Series: Snapshots of the Past
Series: Snapshots of the Past
Story: The Nobel Laureate
Chapter 35
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: Abbey tried to convince Jed that she carved five crescents into the soles of his patent leather shoes as the Swedish sign for good luck; Jed received his Nobel Prize
Summary: Jed and Abbey are off to the Nobel Banquet
After the ceremony, Abbey navigated her daughters through the crowd around a large pavilion where the laureates had gathered for more group pictures and press interviews. When they spotted Jed, the girls picked up their pace. Abbey and Zoey led the way, holding hands with Liz and Ellie to form a human chain and maneuver their path more quickly. They moved so fast that Jed never even heard them until he unsuspectingly turned around just as Zoey began to run towards him.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
"Hey, Sweetheart!" He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
"That was really cool, Dad."
"Congratulations, Daddy!"
"All right, let me in here." Abbey bypassed Ellie and Liz to get closer to her husband. "Cool is an understatement."
"Yeah?" He raised one brow.
"Yeah. I've never been more proud of you." Her eyes held his for several seconds in a mutual glance of adoration and respect, a sincere pledge of devotion, and an intimate gaze spilling with desire. It was a look they had perfected over the years, so innocent that even in a room full of people, only they could break the code.
"Can I see the medal, Daddy?"
Jed reluctantly turned from his wife to hand Ellie the red wooden box that contained his medal and when he did, she and Liz traced the delicate rim with their fingers. They were in awe of this prize, such a coveted symbol of recognition inscribed with their father's name. It shined under the domed lamps of the Concert Hall and sparkled on a bed of red satin as cameras flashed above it.
As the girls admired the medal, Abbey admired Jed. Her stare had remained static, undisturbed even when he tended to Ellie. In his white tie and tails, he looked like all the other Nobel Laureates, so poised and professional, regardless of the fact that he was holding a squirming three-year-old in his arms. Only she could see the stagnant tears that glossed his baby blue orbs that night. She took his hand and squeezed his palm, acknowledging without ever speaking a word that she knew his heart was swelling, not from the pride of his own accomplishment, but from the genuine love and support he felt radiating from his wife and daughters.
"Dr. Bartlet?" When the official Nobel photographer called out to him, Liz and Ellie broke the circle they had formed with their mother to let Jed through.
"Yes?"
"How about a shot of all five of you?"
"I was hoping you'd ask!"
Jed accompanied his family towards the white pavilion garnished with strings of white lace and red roses. He set Zoey down on the top step so he could pull on his jacket to soften the kinks. Abbey straightened his tie, running her fingers gently through his hair when she was done.
"It's fine," he mumbled.
"I want it to be better than fine. For this picture, it's gotta be perfect." She dusted his shoulders before she dropped her hands down his chest. "There."
Jed wrapped his arm around her waist then, inviting her to press herself into his frame. Lizzie made her way to Jed's other side and Ellie and Zoey stood just in front of them.
"Can I hold the medal?" Ellie tipped her head back to ask her father that question.
"I wanna hold it!" Zoey protested.
"No, Zo. I asked first."
"Girls..." Abbey interjected.
"I asked first. I should get to hold it."
"Nuh uh!" Zoey argued.
"Uh huh," Ellie replied.
"Nuh uh!"
"Uh huh!"
"All right, knock it off." Jed opened the presentation box and placed it between them so Zoey could hold one end and Ellie the other. "Better?"
Content, Zoey and Ellie nodded as they turned to the camera.
A little while later, spectators watched as the laureates and their spouses were escorted out the front entrance of the Concert Hall and taken to their individual limos. Ellie and Zoey were picked up at the curb and taken back to the Grand Hotel for a special party held for the children of all the dignitaries, while Liz and Sven strolled along the velvet ropes. Having persuaded her parents to let her attend the Nobel-sponsored teen dance in an adjoining room at City Hall, Liz held Sven's hand all the way to the limo.
Trailing behind the teen couple, Jed kept one eye on them as he helped Abbey with the blue silk wrap that covered her bare arms from the scrutiny of the December cold. "I thought the rule was no touching."
