by Gavin Green
Chapter 22
Brody met Thursday's densely foggy dawn with a relaxed smile. After his morning routines and chores, he greeted Kate warmly in the kitchen. She sat in old flannels and sipped tea while he busied himself with indoor tasks and food preparations. Just as when he hosted his first gathering, Brody was in high spirits throughout the day. He wasn't expecting guests until early evening, but his vigor was up and many chores were seen to by mid-morning.
Kate finally ushered him out of the cottage, imploring him to put his energy into sculpting. Upon Brody's request, she promised to call him back in a few hours later.
As Brody became more attuned to his new ability, he gained speed in shaping stone to his liking. The sculptures were kept on a small scale; a logical idea when attempting new techniques, and he figured that smaller pieces would be more attractive for tourists who didn't want to lug around heavy art.
Brody had to stop working at one point to receive another truck delivery of stone blocks, a shipment that included marble and malachite. Those ores had different textures and densities from the granite and limestone he was used to, so more experimentation was in order. For the new stone types, he pictured a wider range of use from the vague ideas that formed in his mind.
Time sped by while Brody busied himself with his work, and sooner than expected Kate called him back in. She mentioned getting a call from George Moynihan up the way; his wife was still sick, and so they had to decline the dinner invitation.
Another call came while Brody was basting the turkeys; Father Doyle wondered if he might come around early so that they could prepare the long folding table he was bringing. After he arrived and was shown the property, or what could be seen of it through the thick fog, Father Doyle entertained Kate and Brody while they attended to the wide selection of foods. Having spent little informal time around her pastor, Kate was somewhat surprised at the candor of some of his stories.
All of the other invited guests finished their respective work days and made their way out in quick succession to each other. Soon the cottage was filled with talk, laughter, and the aroma of various dishes. When everything was prepared, Brody made a quick, bashful speech, being thankful for good friends. Father Doyle then led all gathered in a quick prayer before the meal commenced.
It was a grand affair, and many of the dishes couldn't be finished off; Brody thought that too much was better than too little. Most of the women retired to the kitchen while the men watched horse races on the telly. Both Brody and Jack were quite interested in a few of those races; they'd both been to the betting office to place a few bills down on this horse or that.
Brody stepped outside with a few guests to have a rare smoke, and informed them of the surprise to come. He slipped off to his garage and pulled Jane's car up near the front door. Luckily, rain had begun again, making his and Kate's plan appear logical. After came back in, he winked at Kate. She had gathered some leftovers and asked Jane to run her up to the Moynihan's; she just wanted to drop the food off and would have her hands full. Jane casually agreed, and asked which car they'd take, hopefully Brody's.
Kate flipped a small set of keys to her sister from the hook near the front door as they stepped out. Brody silently waved for all the other guests to come watch.
Jane stared at the cute little car out front and asked Kate who it belonged to. Kate simply replied, "Well, it belongs to you, little sister."
Jane turned in shock and saw everyone stepping out, ignoring the sprinkles to look at her new small hatchback. It was a Fiat 500, only a handful of years old and in great condition, white with black trim. Brody told Liam and Cora about all of the car's merits, and further explained that he'd traded in another vehicle and gotten it for a steal. Jane was jubilant; she said she wanted to sleep in it that night, which brought laughter from all.
While in her state of euphoria, Jane said she had a little gift for everyone and hoped they would enjoy it. She and Kate first drove up to share some food with the Moynihan's, then returned quickly so Jane could prepare. The table was cleared and removed, and the telly was turned off.
Jane stood in the center of the living room, both nervous and happy, and began to sing. It was an old folk tune, sung in Irish. The small crowd was transfixed by the pure splendor of Jane's A Cappella performance. Brody couldn't understand any of the words, but was nonetheless moved by the range and emotion; it filled the house with mellow joy and wonder.
When Jane finished the last, lingering, perfect note, all of the guests roared with applause. Father Doyle implored her to be a soloist in the church choir, Mary and Alana endlessly praised the blushing girl, and Brody offered to buy studio time to have her recorded.
As the last of their guests bade fond farewells and finally drove off into the night, Brody and Kate relaxed and made a few calls. He and Jamal talked for a short while before Carla and Kate were eventually handed the phones to have their first official chinwag. Brody noticed that with Kate's growing self-confidence came that infamous gift of gab. The ladies' conversation quickly turned to the subject of Jamal and Carla's upcoming wedding, so Brody excused himself to begin cleaning the big mess in the kitchen. He assumed Jamal had made his own excuse to escape as well.
