said, "Janae. The NORMAL way, Daughter."

"Yes, Mama, I'm sorry, Mama." Janae hung her head and took her little brother by the hand, and left the room.

"I'm sorry about that," Tony apologized, almost superfluously, though. "She gets in the most – giddy – moods, sometimes."

"How old are the children?" Emily asked.

"T.J. is four, and Janae just turned 7," Tony replied.

"Oh, going into kindergarten and second grade?" Emily, ever the teacher, had to ask.

"My wife teaches both children at home. Janae just finished the third grader's math curriculum and reads the fourth grade reader. T.J. just finished the second grade math workbook and will read anything about airplanes that we give him." Tony was obviously very proud of his children's accomplishments.

"That's very impressive, Colonel," Emily said.

The group, except for Tracy, had gathered in the living room, once the children were safely upstairs playing. They were in the midst of an animated discussion about things to see and do in the Houston area, when the doorbell rang. Roger looked at it, puzzled. He didn't think Tracy had invited anyone else. As he stood up to answer the door, Tracy came flying in from the kitchen.

"I'll get it. I meant to tell you, Roger, I got a phone call about two hours ago. Don't be too amazed, all right, honey?" she said.

A six-foot tall man resembling Roger Healey walked through the door, wearing an airline navigator's uniform and carrying a small flight bag. He gave Tracy a hug. "Thanks for inviting me, Mrs. Healey." He looked at the group assembled and grinned. "Wow. I can't believe this! I know everybody here except you two!" he said as he came into the living room, staring at Dr and Mrs. Bellows, first.

"I guess I better introduce you to the ones you DON'T know, Howard," Tracy giggled. "You've met my husband, but I don't think he was cognizant of anyone else at the time. Howard Borden, meet Roger Healey."

The two men stared at each other while others looked on. Howard spoke first. "Everyone says you look like me. I can't see it."

Roger shook his head, "Me either."

Emily broke up in laughter. "Then why can everyone else see it? Howard, what are you doing here?"

Howard did his usual airhead routine. "Emily? What are you doing here? Bob, is that you? I'm in Houston, right? Not in Chicago!"

Bob hid a smile. "I met Dr Alfred Bellows at the convention. He's the chief psychiatrist at NASA, and we hit it off immediately. And I happen to agree, the two of you could be identical twins."

Roger looked over at Dr Bellows, who nodded and said, "Yes, Colonel Healey, they do say everyone in the world has a double. There's yours, and he flies too. Lands, what IS this world coming to!"

Introductions to the Bellows went forth. Then Roger invited Howard into the kitchen for a moment, wanting to ask him a few questions about how he happened to be found, and to say a quiet word of thanks. The two were facing each other as the kitchen door opened and Roger's four year old daughter walked in.

"Daddy, can I have a glass –," Skylar stopped, suddenly, looking from one man to another. "But – which is - MOMMY! There's TWO daddies in here!" She ran screaming into the living room, and both Roger and Howard cracked up.

Roger spoke first. "I think my daughter just told me what neither of us wanted to admit. Maybe we DO look alike!"

"Maybe," Howard said.

"Do you have any children?"

"Yes, I have a son. He's 10, and his name's Howard, like me," Howard explained. "And your little girl – she's so cute – I've always wondered what it would be like to have a daughter, but I'm divorced."

"Just once?"

"Yes. Howie lives with his mother."

"Well, I've been divorced once, but I remarried Tracy. We're trying to make it work, for Skylar's sake."

While the two men were standing there, Janae suddenly materialized out of nowhere, or so Howard thought. Howard stood there amazed as Roger just looked at Janae and said, "Yes, sweetie?" as if he didn't notice how strangely she'd arrived.

"Skylar came down here looking for a glass of milk. Where'd she go?" Janae said, then noticed Howard. "Oh, hello, Mr. Borden. Wow! You and Uncle Roger DO look alike, see!"

"Janae, then, how did you know which one was me, and which one was Mr. Borden?" Roger was curious.

"Oh, Uncle Roger, I don't think you can know that."

"Honey, your parents and I have been bosom friends for years. You can tell me about anything."

"Well, I have really good eyesight," Janae whispered.

Howard looked puzzled, but Roger looked at Janae. "And what is it that you see?"

She whispered even quieter, "Your – um – underwear. I think your name is sewn on them."

Roger looked a little embarrassed. "Yes – um – Tracy bought those for me."

"They're awfully little underwear, Uncle Roger." Roger blushed.

Howard cracked up laughing. "And anything about me that you see, young lady?"

"Well, I don't know you as well – Uncle Roger?"

"Go ahead, sweetie, I think your mother has blinked him all over."

"You have a note in your pocket, Mr. Borden, that says 'Howard Borden' and a lot of times on it," Janae told him. "And besides, your uniform is a different color from Uncle Roger's. His is green."

Howard reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper that Janae was talking about. "That's my work schedule. You can really SEE all that?" Howard was incredulous.