"Leave them alone," Abbey warned him.
"Hey, if she gets to go out with him tonight, I get to have fun with them. That was the deal."
"What deal?"
"The deal I made with myself." Jed smiled triumphantly, climbing into the backseat. The truth was he liked Sven. He respected him for his maturity, secretly praised him for his intellect, and most importantly, applauded him for the way he treated Liz. That didn't mean he didn't enjoy yanking his chain though. "Who's up for a round of trivial pursuit?"
"It's a ten-minute drive, Dad."
"Do you have a game board?" Sven asked.
"There is no game board. When my dad says trivial pursuit, what he really means is he wants to grill you on random trivia."
"Why?"
"For fun."
A parade of headlights illuminated the night as the cars started the short journey through the secured streets of Stockholm towards the City Hall, the site of the Nobel banquet and ball. During the ride, Sven confidently accepted Jed's challenge. Schooled in a myriad of topics from world religion to history to international literature, he proved that though he had hopscotched across Europe in his youth, his education hadn't suffered.
Just as quickly as Jed threw out questions, Sven fired back answers.
"What's the hottest planet in our solar system?"
"Venus."
Jed frowned. "Why not Mercury? It's the closest to the sun."
"Because Mercury has no atmosphere. Venus's atmosphere is composed of carbon dioxide so it can welcome heat without letting it escape into space."
He was so sure Sven wouldn't have an explanation that when he did, Jed simply grumbled, "Good guess."
"It was more than a guess, Dad. Sven is very bright." Lizzie smiled at her date, prompting Jed to scan the wealth of knowledge stored in his brain.
"Let's see how much you know about women's suffrage in 1920s America."
"Jed."
Jed acknowledged his wife. "What?"
"Don't."
"He's having fun."
"He's not having fun."
"Of course he's having fun."
"You're the only one having fun," Abbey said as she furiously flipped through the pages of her Swedish-English dictionary.
"That's not true, Cupcake. And if you'd put that away, you'd realize trivia can, in fact, be fun."
"I'm not putting it away. And don't call me Cupcake."
"What is it you're doing anyway?"
"I'm trying to figure out exactly what it was King Gustaf was saying when he presented you with your medal."
"Don't bother. Even I don't know."
"And here I thought you were learning Swedish just for this moment. I can't believe it doesn't bother you that you don't know what he said."
"It does bug me. It'll be the first thing I look for when I look at the tape. But standing before the King, Abbey, I'll tell you, it was incredible. I could barely concentrate on anything but making sure I stepped backwards properly without falling down when he was finished."
"Dad, how come they had you walking backwards after you got your prize?" Lizzie asked.
"It's to show respect. You don't turn your back on the King."
"Dr. Bartlet, you were one of the most graceful laureates I've ever seen."
Jed smiled at Sven and in a playful voice, he teased the boy. "I already said my daughter can go to the dance with you. There's no need to suck up."
"But I haven't asked if I can take her out for dessert yet," Sven teased back.
His grin now fading into a more serious expression, Jed shook his head. "Don't push your luck."
The long line of limos finally arrived at a path lit by torches in the hands of Swedish Boy Scouts. The scouts greeted each laureate on the way to a private entrance above the Blue Room of the Stockholm City Hall. There, those who would be sitting at the Royal Table were assembled and prepared to meet the King and Queen.
Jed slowly paced in small steps beside Abbey. His hands stuffed in his pockets, he noticed her staring at him. "What?"
"Are you nervous?"
"No. I'm just going over my acceptance speech in my head."
"What else?"
"I'm wondering what Liz and Sven are up to."
"We just got here, Jed. They probably haven't even taken off their coats. Besides, you already appointed Alexander your spy for the evening."
"Chaperone, Abbey. Not spy. Young girls should always have chaperones."
"So you've said." She looked at him and asked, "You think Ellie and Zoey are having a good time?"
"Are you kidding? Ellie couldn't wait for tonight, and anything she's excited about gets Zoey excited. I think they're going to have more fun than we are."
