JUNE 3, 2009 – Henry
Jamie Reagan sat at a small table in Owls Head Park. He glanced down at his wristwatch. 12:30PM. Right when he had arranged to meet his grandfather for lunch. He looked at the hot dogs and sodas sitting on the table in front of him and suddenly regretted buying them. The aromas drifting off the food and the nervous butterflies in his stomach were not getting along. Finally, he saw his grandfather walk into the park.
"Grandpop!" Jamie stood up and waved to his grandfather. He watched as Henry slowly made his way over to the park table. His grandfather had taken to using a cane more and more often this past month. Said he was suddenly feeling old.
"Hello, Grandson. I see you still know how to treat an old man," Henry joked as he noticed to two fully-dressed hot dogs on the table.
"I know what you like for lunch, Pop."
The next half hour was occupied with eating lunch and small talk about family, the weather, the state of affairs within the police department. Finally, Henry sat back and studied his youngest grandson. "So, you want to tell me what this is really about, Jamie?"
Jamie tried his best innocent look. "Can't I want to spend some time with my grandfather?"
"I'm not complaining. But you're at a busy time in your life right now, with the Bar exam prep every morning and working at that law firm in the afternoons. And you're jumpier than ninety percent of the perps I interrogated. So what's up?"
Jamie smiled at his grandfather's description. "I've been thinking about something," he began, then paused. He'd done a little more than think.
"Spit it out, kid," Henry urged.
"Yeah, kid. Spit it out. And sit up straight when you do it," Joe told his brother. He rested his hands above Jamie's shoulders and moved them back. "Chin up, shoulders back."
Jamie shifted in his seat, straightening his back, squaring his shoulders. "I've applied to the Academy, for the September intake." Jamie didn't say what academy. In this family, there was only one.
Henry looked at him for a few seconds. "Damn, kid. It's about time you figured it out."
Jamie laughed even as tears sprang to his eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Jamie forced down the tears. "That was just about Joe's reaction when I told him."
"Well, Joe is smart. Was. Damn it."
"Damn it." Jamie repeated. He took a minute to try to compose himself. "He also said I should come to you next, before I went to Dad or the rest of the family."
"Well, he was right about that. They're gonna give you all kinds of hell. Especially now. But I'm proud of you, and they will be too, eventually." Henry looked down at his cane. "I'm gonna need to get rid of this thing. There's a lot I need to teach you."
"You really do need to ditch the cane, Pops. Makes you look like an old man," Joe informed his grandfather. "And you've got a lot to teach Jamie to keep him safe. That cane's just going to get in your way."
"Grandpop, isn't that what the Academy is for?"
"Pish. They don't teach you what you really need to know. That's what us old farts are for. To teach you the important stuff."
"Like where to find the best hot dogs?"
Henry raised his cane toward Jamie. "You watch it, you little smart-mouthed young'un," he teased. "So, Jamie, when do you plan to tell your father?"
Jamie smiled nervously. "Soon. I hoped you be there when I did."
"Tell me when and where, kid. I'll be there." Henry promised.