Clay was sitting in a cab on his way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for a school assignment when he saw his Uncle John Walton Jr., "John Boy", walking down the sidewalk.
"Stop the cab." Clay said to the driver. The cab stopped and Clay handed him some money and rushed out of the cab. John Boy was looking down at the ground and didn't see Clay at first. "Uncle John?" Clay asked. John Boy looked up.
"Clay! How are you?" John Boy hugged him. After John Boy let go they started walking.
"I'm doing well." Clay said.
"How's your Mama doing?" John Boy asked.
"You would probably know better than I do. I haven't talked to Mama in a long time." Clay responded.
"What are you doing here?" John Boy questioned.
"I am attending New York University. I was on my way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I saw you out here so I stopped the cab and got out. It's not every day that you are in a strange city and see somebody you actually know." Clay stated.
"Tell me about it." John Boy responded with a laugh. "Well, it is Friday, what are you doing this weekend?"
"Nothing that I know of, probably just school work." Clay replied.
"How would you like to have dinner with me, Aunt Janet, and the twins?" John Boy asked.
"I would really enjoy that. I haven't seen you guys in a while." Clay said.
"I know; that's why we were inviting you. I actually just got back from a trip to the mountain. Everybody is gone but Aunt Elizabeth, Aunt Erin, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Ben." John Boy stated.
"But there are more people left on the mountain than that left right?" Clay asked. John Boy nodded.
"Yeah. You know we are here in New York; Uncle Jason lives in Nashville, Tennessee, your parents live in Charlottesville, but I think everybody else is still on that beautiful mountain we all grew up on." John Boy said. "So what made you want to come to New York City?"
"They have a really good medical school here. I didn't want to have to transfer from another school. So here I am." Clay said.
"You made a good choice. If you ever get homesick Aunt Janet and I would be happy to be a little piece of home for you." John Boy paused. "Oh I hate to be the one to tell you this rather than Katie herself, but did you hear Katie's news?"
"What? What's going on with Katie?" Clay asked concerned.
"Oh it's nothing bad. She's getting married to a young man that she has gone to school with since you guys moved to Charlottesville." John Boy responded.
"Michael Brightman." Clay said.
"I don't know his last name, but that might be it. Do you know him?" John Boy asked.
"Yeah. When we were in school he was the really shy kid that always followed Katie around like a little puppy dog. It was ridiculous." Clay replied.
"Well now he's doing more than just following her around. They are planning on getting married." John Boy responded.
"When did you find this out?" Clay questioned.
"Well she told your dad, and then your Mama and dad called Grandma and Grandpa and they called me and Aunt Janet." John Boy stated.
"Oh okay. Do we know when the wedding is going to be yet?" Clay asked.
"Not yet. All I know is that they are waiting until she gets out of Business School." John Boy said.
"Well that's good. Katie is my sister after all and I would hate for her to do something that would take away everything she's done to get into the business school." Clay responded.
"I know what you're saying Clay. Your mama was just barely out of nursing school when she and John Curtis's dad got married and he was born." John Boy stated. "Then with Aunt Erin, she wanted to get married when she was sixteen, but with still being in school I was glad that Grandma and Grandpa told her no and that she would have to finish school first."
"They told her that?" Clay asked. John Boy nodded.
"Mama and Daddy told her that they wouldn't let her get married and that they didn't approve of this wedding." John Boy paused. "You see in our family it's all about approval or disapproval. If anybody in this family feels that your grandparents won't approve they don't do it. Well, all except my decision to move to New York City; but that was something I had to do for my book." John Boy said.
"What about when you, Uncle Jason, Uncle Ben, and Uncle Jim Bob went off to fight in World War II. Mama told me that Grandma and Great Grandma Walton were against you all going to be soldiers." Clay brought up.
"We all felt that fighting for our country was a little bit different. Mama didn't want us to get hurt, especially Ben since he had Cindy and Ginny to care for." John Boy responded to his nephew.
"We have so many people in our family, who was the first niece or nephew in the family?" Clay asked.
"Your brother was my very first nephew. John Curtis is the oldest of all you kids. John Curtis was born in 1940, then your cousin Virginia was born in 1944." John Boy said profoundly.
"Virginia was the one who died wasn't she?" Clay questioned. John Boy nodded again.
"Yes. She died a cradle death. Ben and Cindy just went in one morning to wake up Ginny and Charlie, but Ginny didn't wake up." John Boy replied.
"How awful for something like that to happen. Well who came after Virginia?" Clay asked.
"Then it was your cousin Charlie." John Boy responded. They stopped in front of a tall brick apartment building. "This is my stop. Do you want to come in? See your Aunt Janet, Zeb and Esther?" Clay looked up at the building.
"Sure, why not? I don't get to see them very often anyway. Although I am glad that we will be spending more time together now Uncle John." Clay stated.
"Me too." John Boy said. When John Boy and Clay got up to John Boy's apartment and he opened the door Zeb ran over to John Boy.
"Dad!" Zeb hollered. Janet walked over to him.
"Welcome home John." Janet said. She looked at Clay. "Clay! How are you?" She hugged him.
"Hi Aunt Janet, I am doing pretty well. I am attending New York University. Uncle John and I just ran into each other about ten or fifteen minutes ago." Clay stated.
"Well it's good to have you here. Are you staying for dinner?" Janet asked. Clay looked up at John Boy who laughed.
"Of course he's staying for dinner." John Boy replied.