“That’s right. You see Jimmy, when you call me James, it does sound grown up, but it’s not as friendly as when you call me Grandpa. It’s special because it means we are part of this family. Which do you like better? Here, let’s shake hands.” James stuck his hand out stiffly and shook Jimmy’s hand abruptly and said, “How do you do, Jimmy? Or we can do it this way.” James gave Jimmy a big hug and shook him lovingly and tickled him at the same time. “Now isn’t that more fun and friendly, Jimmy? Which one tells me that you like me more…the handshake or a hug?”
Jimmy shook his head. “Yes, Grandpa, I like the hug better but don’t tickle me.”
“But I like tickling you…” James grabbed Jimmy again and warmly hugged him.
“See, Jimmy, I am your daddy’s father and I would like him to call me Dad from now on, too. We are family, Jimmy and call each other in ways that are special. So please, from now on call me Grandpa. Don’t forget.”
“Can I tickle you when I do?” Jimmy tickled James’ tummy to which James let out a loud howl. And immediately he tickled Jimmy back.
It was evident that James was in pain, but he ignored it and once again he grabbed little Jimmy and hugged him so as to keep his arms still.
Once James had caught his breath and Jimmy settled down, he asked Jimmy, “Who is that lady over there?”
“That’s Marjorie!”
“That’s right, but she is your daddy’s mommy. So what makes her special to you, Jimmy?”
Jimmy looked confused and turned to his mother and asked, “What should I say, Mommy?”
Nora came over and knelt in front of him. “What do you call my mom, Jimmy?”
“Grandma.”
“That’s right, you call her Grandma because she is my mommy and Marjorie is daddy’s mommy and so what should we call her?”
Jimmy looked at Nora and whispered… “Is it Grandma, too?”
“Yes, Jimmy we call her Grandma, too. We are all family and like Grandpa said, we have special names for each other.”
“Why does Daddy want me to call him J.J.?”
James piped in, “Here’s how it is, Jimmy. You tell J.J. to start calling me Dad and you start calling J.J., Dad or Daddy, too. When I see him next time, I will tell him so, too. From now on, we are family and we want to call each other by our special names. In no time you will get the hang of it.”
Jenny got up and went over to Jimmy who had his hand extended, but Jenny ignored it and gave him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. “My goodness you have grown since I last saw you, Jimmy.” Jenny brushed the boy’s hair with her hand. “Do you remember coming to visit me when I was in the hospital?”
Jimmy just nodded.
“I was so happy to see you. I wish you could have stayed longer and I could have played with you. But we can now…”
Jenny stood up and turned to Nora. “It’s so good to see you again, Nora.” Jenny went to her and the two ladies hugged one another.
“You can call me, Jenny, if you wish, Nora, but I would love for you to call me, Mom. What do think Jimmy, wouldn’t that be nice if you called me Grandma and your mom called me Mom?”
Jimmy looked at his mom, “Is that all right, Mommy?”
Nora, nodded, “Yes, that’s okay, Jimmy. We will all be part of one big family.”
Jenny knelt in front of Jimmy once more. “Come-on, let’s go and see if we can see some butterflies before they go back to Mexico.”
“There’s one, Grandma.” Jimmy pointed to one just above James’ head.
“Here, give me your hand, Jimmy. Come on, Grandpa, take Jimmy’s other hand and let’s catch some butterflies.”
James quickly responded and the three strolled down the path with Jimmy, hopping and swinging on his grandparents’ arms. They quickly disappeared along one of the paths, but their laughter could still be heard.
Chapter Seventy
Matti was sharing with Nora the miraculous healing that Jenny had received, when J.J. came out onto the patio.
“You just missed breakfast, but I can dish someting real quick,” offered Matti.
“No, that’s okay.” He turned to Nora and nodded.
Nora looked at her husband and said, “Hi, J.J., it’s nice to see you.”
J.J simply nodded again and looked down the path to see if he could see his son. The three came into view, but just for a moment before his son, still swinging in between his grandparents, disappeared behind a group of shrubs. J.J. remained expressionless.
“Jimmy is having a lot fun with his grandparents. Your mom was so happy to see Jimmy.”
