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Linka won't just be meeting Mom and Dad, but everyone. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…and that part makes me nervous…Ma and Pop, Gram and Pap, and my aunts and uncles will be cool…it's my cousins that I'm worried about. I already know Joey likes Linka, but Kristen and Kate have never liked any of my girlfriends…until Trish. They loved Trish. I never understood why the three of them got along so well. They couldn't be more different. I guess it's because the kids from the suburbs are always fascinated by the kids in the city. They think "it must be so exciting to live there. There's always so much going on." On the other hand, us city kids long for a quiet life in the 'burbs. To have a yard to play in or a dog to play with…that sounds like a more exciting life to me! I guess the ol' cliché is true; the grass always looks greener on the other side. Hell, at least they HAVE grass. Maybe a more appropriate analogy would be "the sidewalks have less trash" on the other side!
Anyways, when Trish and I broke up, I guess Kate and Kristen lost touch with her. I don't know why. I wouldn't have minded if they all stayed friends. It's not like I was around much after that anyways because shortly after we broke up is when I joined the Planeteers. Maybe they've changed. Maybe they've matured. Maybe the fact that they gave Trish a chance means they've grown out of being mean to my girlfriends and trying to scare them away, and they'll be nice to Linka. I sure hope so.
We decide to go to Brooklyn a day early and spend the night at my parent's place so we aren't rushing around on Thanksgiving Day. It is the first time they have met the Planeteers. I kinda feel bad for Ma-Ti, Gi, and Kwame…it's not that my parents aren't happy to meet them…they are just happier to finally meet Linka!
"Ma, Pop, this is Kwame, Gi, Ma-Ti," I say as my parents politely shake their hands, "and Linka."
My mom greets Linka with a hug as she squeals,
"Oh Linka, it is so nice to meet you!"
"Welcome to our home. Make yourselves comfortable," my dad says, seemingly to everyone, but smiling at Linka.
"Thank you," Linka says. "It is nice to finally meet you too."
"You all can just set your things in the living room for now. I wasn't sure what the…uh…sleeping arrangements would be like."
Linka blushes.
"What are our options? My room and the couch?" I ask.
"Not quiet. We FINALLY cleaned out the spare room. All the junk that has accumulated over the years is gone and we've turned it into a guestroom…in case you ever decided to come visit," she adds pointedly. "There's a daybed in there and we have an air mattress. The new couch over there has a pull out bed."
"Kwame and Ma-Ti can have the guest room, I'll take the pull out bed," Gi offers.
"And Linka and I will take my room. That was easy," I say.
"Uhh, maybe it would be best if I stayed with Gi," Linka says.
"What? Why? Would you rather cuddle with her than me?" I pout.
"Nyet…I just do not think it would be appropriate for you and I to…" she says quietly to me.
But my mom knows exactly what Linka's thinking...after all, moms know everything!
"Oh, don't worry about keeping up appearances for us sweetie. We know Jason is no angel," my mom says.
"MA!"
"What? What I mean is, you're an adult…and we're not stupid. We know that you kids today like to…cohabitate before marriage…it might not have been acceptable back in our day, but times have changed."
Linka's face is as red as my hair.
"I'll leave it up to Linka then. If you'd rather crash with Gi in the living room while we're here, that's fine." She looks relieved to have some of the pressure taken off her. "But if you're comfortable staying with me, great, cuz you know I have trouble sleeping without you in my arms!"
I hear Kwame and Ma-Ti chuckle behind me as Linka shoots me an evil look.
Pressure's back on!
"We will see," she says coolly, but takes her stuff and sets it next to the couch.
"Doesn't look like she's too happy with you kid…guess you'll be sleeping alone!" My dad jokes as he clasps my shoulder.
"Don't worry dear, when we cleaned out the spare room, we didn't throw EVERYTHING away. There were some things that I couldn't bear to throw out…so if you get lonely tonight, I put Mr. Snuggle Bunny in your closet. He always helped you sleep before," my mom says.
And now everyone is roaring with laughter and it's my turn to blush. If it were anyone else, I'd be laughing too. Except it's not funny because it's not happening to anyone else, it's happening to me! Sure, if I'd had a normal childhood, making reference to the stuffed animal I slept with would be funny. But I slept with that stuffed animal because I could cover my head with it when the shouting got too loud. I buried my face in it to absorb the tears of a kid who just took a fist to the face because he tried to step between his father right before he hit my mother.
But I didn't say anything. It would just make everyone uncomfortable.
My mom made lasagna for dinner that night. It was an old family tradition on her side to have a big Italian lasagna dinner the day before Thanksgiving. Like I said, it's all about the food, even the day before!
When it was time for bed, I stood outside my room, waiting for Linka to exit the bathroom. Once she did, she stopped in front of me, stood on her tip toes, gave me a kiss that ended much too soon, and started walking away from me on her way to the living room. I guess she made her decision. I wasn't ready to give up though. I grabbed her hand to stop her and when she turned to look at me, I ask,
"Are you sure?"
"It is only for a few days. We will survive."
Will we? Easy for her to say. This place doesn't give her nightmares.
She walks back towards me and wraps her arms around me. "Goodnight Yankee. I love you."
"I love you too Babe," whisper into her hair as I take a deep breath. "G'night."
I tried not to sound too disappointed, but I couldn't help it.
I didn't close my door all the way. I didn't want there to be any barriers between me and Linka. It's stupid, I know. But I thought if I knew she was close, even if she wasn't right next to me, maybe I wouldn't I could hear her and Gi talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Probably just idle chat before bed.
About a half hour later, my door slowly opened as someone entered the room, then closed the door completely. I knew she couldn't stay away, but instead of coming straight towards my bed, she went to the closet. I couldn't see what she was doing, but I heard her rummaging around, then she walks up to my bed, kneels next to it, and holds up that damn stuffed bunny.
"Very funny Linka. And here I was hoping that you reconsidered and came in here to sleep, but instead you came to make fun of me?"
"Nyet. Not to make fun of you. I was laying out there when I remembered something…New Years Eve…when we came back here to sleep…you were in here and I was out there. Then I heard you…you were having a nightmare so I came in here. That night was the first time we ever…umm, it was the start of everything. That nightmare…while I was laying out there, I remembered the demons that haunt you in this place. Then I thought about how your mom was teasing you about this stuffed animal earlier and it hit me…this bunny must have gotten you through many nights."
"Yeah, it did. He's covered my ears, he's absorbed so many tears, and taken a few punches from me. When I couldn't fight back…when I couldn't let my anger out, I'd take it out on this poor guy…throw him, punch him…kick him...but I'd always end up hugging him and crying into him at the end of the day," I say as I take the stuffed animal from her and examine my old friend. He definitely showed signs of all the wear and tear.
She pulls back the covers and slides into bed with me.
"You don't have to do this Babe, I don't want you to be uncomfortable around my parents."
"I do not care what your parents think. All I care about is that you do not have nightmares and have a good night's sleep."
"I'll try. My last memory of this bedroom was a good one. That's what I was trying to think about," I say as I brush my knuckles down her cheek.
"Then let me help you remember…" she pulls the covers up over our heads as she rolls over on top of me and we kiss.
To Be Continued...GO LINKA! WAY TO SCARE AWAY THE BOOGIE MAN!