Siblings (4 page)

Chapter 7

Maggie arrived right on time. She went straight to the kitchen, put her sack of groceries on the counter, and gave her mother a big hug.

“How are you doing, Mom?”

“Just fine, dear, everything is right on schedule. Did you get those things I asked you to pick up?”

“Yes, I did.” She reached in the sack for the cranberry jelly and the croissants. “They were out of the twelve-packs, so I got two six-packs.”

“That’s probably better. We may not have to open one of the packages then. Put them in the refrigerator, please. How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, that’s all right. Think of it as a substitute for the cheap bottle of wine I didn’t remember to bring.”

“It’s just as well that you didn’t. We’ve got plenty. Are you ready to get started?”

Maggie saluted. “Reporting for duty, Ma’am.”

“Good! You’ll find a clean apron in the towel drawer. You can start by peeling and cutting up the sweet potatoes. I’ll have the water boiling by the time you’re through. You’ll have to do the same for the white potatoes. I’ll be working on the apple and pumpkin pies. Thank god for my new double oven. I’d be lost without it. I don’t know how I ever cooked a Thanksgiving dinner without one.”

Maggie went right to work. She was happy to do the grunt work involved in the meal’s preparation; after all, someone had to do it. She would have been happier if her mother had asked her to come over early to show her the “secret” of the stuffing, but she knew that the “ceremony of the secret sharing” would not take place until her mother felt absolutely comfortable in doing so. In the meantime, she would just continue to pay her dues, as it were.

Marilyn’s kitchen was flurry of activity for the next two hours, interrupted briefly by Ron coming to say hello to Maggie, and the arrival of Richard and Theresa. With apologies, she scooted them all out of her kitchen. They settled in the living room to watch the parade on the wide-screen TV.

Wilson walked into the house shortly after his brother and fiancée arrived and went straight to the kitchen. His mother turned around, and a big smile showed on her face. “Oh. It’s so good to see you, son.” They met in the middle of the room for a lengthy hug.

“It’s good to see you too, Mom.” He handed her a bottle of wine. “I brought this for you.”

“Just put it on the counter with the others.”

Maggie stopped chopping vegetables, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over to hug Wil.

“How’s it going, Bro?”

“Just fine, Mag. And you?”

“Same here.”

Lynn needed him out of her kitchen. “I hate to shoo you out right away, but you know the rules. Nobody’s allowed in the kitchen while Maggie and I are cooking. Your father, Richard, and his fiancée are in the living room watching the end of the parade. Why don’t you join them? I don’t think that you’ve met Theresa yet.”

“No, I haven’t.”

Maggie waved as he turned to leave. “Let’s get together later.”

“Sure thing, Mag.”

***

As soon as Wilson walked into the room, Richard started in. “Well, it looks as if Indiana Jones is joining us for dinner today,” taking a shot at Wilson’s cargo pants and shirt.

Deciding to be the better man, Wilson ignored the remark and turned to Theresa. “You must be Theresa, I’m so glad to meet you.” He gave her a big smile. “You seem to be a nice person, but I must question your taste in men.”

“Well, I’m pleased to meet you too.” Linking her arm with Richard’s, she continued, “But I must disagree with you about my taste in men. I know you’re his brother, but you’ve apparently overlooked the good qualities in this wonderful man here.” As she spoke, Theresa looked up lovingly at Richard and he smiled back at her.

Not wishing to continue the banter any further, Wilson answered, “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe I’ve been too close to Saint Richard, here, to see all of his good qualities. That’s what I get for growing up with him.”

Wilson’s innocuous comment seemed to end the interplay. Ron piped in, “Have a seat, son. The parade is just concluding. The weather there is perfect and they had a record turnout. You missed the excitement just a few minutes ago when one of the floats broke free of its moorings. It’s a good thing the safety lines held or they would have had a spacecraft balloon floating over New York City.”

“That must have been fun to see,” Wilson said. “Can you imagine how a person who had too much to drink might have reacted to that? It could have been Orson Welles’
War of the Worlds
all over again.”

They all found that amusing.

Theresa asked, “How are things working out for you at Wallington House?”

“It’s okay, I guess. The people there are very nice to work with, but it’s not a final destination for me. I’m job hunting, hoping to find something in logistics. That was my major at college.”

“I’m not familiar with logistics. What’s that about?”

“Basically, it’s the management of the flow of materials from one point to another. That includes handling of goods, warehousing, transportation and security. Virtually all of the commerce in the country involves logistics.”