Once again J.J. just nodded. “How long are you going to stay here, Nora?”
“We were invited for dinner and so are you. I hope you can stay.”
J.J. shrugged his shoulders. “So I can’t take Jimmy with me today?”
“Your mom came all the way from Regina to see him and your dad gets such joy from watching him play in the garden. It would be best for him to spend some time with them and it would be nice for you to do the same. Your mom would love to see you, please stay.”
I be baking your favourite dish, J.J.: roast chicken and baby back ribs. That be quite a combination! You always told me how much you liked them and to be honest, I had you in mind when I made up the dinner menu. Please join us, son.”
“J.J. shook his head, “I have things to do. But I want Jimmy next weekend for sure, Nora.”
He turned and walked back into the kitchen without any further ado. Matti followed and just as he was at the door and about to leave, Matti went up to the landing. She looked him straight in the eye and said, “J.J., its none of my business, I knows that, but I helped raise you along with your momma and that nanny and so I feel I have the right to say what I have to say. Listen, son, you be missing out on a lot of joy and holdin’ back from giving a lot of happiness to your family and mommy and daddy. It be so good for Jimmy to see love between all of you. If you need to talk anyting out, I be here for you. Oh, J.J., one of the heaviest burdens a man can carry is a chip on his shoulder. Your mommy and daddy want so bad for all of you to be family. Your mommy come all the way to see you, your daddy is sick and soon the Lord may take him. They made mistakes just like their children. Nobody’s perfect J.J., not even you. What do you say, come back in and let’s work on being a family…please.”
“They had twenty years or more to do that Matti…I remember year after year going over to friends’ places and both their parents were at home and there for their kids. They had holidays, birthdays and Christmas together and with us, there was nothing. It’s too late for this family thing.”
“See now, you be seeing what a family should be like, and that is what they be trying to do. They be seeing the light and want to make up for the past and have a new future. Don’t you see?”
J.J. stared at Matti and just shook his head from side to side.
Matti went on, trying desperately to find an opening into the boy’s hardened heart.
“Sometimes one walks in the shadows of life for so long all they see is darkness. But I tell you J.J., what I see today, is a lot of people coming out of the shadow. Look how hard your daddy is trying and he be sick and all. You would make him so happy and your mommy would fly to heaven if you come and say hello and give her a warm hug and call her Mommy. This first name stuff is not for family, it’s for strangers and friends. For family we show more love and caring and respect as we should for all people, but with family there be a special connection. Know what I’m sayin’? Please, come back and show caring for your family, J.J. Come, please come and join us, do it for Matti.”
Matti reached for J.J.’s hand, but he sharply pulled it away and walked briskly out the door.
“It’s too late, Matti, tell Nora I want Jimmy next weekend for sure.”
“Yes,” said Matti as she continued to follow him. “Yes, next week may be too late. Your daddy awfully sick, J.J.”
J.J. didn’t answer and began to walk down the steps to his Pors
che.
“You should be minding your own business, Matti. I’ll see to it that you get fired.”
Matti was losing her calm, “Now you see here, young man, I wiped your bum more than once and I have a right to talk to you this way because we be all family and care for each other. You say your mommy and daddy weren’t there for you but what about you now, you be doing the same t’ing…you talkin’ out of both sides of your mouth, J.J.”
Matti looked up and saw a girl sitting in J.J.’s Porsche. “Who’s that young t’ing in your car J.J.?” Good, Lord, J.J., you not be unfaithful to your wife and child are you? Should I bring little Jimmy out here and show him what his daddy be doing!? And you have the nerve to judge your parents so harshly when you be doing something even worse…shame on you, J.J.”
Matti walked down the remaining steps to the car. “What’s your name young lady?” Do you know he be a married man with a child? You have no business getting involved with him.”
Turning to J.J., Matti continued, “J.J., I be so disappointed in you. This be not right. Now you drop this young lady off at home and you get right back here and be with your wife and family, hear me!?”
“Mind your own business, Matti.”
J.J. turned the key, revved the motor and screeched away.
