Matters of Gravity

Episode #12: Re-establishing Connections

As he walked the length of the second floor hallway in the 'old' physics building Roger could see that Julie's office door at the end of the corridor was open. Walking that entire distance there was only one person who had exited one of the offices and entered another. It must be a quiet time of day and year for the department he thought. He remembered animated conversations and students scurrying along this very hallway. But not today.

He tapped on the door jam. Julie looked up, hopped to her feet, and fairly scampered to greet him, all smiles.

"Oh Roger, I am so glad you came after all." She threw her arms around him when she approached, a gesture she apparently had not dared yesterday.

Taken aback Roger blurted out, "Whoa."

"Oh, sorry, but I have looked so forward to getting to talk with you ever since I heard that you were retiring. It is truly good to see you. Sorry about the occasion, but seeing you again is grand."

"Yeah. Likewise," he said as she proceeded to shut the door behind him and then receded to her side of the desk.

"Please sit down and tell me about you. You said that you weren't enjoying retirement. That makes me so sad. I hope there isn't anything physical. Is it the situation? What?"

"I don't know. Physical? Well, you can't play ball forever and I could tell it was fading. I've had a lot of fun in my life but it isn't like I've done anything significant. And now... Boom! It's over – like nothing anyone could ever imagine.  Nothing."

"Significant? Surely you're joking Mr. Bonn." She laughed her infectious laugh, thinking of Richard Feynman's book with a similar title. "The hall of fame is no longer significant? Ray once told me that you were the only reason he would accept induction – that you demanded it of him. Now you're not looking forward to it for yourself?"

"He told you that? When?"

"Oh, I sent an e-mail to congratulate him after his retirement ceremony when you and Ellie threw out that pitch. He said he only suited up that day to enable his nomination to Cooperstown. I told him how significant I thought that was and he replied that he would only accept it because you demanded it of him."

"Yeah? Did you two communicate often."

"No. But it never went more than a few months without an e-mail back and forth until that last year I guess."

Roger thought about that phrasing of 'that last year' silently for a bit.

Julie watched him. "I have to admit that I did sort of fall in love with him when he was down here on the farm that one quarter but he was between Helen and your mom and didn't pay any attention to me."

"Mom thought he did."

Julie looked surprised. "He didn't. Your mom was the love of his life."

"Yeah."

"But I kept up on your family, so I'm a little confused by your suggestion yesterday that Ray and Lesa were not the 'usual couple'. Can Tommy and Margie not be directly related? How on earth can that be. Is that what has you on edge?"

"On edge? Like ready to tip over?" He managed a smile.

"Yes, like that," she said.

"Yeah, I guess. Come to find out, they are not DNA-related, but like you said, who would believe that. Our family has had so much scrutiny I was hoping for some peace of mind during my retirement. And now this."

"Up there on the lake seems like the ideal place for peace and quiet. I'd like to see it some time. Ellie has told me how beautiful and serene it is up there."