“Well, good luck with that. I have a friend who worked at Wallington House one summer as an intern in their back office. She found it to be a nice place to work, as well.”

Richard saw an opportunity to get a barb in. He looked at Theresa as he said, “Actually Wilson, here, is very good at distribution. At least that’s what the judge said.”

Wilson glared at Richard.
He switched his attention back to Theresa. “What my brother is alluding to is that I was prosecuted for ‘intent to distribute.’ The judge gave me the maximum sentence. I got out a few months ago and the job at the Wallington House was the only one I could find.”

Richard jumped in. “You should have thought of that before you got mixed up with the Abbots. People judge you by the company you keep, you know.”

Ron spoke directly to Richard. “Now you lay off that kind of talk. Wilson made a mistake and he paid the price for it. This is no way to act toward your brother. Your comments serve no purpose except to cause bad blood. I’ve warned you about this before. In this family we let bygones be bygones. Now I think you owe Wilson an apology.”

Richard got up, walked over to Wilson and extended his hand. “I’m sorry, Wilson. I was entirely out of line with what I said. Please forgive me.”

Wilson was taken aback by the gesture. He looked into his brother’s eyes and he could see that there was no sincerity in the words that were spoken. Still, he couldn’t very well refuse to accept the apology. “That’s okay, Richard, I know you meant no harm by it.”

Ron sat back in his chair. “Now that’s better. Let’s not forget that we’re here today to express our thanks for all the good things in our lives. Richard, you’re closest to the remote. How about switching the channel to the pre-game show?”

Maggie joined them a while later. She sat down next to Theresa.

Ron asked, “How are things looking out there?”

“It’s all up to the bird now. I think we have at least another hour. It’s a big bird and Mom wants to roast him slowly. Everything else has been prepared and is ready to go. The maestro is orchestrating the dinner and I’ve been excused. I could use a glass of wine. I’m not allowed to have any while I’m working on the dinner.”

Ron poured her a glass and one for himself. Theresa, Richard, and Wilson went out to the porch to retrieve a few bottles of beer from a small refrigerator Ron kept out there to save unnecessary trips to the kitchen.

When they came back, they sat down in the same places as before and engaged in small talk about the football game for the next forty-five minutes, just as if nothing had happened.

Finally, Marilyn called from the kitchen, “Dinner in fifteen minutes.”

Maggie excused herself and went to help her mother get everything into serving dishes.

Chapter 8

Dinner Time

Turning to Theresa, Marilyn raised her wine glass. “Welcome to your first Symington Thanksgiving dinner. We’re all so happy you could join us.”

Theresa look a little flushed. “Thank you for inviting me. I’ve been anxious all week to meet Richard’s family. He’s told me a little about each of you.”

Ron laughed. “Well, don’t you believe everything he tells you. He’s got a very active imagination and an equally poor memory.”

“To tell you the truth, Richard had nothing but nice things to tell me about his family.”

Richard raised his glass and, turning to Theresa, he said, “I think that now is a good time to tell them our good news.” She nodded in agreement. “Theresa and I are getting married next March. We’re planning a honeymoon in Greece.”

Ron raised his glass. “That’s wonderful news. Here’s to the happy couple.” He took a quick sip. “Greece, you say? Isn’t that a bit pricey?”

“We’ll be staying as guests of a friend of mine, whose family owns a villa over there,” Richard explained. “It’s a very romantic location, from what I hear.”

As soon as the congratulations were finished, Marilyn needed to get everyone back on track for her dinner. “Let us hold hands and bow our heads for a silent prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings in our lives.”

After several minutes, Ron broke the silence. “I guess I better get this bird sliced, Lynn. I must say that everything looks great. Every year you seem to outdo yourself.”

She modestly smiled and looked over at Margaret. “As usual, Maggie was a big help. I couldn’t have done it without her. That sweet potato soufflé is her creation. I’ve already sampled some of it. It’s really delicious.”

The hum of the electric slicer started up at the end of the table. All eyes shifted to Ron as he slowly cut slices that he placed with care on the serving platter. After a while he stopped slicing the bird. “Go on now, start passing the food around.” He began to place slices on a second platter. “I’ll be a few minutes yet.”

By the time Ron was finished carving, everyone had filled their plates with stuffing and vegetables. He stood up and walked around the table with the platter of turkey. When everyone had theirs, he chose one of the drumsticks for himself and sat back down.

