Chapter Forty-Five

Meet and Greet

Dani

Dad had said we’d go to the noon mass on Sunday, allowing the boys to sleep late. I was up at eight to find Dad and Mr. Cunningham in the kitchen drinking coffee. The boys were still asleep in the tent.

“So, did the kids have a good time yesterday?” I had been to the movies with Joel the night before.

Dad remarked, “They sure did. They’ll probably be very tired this morning. Bill worked their butts off. It was educational, yet still fun. None of the boys complained. Well, maybe Justin, a little, mainly about the food.”

Dad quickly changed the subject. “Oh, by the way, Craig and his wife are coming to dinner tonight. He called Bill early this morning to see if his sister, Marcella, and her family could join us. I guess we’ll have a house full.”

The boys wandered into the kitchen about ten o’clock, sleepy-eyed and tired. Dad was at the stove. “How about some good old pancakes for breakfast, gentlemen? Or should we go into the woods again to find our food?”

Pancakes was their definitive choice.

At mass that morning the homily was about forgiveness. I wanted to go onto the podium and ask the priest how it was possible to forgive somebody for brutally killing your grandfather. Maybe Mr. Cunningham should ask how he could forgive a man who viciously killed innocent children. Neither he nor I left our seats. Maybe someday we’d understand and be capable of forgiving Clay Jackson.

After mass, the boys’ choice for lunch was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They changed out of their dress clothes, disassembled the tent, and packed up their sleeping bags. While Dad and I cleaned the kitchen and started dinner, everyone else took off with baseball gear for the ball field. Dinner was in the oven by the time the group returned from the ball game. They were all sweaty, dusty, and exhausted. The boys went swimming in the pool to cool off and relax before they took showers.

When our adult guests arrived, the greetings were rather awkward at first. However, as soon as the boys came bounding into the room talking all at once about their adventures, their excitement relaxed everyone. We sat at dinner, conversing about everything and anything. The only subject that wasn’t discussed was Clay Jackson.

Overall, it was a pleasant evening. Little Nicole was not at all shy and sat on Mr. Cunningham’s lap for most of the visit. He had a contented smile on his face as he looked at the little girl. I wondered what was going on in his mind. Since he was smiling, it must’ve been pleasing thoughts.

After dinner the boys took their desserts into Frankie’s room to play on his Xbox. While we were in the living room having our desserts, Craig spoke, “Mr. Cunningham, I’d like to ask you something.” When he made that statement, I was aware of a slight tension in the room. Mr. Cunningham had the hint of a frown on his face. Since they had made an agreement on Friday not to discuss Clay Jackson, I was curious about his request.

Craig Jordan quickly added, “It’s about my mother. She’s an old woman now and would like to put the past behind her. She was wondering if she could speak to you sometime to offer her condolences and apologies.”

Mr. Cunningham looked at little Nicole, caressing her soft, blonde curls as she sat quietly on his lap, her eyes wandering around the room watching the adults. Then he looked at Craig, dropping his hand from Nicole’s head. “Craig, I hold no ill-will toward your mother. Please tell her it’s not necessary for her to apologize. As for meeting her, how about the next time we get together, because I want there to be a next time, she join the rest of us.”

“Mr. Cunningham, you have to be the most understanding individual I’ve ever met.”

“Well, Craig, there’s one contention that I have…” Mr. Cunningham looked very serious. Before he could tell Craig what that contention was, Casey and Jason came vaulting into the living room with Jason shouting, “Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill, Frankie says you know how to play Fruit Ninja better than him. Will you come show us?”

The serious look on Mr. Cunningham’s face was replaced with a large smile. “I sure will, son.”

As he placed little Nikki gently onto the floor, still smiling, he turned to Craig. “That contention is that you stop calling me Mr. Cunningham. That goes for you also, Danielle. How about if everyone takes Jason’s lead and calls me Uncle Bill?”

Uncle Bill followed Jason and Casey into Frankie’s room to beat them at Fruit Ninja.

After that initial get-together, we had several more with the Ocala group. For the next meeting, we went to Craig and Linda’s house. Uncle Bill would never go to Clay Jackson’s house, so Mrs. Arna Jordan met us at Craig’s. She was a very slight woman with beautiful white hair that looked like a wafting cloud atop her head. At first she was timid and shy. I think she was afraid we might bring up her husband even though Craig told her no one would discuss him. She seemed to love her children and grandchildren very much, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

Thus, we got to know the Jordan and Hinkle families quite well over the time before the trial. Uncle Bill appeared happier and more content. We took the kids to the theme parks during the interval. Money was no object for Uncle Bill. He’d buy all our tickets. Dad and I would object each time, but he’d shut us down immediately.

The time passed rather quickly. Joel, Grace, and Mrs. DeMarco were included in most of our activities also. Our entourage was growing by leaps and bounds.