The two men laughed again. "Yes, Janae has incredible eyesight, for a little genie." To Janae, Roger said, "I think we made Skylar a little scared, honey. She's probably in with Aunt Tracy. But Janae, please WALK in there? Dr. and Mrs. Bellows are there, along with some other people you haven't met yet." But it was too late. Janae already blinked and popped out.

Janae blinked into the living room and then looked around, realizing that she'd just made a BIG mistake. She was used to being able to blink anywhere she wanted in her own house or Aunt Tracy's and Uncle Roger's, only being careful around certain people. She wasn't aware that there were going to be uninformed humans at the dinner tonight!

Bob, Emily, Dr Bellows, and Mrs. Bellows all stared at the little girl who seemingly arrived out of nowhere. Tony and Tracy, with Skylar in her lap, got nervous. Jeannie surprised Tony and Tracy by immediately taking charge of the situation.

"Janae Antoinette Nelson," she said in a voice that Janae hadn't heard very often. Jeannie stood up and took Janae by the hand. "To the kitchen. NOW."

Janae trembled. "But, Mama, I…."

"The kitchen, Daughter."

As the two went into the kitchen, Roger and Howard came out of the kitchen to join the rest of the group. Tony commented, rather nervously, "My daughter occasionally forgets that she doesn't belong in the middle of adult conversations."

Dr. Bellows looked at Tony and said, "But she just … popped in from nowhere!"

Roger, from behind Dr. Bellows said, "Oh, she was just in the kitchen. That's hardly 'nowhere'. Though you may not believe that when you're trying to find the homemade cookies that Tracy just hid." Tracy grinned at him and threw a living room pillow at him, which he expertly caught and pitched back at her before sitting next to her on the sofa and sneaking a nibble on her earlobe. Everyone else noticed and smiled.

It was obvious to Dr. and Mrs. Bellows that there was young love all around them. Tony and Jeannie occasionally stole passionate, loving glances at each other, then worried looks at their children. Bob and Emily Hartley obviously had a special love for one another and a respect for their surroundings at the same time. Roger and Tracy were evidently reveling in being together again after Roger's unfortunate incident, but keeping their obvious passion for each other to a playful mode, with guests in the home.

Howard, on the other hand, didn't seem to be bothered by being the odd man out. Several times during the evening, he got down on the floor and played with one or all three of the children. T.J. had him playing with toy planes, so Howard showed him how he had flown some during the post-Korean war days. He was more comfortable with the planes than he was with Janae's and Skylar's dolls, but both Dr Hartley and Dr Bellows thought that he'd enjoy them more if he'd had a daughter of his own.

At the dinner table, which was very full, the adults were having a conversation about NASA's future, since Emily had asked if they could talk about any of NASA's plans. T.J. was trying to get his father's attention so that he could have more chicken. When he failed, he decided to do the only thing that would work at home – he squealed. He got the adults' attention when the platter of chicken raised six-inches above the table and seemingly floated down the table. Roger instinctively grabbed it as it went by him.

"Anyone want more chicken?" he asked.

"Me, Uncle Roger. Please?" T.J. requested.

Tony glared at his son as Dr Bellows, Amanda, and Emily began to exclaim over the floating meat platter. T.J. looked sheepish and then helped himself, the normal way, to another slice of chicken.

"What" Emily asked, puzzled.

"Oh, this is NOTHING compared to things I've seen!" Dr Bellows stated. "I'd just like to know HOW that happened!"

"How WHAT happened, sir?" Tony asked. Bob looked at him, and knew he was nervous.

"That platter just went floating by!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Just an experiment, sir, to see who's awake and ready for dessert, maybe," Tony tried to keep everyone from asking.

"Nonsense, Colonel. One of these days, I'm going to catch you in the act of whatever it is you do, and we will be having a LONG session!" Dr Bellows stated.

The children stayed at the table to have dessert, but the adults were invited to have dessert and coffee in the living room. Tracy was serving pie.

Emily took several bites of the pie. "This is the best apple pie I've ever tasted! Tracy, you must have the best recipes!"

Tracy blushed. "Thank you. But I can't take any credit for the pie – Jeannie brought it over."

"It is a recipe that I entered in a baking contest last year," Jeannie explained.

From the dining room table, Janae commented, "We ate apple pie every night for a whole week before Mama got the recipe right!" The adults all laughed.

Emily leaned over to Tracy and whispered, "Bob doesn't usually care much for chicken, but I noticed he ate two slices of yours tonight. That's a compliment to you." Tracy blushed again.

At the end of the evening, Tony and Jeannie and the children were the first to leave. Jeannie went outside first, then came back in carrying four small boxes. "These are gifts for everyone here." She handed each a box. Roger opened the Healey box and his eyes got wide.

"Pipchicks! Cool! Thanks, Jeannie!" he said.

"JEANNIE!" Tony Nelson obviously was annoyed, and led his family out the door to a chorus of goodbyes and thank you's for the dinner.

"What are Pipchicks?" Howard asked.

"A candy that she makes. Just be careful, and don't eat too many at once," Tracy replied. "And I don't have her recipe for this."

Roger, remembering the truckload of dates that Tony had to pit once, said, "Believe me, Trace honey, you don't want that recipe!"