Compliments began to emanate for everything that had been served, but especially for the stuffing. Marilyn thanked them, trying to be modest while at the same time accepting the accolades for what she, herself, knew was an exceptional meal.

Near the end, Richard looked over at his father. “So, Dad, anything new at the Center these days?”

“Actually, there’s quite a lot, Richard. We hope to be adding an in-house pharmacy and a rehab center to the group next year. That will just about take up the remaining space we have available and provide much needed services for our patients. It can’t happen fast enough. The economy is tight and people don’t seem to be making medical care a top priority.” He smiled. “If this keeps up I may have to go back into active practice again and give you guys at the hospital a run for your money.”

“I’m not worried about competition, Dad. I have more than enough patients.”

“Those two new practices should both be outstanding profit centers for you,” Maggie piped in.

“Yes, I’m sure they will be. Probably the biggest things coming our way, though, are some changes we’re making because of the Affordable Care Act. I read in the papers that so many companies are struggling with the upcoming legislation, but my partners and the group members are looking forward to the changes. It’s going to have an immediate impact on the lives of millions of people who have struggled with pre-existing conditions and high premiums. Many of these people stopped regularly scheduled visits to their doctors and have either cut down on their prescription drugs or stopped them entirely. The changes coming up should add a considerable number of new patients for us.”

“From what I’ve read, those people without insurance now will have immediate services for themselves and their families. That’s going to make a big difference in their lives,” Lynn commented.

“It certainly will, especially where they have pre-existing conditions. I just wish the government had done this sooner. I can’t understand why there continues to be so much opposition. Even now with all the exposure the provisions have had that demonstrate the good that will come out of this act, there are still some leaders at state levels and a number of politicians who want to have the plan abolished. I just don’t understand it and no professional I’ve spoken to does either. What’s wrong with these people? Don’t they care about families getting basic coverage for their medical needs?”

“That’s easy, Dad,” Richard said. “The Republicans know that Obama care will benefit millions of people and ultimately have an immediate impact on the high costs of medical care. It will be as big a legacy for the Democratic Party as Social Security was in the thirties. They don’t want that to happen. The public be damned.”

Wilson looked around the table, before speaking. “I don’t see what the big deal is. So what if a person can’t get coverage or has to pay high premiums? That’s life.”

Richard jumped on Wilson’s comment immediately. “So you’re in favor of letting a person, or maybe even an entire family, go without medical care?”

“I’m just saying that if they can’t pay for coverage, I don’t see why the rest of us should have to pick up the tab.”

“This coming from a jailbird who had all his healthcare needs paid for by the State for three years and who hasn’t made any contribution to society in the form of income taxes.”

Ron and Lynn both looked at Theresa to see what her reaction was to her fiancé’s attack on his brother. She seemed to be embarrassed, as if she wished she was somewhere else rather than here, in the middle of this family squabble.

She wasn’t alone in that feeling. Lynn turned to look at Richard, but then shot a quick glance at Wilson, who was sitting immediately opposite her
. So much for a good impression.

To everyone’s surprise, Wilson just smiled. “I didn’t think you could let the whole day go by without one of your cheap shots. Next thing, you’ll be accusing me of going back to drug trafficking.”

“Well, have you?”

That was about all Ron was going to take. He slammed his fist down on the table, tipping over his and Maggie’s water glasses. “You two stop it this instant. I’ll not have another Thanksgiving dinner spoiled by your senseless bickering. Why does it always have to be like this?” He stopped speaking and looked at Theresa. “What’s our guest going to think of us with all this bickering going on?”

Lynn gave Richard a stern look. “I’m surprised at you, Richard. That remark was entirely uncalled for.”

“Well, he started it with his wise remarks. He must have read some of Ayn Rand’s books while he was in the slammer. He’s got some of her crazy ideas about individual rights.”

Ron shot him a sharp look. “Damn it, son, I said that was enough. If you can’t be civil, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave the table.”

Lynn looked at her husband, hoping he wouldn’t go any further, but the damage was already done. She took control of the situation. “Well, it looks as if you three are finished with your meals. Why don’t you go out on the porch and watch TV? Dessert will be ready in about an hour.”

She turned to Theresa. “Would you like to help Maggie and me with the dishes?”

“Sure,” she replied, “I’d be happy to.”

***

As soon as the men left the room, Lynn turned to Theresa. “Sit down with me for a minute, please.”

Maggie, reading into the gravity of the situation, decided to make herself scarce in the kitchen.