"I just hope they're not bored."
"They would be a lot more bored at the banquet. That's why no one brings their kids."
"I know, but Zoey's at that age. She's going to miss us."
"Not with Ellie there. They were looking forward to having their own party somewhere where they can eat pizza and chow down on hamburgers and french fries with their fingers instead of having to worry about which fork to use for the appetizers before the marinated reindeer arrives."
"There's no way Ellie would eat reindeer."
"She'd protest if she knew we were eating it." He laughed at the thought. "We'll call them after dinner."
"I should have known."
"What?"
"You were planning to call them all along, weren't you? You were thinking about them just as much as I was."
"I just want to make sure they're not getting into any mischief."
"You want to make sure they're being spoiled rotten."
He shrugged. "It's a special night."
"Yes, it is," Abbey said simply.
As she returned his smile once again, King Carl Gustaf XVI and his wife, Queen Sylvia entered the room amid their security detail. The King shook the hand of each laureate and his companion, then took his place at the front of procession.
"Ready?" Jed asked Abbey when the music began to play.
"To accompany the most handsome laureate in the joint? I've been ready for this for quite a while."
Abbey ruffled her ball gown to keep it from dragging under her feet, then tucked her hand into the crook of her husband's arm so they could begin to descent the dazzling three-flight marble staircase overlooking a sea of more than 1,300 guests applauding at their arrival. Allegro Maestoso from Mozart's Serenade No. 7, the "Haffner," played throughout the building and in the Blue Room, where a rectangular table large enough to accommodate 120 people sat in the center of smaller tables all trimmed with gold and silver tableware on top of champagne tablecloths that shimmered under the glow of a hundred chandeliers, Jed surveyed the crowd for their friends and family.
He made direct eye contact with Leo before he hit the middle landing and with a nod to his friend, he assured him that his fear of slipping in his patent leather shoes was a distant memory now.
"By the way," he whispered to Abbey. "A row of crescents means good luck. True or false?"
"I thought you didn't believe in superstitions," she whispered back.
"It has nothing to do with the superstition. I just want to know if you lied to me." She replied with a wink. "I knew it!"
"I had a good reason."
"Of course you did...Cupcake."
Annoyed at the nickname he couldn't quite give up, Abbey tightened her arm around his as the Bartlets reached the bottom platform. That's where they separated. On the arm of Prince William of Denmark, Abbey continued the rest of the way to the Royal Table, which stretched from the back of the hall down a narrow aisle towards the stage, while Jed was greeted by 18-year-old Princess Nikolina, his official escort to the banquet.
"Doctor Josiah Bartlet. It's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is all mine, Your Royal Highness," Jed said, a little surprised by the air of confidence and grace that surrounded such a young woman.
They walked with ease to their seats. Smoothly. Elegantly. Just slow enough for the cameras to chronicle every step. The Princess took her seat first and when Jed pushed in her chair, he sat next to her in the chair directly across from his wife. Prince William was seated to Abbey's right and Countess Cristina sat to her left.
As Abbey juggled two separate conversations about world affairs over a course of baked Baltic herring appetizers, on the other side of the table, Jed realized just how skillfully Princess Nikolina used her charm.
"So will you do it, Dr. Bartlet?"
"You want me to persuade your parents - the King and Queen of Norway - to let you attend school in America?"
"Yeah. Nobel Prize winners are the smartest men and women in the world! They think you're a genius. They would want me to study under you."
"Okay, okay. No need to pile on the flattery." Jed bowed his head to hide the rosy flush that colored his cheeks.
"It's all true. They even went to your lecture the day before yesterday and haven't stopped talking about you since."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll do it! Please! I really want to study in Boston."
"I think that would be..." When her words sunk in, he corrected her. "Wait, I don't teach in Boston. I teach in New Hampshire.
"Is that close to Boston?"
"Yes."
"Really close?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll study in New Hampshire."
"Why did you think I taught in Boston?"
"I dunno. But if you're close to Boston, I guess that'll be okay."
"You know, I get the feeling you're more excited about something other than going away to school. What's going on?"