When the call finally ended, the couple talked of various topics while they finished cleaning. Kate unnecessarily gave the reminder to call Simon; Brody had it in mind and was looking forward to it, only slightly concerned that his cousin would refuse the offer to come visit.
Kate sat on one end of the couch with her feet up, making searches for charities on her tablet; Brody sat on the opposite end and dialed his cousin. He and Simon made small talk before the subject of a visit was broached. "Hey, man, I got this idea in my head," Brody began. "All I've got is Kate's family to hang out with over here. They're great people - you'd love 'em - but I was thinking that I wouldn't mind having my own kin visit. If you don't have other plans, why don't you come out for Christmas?"
There was a pause on the line, and Brody waited expectantly. Finally, Simon replied. "Damn, cuz, that's a bang up offer, but I don't think I can swing it this year. It's just... I -"
"Simon, let me make this simple," Brody said to smooth over his cousin's discomfort. "This isn't some pity offer; I don't do that, ever. This is all purely selfish. You're my family, my only real family, and I want us to get together when we can. I'd come out there to visit you, but since you said you weren't fond of where you lived anymore, then I doubt we'd have much fun. So just say yes, okay?"
After another awkward moment, Simon said, "Well hell, I wouldn't mind gettin' away for a spell, that's for sure. And those pictures you sent look real good..."
"Cuz, you'll love it out here."
Simon sighed. "I reckon so, cousin, but... even with you payin' off your big order, I just can't -"
"Yeah, you can - It's on me," Brody interjected, thinking that was why his cousin was so distressed. "I'll take care of everything," He knew Simon pretty well by then, and just needed to push until his cousin got past his own pride and accepted the offer.
"Brody, I can't let you do that."
"Again, yeah, you can. I'm insisting, Simon. Like I said, I'll make all the arrangements. All you need to do is go get a passport ahead of time, then pack some bags and go to the airport a few hours before your flight."
"Are you sure about this, cuz? It sounds like a pretty flush bid."
Brody wasn't sure what 'flush bid' implied, so he just said, "It's simpler than you think, and I got a little money sittin' around doin' nothin'. You just remember to bring all that stuff I ordered. I really doubt they'll be carry-on, so get a receipt for everything if you need to, okay?"
"Yeah, I can manage that," Simon agreed. "But just to be sure, you're not doing all this because you think I'm some lonesome bag of marbles with a hole in the bottom, are ya?"
With a frown of frustration, Brody said, "We've been over that before. And let me tell you something; not only do I still believe you, but I've also learned some stuff recently t
hat might shed some light on it. So in about a month, close up shop for a week or two and get your ass out here."
Simon chuckled and mumbled to himself, "First the world stops hatin' me, and now I'm gonna ride on an airplane. This can't get much better."
"Say what?" Brody asked, curious and concerned, not sure he heard his cousin's words correctly. "The world hates you? What the hell does that mean?" He glanced at Kate, who looked back with an expression of curiosity.
Simon cursed himself. "Uh, it was just the peyote talkin', cuz - nothing to worry about."
"Yeah… I'm not buyin' it." Brody's voice became stern. "What else is going on, Simon? Do you have problems out there or something? If you're in trouble, you tell me now, and I'll be there yesterday."
"No, no, cuz, I'm as fine as a flea on a coon's ass here." Simon wasn't prepared to give Brody the rest of his bizarre story, not yet. It wasn't that his cousin hadn't earned that trust, but Simon could only imagine the worst reaction once he told it. Then again, Brody was ready to drop everything to come and help, and a man like that deserved the truth about his family. After all, he took the whole 126-year hibernation thing pretty well. He'd earned the right to the whole story; not then, but soon. "There's just something I haven't gotten around to sayin' yet, but I'd rather tell ya in person. I give ya my word, I'm doin' fine, alright?"
Brody reluctantly let it go. "Okay, then we'll see you in about a month, okay? I'll bug you again in a few days. Oh, and hey, Kate and I are really looking forward to you coming out here."
"Me too, cousin, can't wait. And, hey... thanks."