“My, my, what the world be comin’ to, bringin’ a lady friend to the very doorstep where his wife and family is? Oh Lord, that boy need a spanking. Reason and commonsense don’t do no good. Why he got heaven at the doorstep and he chooses hell.”
Matti turned and muttered once again as she made her way back up the steps, “What the world be comin’ to?”
When she got to top of the landing, she stopped before entering. She was so riled up, she began to shake much like a dog coming out of the water. Instead of getting rid of water, Matti was shaking out the tension and anger. “Ooooheeee!!!” She shrieked and shook some more.
“There now, that be better to get it out of my system or the entire day be in the shadow. Jenny may look at her garden to get rid of annoyances, but I just shake them away.”
Matti wiped her feet on the mat, grabbed her dress from both sides of her hips and pushed the gathered parts down. “There, that be feeling a whole lot better.” She raised her head and went inside as if nothing out of the unusual happened.
Nora was sitting alone at the patio table watching Jenny and James trying to catch a butterfly for little Jimmy. She had tears in her eyes.
Matti pulled out a chair and sat beside her.
“Did J.J. go, Matti?”
“Yes, he’s gone, Nora. I ‘spect he be hurting inside. He’s one confused young man and needs some growin’ up to do. But sooner or later, he be comin’ around. The Lord will see to it.”
“He is just so hard to reach Matti and I do love him so. Jimmy misses him a lot and asks for him all the time.”
Matti put her arm around Nora. “He be working things out, Nora. Like I say, he’s confused and needs a little time. I ‘spect his mommy and daddy be talkin’ to him, too. All we can do right now, Nora, is be praying for him. God knows how to bring him around.”
A silence fell between the women as they listened to Jimmy playing with his grandparents.
“Oh, you’re playing us out, Jimmy. Come let’s sit on the swing for awhile.” Both Jenny and James were out of breath as they flopped on the swing in the gazebo.
“That was so much fun,” said Jenny, as she hugged Jimmy and tickled him like James did before.
Almost at the same time, a monarch landed on James’ hand and another on Jimmy’s.
“Oh, look!” exclaimed, Jenny. “A mommy and daddy butterfly. Look, Jimmy, see the two dark spots on the back wings of the butterfly on Grandpa’s hand, that’s a male butterfly, a daddy.”
“There are no spots on mine,” observed Jimmy.
“That’s right, Jimmy, because it’s a female butterfly, a mommy!”
Jenny was so excited to share with Jimmy that she hugged the little boy and frightened the butterfly off.
“Oh, she will come back again, Jimmy. I still have the male. The girl butterflies can’t resist the boys. She’ll be back, guaranteed!”
“Oh, James!” Jenny gave him a poke.
Matti and Nora were still sitting quietly at the table when Jimmy came running up the walk. Jenny and James were just behind.
“Mommy, Mommy! A butterfly landed on my hand. It was black and orange and Grandma said that it was a girl butterfly because it didn’t have any black marks on the wings like Grandpa’s did.”
“Are you ever smart, Jimmy. Mommy didn’t know that. Next time you can show Mommy how to tell the difference.”
Jimmy ran off down the path trying to catch another butterfly.
“Oh that was fun,” said Jenny, as she sat down. “I thought I heard J.J.?”
“Yes, he be here, but had to go.”
“Go where?” James bellowed.
Matti just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll have a talk with him tomorrow.”
Jenny wanting to change the subject, said, “Oh, Nora, if you have time this week I would love to go shopping with you and Jimmy. I’d love to by him an outfit or two if I could. He’s just about two years old, right?”
“Yes, he’ll be two next month, October, 21. And, yes, Jen…Mom, I would love to go shopping with you. We could go Tuesday or Wednesday.”
“Let’s go Tuesday, the sooner the better. I’ll pick you up around ten and we will make a day of it. Perhaps we can have lunch in a café along the Rideau Canal walkway. It’s so beautiful there this time of year.”
“Sounds wonderful, Mom.”
“I best be getting your medicine, James, and it be a good time for a nap soon.” Matti interjected.
“Yeah, I suppose I could use a rest after keeping up with this little guy. Have we some ice cream, Matti?”
“We have strawberry and chocolate.”
