The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 48 - The Call and the Rocking Chair

Aaron's suggestion proved to be very prophetic. Only thirty minutes later, Cindy came up the stairs, announcing appetizers had been set out to help hold them over until dinner. The boys came downstairs in force, with Jessie following behind them once again. They talked and they visited with each other and their mothers as the women cooked in the kitchen, and the men came in to report on the turkey and to check on things on the stove and in the oven. Dinner was ready, exactly when it was planned, and they all sat down around Julie and Elliott's table, with Elliott giving the blessing, and all those who were able, joining in in Hebrew, with Zackary joining in with the men in their prayers, and Susan and Jessie joining the women. Everyone looked at the Abernathys in surprise. Despite Susan's family's clear Christian leanings, all of them except Matt, had embraced and participated in the traditional Jewish prayers.

Aaron stared at Zackary when they were through.

"Did you have you bar mitzvah?" Aaron asked.

"No, I'm going to get baptized instead," Zackary told him earnestly.

"Believer's baptism?" Matthew asked.

"Yup, I've decided and Mom said I can. I'm old enough now, so we've been talking to Pastor Oliver about it," Zackary told his brother.

"But you prayed with us!" Aaron protested.

"Yeah, I know. I learned them as part of our Hebrew lessons," Zackary said matter-of-factly.

"You're taking Hebrew lessons?" Jake asked. "Not just Jessie?"

"We all do," Jessie told him, "except Matt."

"Why don't you take them?" Aaron asked Matt. "Is it because you're a Christian?"

"No, it's because I don't live with them. I will after Christmas, but right now I still live with my Dad," Matthew explained.

"Why are you moving?" Alan asked curiously as he was one of the adults closest to the kids' end of the table.

"I want to go to a California college after I graduate from high school, and it's cheaper if you're a resident. So I'm going to live with Mom for a year, so I'll qualify when I apply. I've sort of wanted to do that anyways," Matthew explained.

"What schools are you looking at?" Neil asked who was sitting opposite Alan, beside Matt.

"So far I've looked at UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, and this weekend we're going to look at UC San Diego and San Diego State," Matt answered.

"I went to UCLA," Neil said.

"Yeah, Greg said. Where did you go, Alan?" Matt asked curiously.

"UC Berkley. That's how I ended up in Oakland," Alan told him. "What do you want to study?"

"I don't know yet. I'm not really sure what I want to do," Matthew said hesitantly, as he glanced momentarily in the direction of his mother.

Susan caught his eye for a fraction of a second, earning her a questioning look from Greg as soon as Matthew went back to his conversation, talking about colleges with Neil and Alan, asking about their experiences there.

c

The family's Thanksgiving meal was spent sharing good food and exchanging pleasant conversation for all, primarily between those people seated closest to them. Every so often, snatches of conversation reached those at opposite ends of the table. Alan and Neil, who were seated in the middle along the length of the large table, heard both: the topics under discussion by the young people at one end, and those things being discussed by the rest of the adults at the other. Greg looked up once or twice, wondering at the conversations from the opposite end of the table which he occasionally, partially overheard.