"Okay, but shhh." She leaned to quietly say, "My boyfriend...he's an exchange student from America and his family is in Boston."
"And you want to go to Boston so you can be with him."
She gave him a bashful grin. "Will you talk to my parents?"
Thinking about their own daughters and Jed's overprotective nature, Abbey snickered at his predicament. The father in him railed against this favor, but the laureate in him found it difficult to reject the Princess's plea. His only reaction was to throw his wife an unamused glare, one that made her laugh just a little harder.
Following a meal of thyme-marinated reindeer in port wine sauce for dinner and coffee-chocolate cream served with the official Nobel parfait for dessert, the laureates each took the podium. While most made remarks about the research that brought them to Stockholm, Jed chose a different path. His speech was personal.
"Your Royal Highness, Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, Members of the Swedish Academy, Ladies and Gentlemen...over the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about the Nobel Prize and about whether or not my research was truly worthy of such an honor. At first, I didn't believe it was, but hey, you've convinced me..."
He paused briefly and when he spoke again, his voice held a more serious edge.
"I do believe in my heart of hearts that even the simplest economic policies can give birth to political freedom. Nations that are struggling now can find the formula for a prosperous future and we should help them do that because as I tell my students, we never know how the pendulum will swing. The countries that need our help today may be the countries that help us tomorrow. Now I could spend the next few minutes trying to convince you of this, but something tells me that's probably not what you want to listen to tonight."
The crowd chuckled in agreement.
"So instead, if you'll give me the time, I'd like to share a story about something that happened the day I found out I had been chosen to receive this award. See, in my house, my wife and I ask our kids to bring a current events item to the dinner table every night for discussion. Back in October when the announcement of this year's Nobel Laureates made the papers, my daughter Ellie decided to report on the winners. We talked about the theories and discoveries of the laureates, about what it was that caught the attention of the prize committee, and afterwards, she asked me about Alfred Nobel. She wanted to know why he pledged his wealth to celebrating achievements in science, literature, and economics. I only knew a little about Dr. Nobel at that time and so I told her what I knew - that he spoke of his goal to promote ideas...and if, out of a thousand ideas, only one turned out to be good, he'd say he was satisfied. I've learned a lot more about Dr. Nobel since then, but no matter what I know now, the fact I treasure the most about his legacy is the fact I shared with Ellie - his philosophy and commitment to ideas. As I look around at my fellow laureates, that's exactly what I see. They had brilliant ideas they put to the test. They took risks in their theories and they transformed those ideas into remarkable discoveries and essays and writings that will indeed lead to the betterment of humanity. That's what this award is all about and for that reason, I'm incredibly honored and unbelievably humbled to be standing among them this evening."
Abbey's soft clap led a round of roaring applause.
"Before the sound techs cut my mic, I just have to wrap it up by thanking the prize committee, the Nobel Foundation, Dr. Adam Housley, professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, for submitting my articles, Dean Callaway for representing Dartmouth, my colleagues in the New Hampshire State House, and all my family and friends for traveling so many miles to share this moment with me. My brother Jack and his family, my friends Leo and Jenny and Millie and Richard, my sister-in-law Kate and her family, and my mother and father-in-law James and Mary Barrington. Thank you. Even though they're not here, I have to mention my three beautiful daughters who've brought so much joy to my life. And last but certainly not least, I have to thank my amazing wife, Abigail. She's sitting right over there, looking as gorgeous as ever. She's the most important person in the world to me and she played an instrumental role in this accomplishment. Abbey...Sweetheart, I wouldn't be up here without you. Thank you for loving me, inspiring me, encouraging me, motivating me, and standing by me all these years. I love you so much!"
He walked down the slope of the platform, his eyes glued to his wife's form as she rose from her seat and walked towards him. Before he had made it past the golden arch onto the main floor, Abbey grabbed him and yanked him into an embrace so tight that his mouth collided with hers as soon as she claimed him. He picked her up off the ground and spun her around in his arms, their lips still locked, oblivious to the dozen photographers and the flurry of flashes that surrounded them.
TBC