“What would you like, Jimmy?” asked James. “Chocolate or strawberry? Mmmm both sound good, don’t they?”
“I don’t know…can I have both?”
“Both it is for Jimmy and me. I haven’t had ice cream in years.” James rubbed his tummy. “My tummy can’t wait, how about yours, Jimmy?” James grabbed the boy and rubbed his tummy, tickling him at the same time. Jimmy cringed away and tucked his arms in to protect himself. James grabbed him and gave him a big hug.
Jenny couldn’t believe how James had changed and knew how to be an absolutely great grandfather. “Where did you pick up such wonderful Grandfather skills, James?” Jenny was dying to know.
“Instinct, Marjorie, just instinct. Once you stop and take the time for family…it just naturally comes to you. But then again, it could very well be a Hamilton trait.” James winked and lifted his shoulders gesturing that it would be more believable if he added, “a trait that they had a long, long time ago…”
Chapter Seventy One
Hi, honey, sorry I didn’t call last night. James was quite ill and there was quite a commotion here for a few hours.”
“Did they take him to the hospital?” asked Henry feeling relieved that Jenny called.
“The doctor tried his best to convince him to go, but James refused. He said he’ll know when he has to go and was firm in staying home. James’ doctor isn’t the only one who wants him admitted. There is an emergency team of doctors ready to transport him to some facility where his body will be frozen.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that to me before. He is still serious in going through with that?”
“I think he agrees it’s a bit farfetched, but he hasn’t put a stop to it. Money is no object to James. He may do whatever he can to postpone his death. I’m sure he has a series of life support measures in place as well.”
Henry remained silent, not really wanting to go there. He was more concerned about Jenny and their relationship.
“How are you holding up in all this, Jenny?” Henry was eager to know. He listened to her respon
se carefully.
“Surprisingly well, Henry. James has changed so much and … for the better, I hardly recognize him as the same man. Our grandson, Jimmy, was over Sunday with Nora and we had such fun with him chasing butterflies. Except for yesterday, when James had a spell, everything is going fine. J.J. was over to the estate on Sunday but I didn’t see him. James and I were taking Jimmy for a walk when he came and he left right away. He’s going to be a hard one to reach, I’m afraid. Anyway, Nora, Jimmy and I spent the whole day today shopping. We had so much fun. Nora is such a lovely girl. J.J. should consider himself fortunate to have her as a wife. I hope he realizes it before it’s too late.”
“Did you chat with Nora about her financial arrangement with J.J.? Is it set up the same way yours was? I recall you were concerned about that.”
“Yes, while Jimmy was colouring and playing with a small toy the café supplied, I asked Nora about that. Apparently, she too, entered into a prenuptial agreement which was similar to the one James and I had. But two months ago, James changed all that. He formed a trust for Jimmy and a bank management arrangement such that for each year that J.J. and Nora are married, the account increases substantially. It goes hand in hand somehow along with an agreement that dictates how a settlement would be made. Nora had her father take the agreement to his lawyer. After review, the lawyer apparently said the agreement outlined a very generous and fair division of assets between the husband and wife should a settlement ever be required.” Then Jenny added something which twigged at Henry’s concern receptors.
“I just cannot believe how wonderful James has become…it’s another miracle, Henry.”
“Yeah,” Henry said, hesitantly, “It sure sounds like it. Change doesn’t come easy, Jen. When I was a counsellor it got very discouraging at times when clients came back time and again still dealing with the same self defeating behaviours. And yet, when one is ready to change, it can happen. I can see in James’ case, his illness stopped him in his tracks and forced him to examine his life and where it was all heading.”
“And it could have gone either way. He could have remained cold, hard, aloof and blaming God and life for his situation but rather his old ways seem to be replaced by a sincere attempt to reach out and be kind. I never would have thought that the garden would have such a healing effect on him either. He never ever gave a flower, a shrub or tree a second thought and now when he passes them, he stops to touch a flower or smell a herb and at times even tastes both!” And after a reflective pause, Jenny added, “The acids within him that so corroded his spirit have been miraculously neutralized by an alkaline dose of nature.”
Angel Promises Fulfilled Page 47