“I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of our family,” Lynn began. “Richard and Wilson have been at each other’s throats since they were kids. There’s a lot of sibling rivalry going on that doesn’t seem to have lessened over time. Richard has always been jealous of Wilson. He believes Wilson is Ron’s favorite. It’s not true, but since it’s what he believes, he’s spent most of his life trying to gain his father’s approval. I think that he chose his medical specialty because he believed it was what his father wanted him to do. To tell you the truth, Ron really didn’t care.”

“Wilson, on the other hand, always felt that Richard was looking down on him. He never realized Richard was dealing with his own demons. funny how a person’s thinking gets skewed at times.”

“I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so I can’t say that I know how they feel, but my heart goes out to them both. You don’t have to be concerned about what I’m thinking about your family. So far, all I’ve seen is a family dealing with a few issues; people who care for each other in their own unique way.”

“Wow,” said Maggie, as she came back into the dining room. “This girl could be a UN diplomat. I’ve never heard such a tactfully phrased description of our family dynamic.”

Marilyn and Theresa laughed. Marilyn waved Maggie to the table. “Sit down for a few minutes and have a glass of wine with us. It’ll give Theresa a chance to learn a little about her future sister in-law.”

“Don’t mind if I do. Actually, Theresa, my story isn’t all that interesting, but if you’ve got the time, and if the wine holds out, I will tell all.”

Marilyn poured a glass of wine for Maggie, Theresa, and herself.

***

Meanwhile out on the porch, Ron confronted his sons. “What the hell is the matter with you two? Can’t we have one family get-together without the two of you going at it? Your mother went to great lengths to make things nice for us today. You should show her more respect.”

Wil spoke first, pointing at Richard, “He started it with that jailbird remark.”

“I was just speaking the truth, now, wasn’t I?”

Ron’s face turned red. That was usually a sign to his sons that they better back off or be ready to suffer the consequences. “Stop that bickering right now; this isn’t getting us anywhere. I’m only going to say this once. If you two can’t put your feelings aside and act in a civilized manner for the next few hours, then you’d better leave this house right now.”

Wil and Richard looked at each other, both with a “no-love-lost” glare, but nodded their heads in acquiescence.

“All right then, and I don’t want any innuendos or double entendres. I want you two to be civil with each other, if for no other reason, then for your mother’s sake.”

Once again, Wil and Richard nodded their heads in agreement.

“Now shake hands and let’s watch some football until we’re called for dessert.”

They shook hands somewhat reluctantly and took seats on opposite ends of the wicker couch in front of the TV. Ron sat in a side chair, satisfied that, at least for now, there was a truce between the two.
If only it holds for a few more hours. I hope Lynn is helping Theresa understand our family. She seems like a gal with a good head on her shoulders. I think Richard made a good choice.
He looked over at his sons. They seemed to be engrossed in the game. From their cheers, he observed that they were rooting for the same team; that was rare.
There may be hope for them yet.

As he watched them, his thoughts went back to the summer that Wilson fell out of the cherry tree in the backyard. Richard was ten years old and Wilson had just turned nine. Richard dared Wilson to climb out onto a large branch that extended out almost thirty feet away from the tree and about fifteen feet from the ground. It had rained the night before and the bark was very slippery. Wilson shimmied out about ten feet on the branch before hitting an especially slippery spot. He lost his grip on the branch and fell to the ground, his fall partially broken by an inflated pool. Richard ran over to his brother. Wilson was knocked unconscious by the fall and his brother thought he was dead. He broke into tears and screamed for his father. Ron made a quick diagnosis and determined that Wilson had broken his left collarbone and left wrist. By now Lynn was at his side. “Call for an ambulance right away. He has at least two broken bones and a possible concussion.” Throughout all this, Richard continued to cry convulsively, not realizing Wilson was alive.

Ron grabbed him by the shoulders. “Get a hold of yourself, boy. Wil only has a few broken bones. He’s going to be all right.”

“But it was my fault, Daddy. I dared him to climb out there.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. I warned both of you to stay out of that tree; the bark is very slippery. If the pool hadn’t broken his fall, he could have died. What does it take to get you two to understand that I give you warnings for your own good, not to keep you from having fun? I’m very disappointed in you, Richard.”

***

Ron’s reverie was interrupted by a call from the dining room.

“
Dessert’s ready,” Marilyn called.

The guys got up immediately and headed for the dining room, but not before Ron reminded them to be on their best behavior. They took the same seats as before.