Send Off Dinner

Jill sat at her mother’s dining room table surrounded by her aunts, uncles, and cousins. They were all laughing and carrying on over a dinner of London broil, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, baked bread, and salad. Her mother had gone all out with this sendoff dinner.

“Are you all packed?” Her aunt Maria asked.

“Pretty much,” Jill answered shifting in her chair.

“Pretty much?” Her aunt Monique inquired raising her eyebrows. “You were supposed to spend this entire past week getting ready.”

“I just have a few things that haven’t made it into my bag,” Jill assured them.

“Like what?” Aunt Maria pressed.

“Like her blankie,” her cousin Joe teased.

“And her Teddy Bear,” his younger brother David added.

“You’re both asses,” Jill grumbled good naturedly offering each of them a middle finger.

“That’s not what I expect from a young lady about to leave for her post graduate studies,” her Uncle Dwayne chastised.

“Sorry,” Jill murmured. She tucked her hands under her thighs to keep from giving him a similar gesture. Her Aunts would take it in stride, but her Uncle was a different matter. He didn’t find his little niece flipping the bird as amusing as everyone else. Just then the doorbell rang and Jill jumped out of her seat as the door opened, and her father stepped inside. “Dad, you made it!”

He lifted her into his arms, and squeezed her tightly to him. Jill’s mother Irene stood, eying her first ex with a where the hell have you been? Look. James ignored her, and focused on his daughter whose small stature forced her to look up at him. Irene pasted a polite smile on her face.

“Have you eaten?” She asked. “There’s plenty left.”

“No thanks,” James refused with equal forced politeness. “I don’t plan to stay. I just wanted to say good-by before my little girl heads off to the southern peninsula.”

“You could still come with us,” Irene invited curtly. Of course by could she meant should.

“Sorry, I have plans tomorrow,” James stated. “Jill, will you walk with me to my car?”

Jill looked between her father, her mother, and the rest of her mother’s family seated at the table. When no one objected she followed her father outside. He led her to his large SUV, and opened the back passenger door. He pulled out a pink bag with colorful tissue paper sticking out of the top.

“This is from Vicky, John, and I,” he explained. He leaned in and pulled out a smaller bag of the same color with tissue paper and cards sticking out of it, “and these are from your grandparents, yyour aunts, and your uncle.”

“”Thank you,” Jill said softly. She was sad that he wouldn’t stay, and even more sad that none of his family were there. “I’ll open them tonight, and make thank you calls tomorrow while I’m on my way.”

“Maybe you’ll stop in Maryland to see your Aunts?” He suggested. “They’d like to see you.”

“I know,” Jill nodded. “You were all invited to join us tonight.”

“It wouldn’t be comfortable,” her father sighed, “and you know that.”

“Right,” Jill frowned. “Well, tell Vicky and John thanks for me, and I guess I’ll see you sometime around winter break.”

“It’d be nice to hear from you before then,” James commented as he climbed into the drivers seat of his vehicle, “but remember we turn in early.”

“I remember,” Jill nodded. “I love you Dad.”

“I love you too,” James muttered in a non-committal tone. He pulled out of the drive way, and down the road.

Jill sighed, turned, and headed back into the house. She stopped in her bedroom to deposit the gifts her father and his family offered. The laughter and conversation stopped when she entered the kitchen. Jill offered them a sad smile as she took her seat at the table.

“Everything ok?” Her older cousin Mike asked.

“Yeah,” Jill answered. “He just wanted to give me some gifts from him and the family.”

“Where are they?” Aunt Monique asked.

“In my room,” Jill stated. “I’ll open them later.”

“Why not now?” Irene asked. She went into Jill’s room, and brought out the two bags that she assumed were the gifts. She set them in front of Jill. “Go on, we’re all curious.”

“Ok, but no judgments,” Jill warned.

She opened the gift from her father, step-brother, and step-mother. It was a fleese Penn State blanket with “Class of 2012” embroidered on it. The card read “Just a little home comfort to keep you warm on those cool nights”. Jill felt tears in her eyes, and blinked them away. David reached out and rubbed her shoulder. He was going to be graduating from Penn State in the upcoming spring semester.

“We are…” he began.

“Penn State.” Jill finished giving him a smile.

“You’re not Penn State anymore,” her cousin Joe teased. “you’re University of South Florida now.”

“Once a Nitney Lion, always a Nitney Lion,” Jill cheered.

“Lioness,” Irene corrected. “Alright, let’s see what’s in the smaller one.”

Jill opened the smaller bag, and pulled out a stuffed nitny lion dressed in a Penn State cheerleading uniform. She knew the stuffed toy was from her grandparents. Her grandfather had graduated from Penn State, and he just couldn’t fathom why she felt the need to do her post graduate work at any other school. Jill set the animal on the blanket.

“Guess we know where they stand,” she smiled patiently. “I wonder what their reaction would have been if I went with Luke to London?”

“”They’d have to get in line to tie you up and throw you in the basement,” Irene stated. She shot a narrowed gaze at the white roses in a vase in the center of the table. They had arrived that day with a poem Luke had written himself. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Luke, but she wouldn’t have her daughter making the same mistakes she made during her second marriage, and moving across an ocean to be with a guy was much worse in her mind then moving across the border to another state. “He’s so sweet.”

“He’s a defecter,” Joe argued. “Why the hell did he have to go all the way to London to study poetry?”

“The university he’s going to has an English master’s program specifically devoted to poetry,” Jill parroted Luke’s explanation as he had given it to her when she had asked the same question. “He hasn’t defected. He’s still an American citizen.”

“He’s still a douche for leaving,” Joe stated.

“He has to do what makes him happy,” Jill sighed.

After Jill opened the cards, the family cleaned up the kitchen. Jill’s cousins tried to get her to come out to a local bar with them, but she declined, reminding them that she still had some packing to finish. Each member of her family hugged her before they left, and told her to be smart and safe in Florida. After they were all gone Jill, and her mother finished the remaining wine while they did one last check over jill’s things to make sure she had it all. As they were finishing the melodious Skype tones came through Jill’s laptop to let her know someone was calling. Jill knew who it was, and looked anxiously at her mother.

“Oh, go on,” Irene motioned to the laptop. She smiled as her daughter scurried eagerly to her laptop, and hit the answer button on the Skype interface.

A shirtless blonde appeared on the screen. Jill’s smile faltered at the sight of Luke’s flat mate Jason. He always flirted with Jill when she and Luke were trying to have conversations.

“Hey there Jillian,” he greeted in a heavy English accent. “How are you this evening?”

“Good,” jill couldn’t help but smile. “Does Luke know you’re using his Skype to call me?”

“What if he doesn’t?” Jason inquired mischievously. “Maybe this Is the only way I could get you to answer.”

“And maybe you’re just an ass!” Luke’s voice exclaimed from the background.

“Oh hey, Luke,” Jason smiled at someone off camera. “I was just warming her up for you.”

Jill giggled as Luke pulled Jason out of his chair, and off screen. Rustling sounds were heard as Luke evicted Jason from his bedroom. Luke’s body appeared on screen dressed in a pair of blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. He sat in his chair so that Jill could see his smiling face, brown eyes, and black hair.

“Hey there girlie,” Luke greeted. His voice had adopted the English accent, and his speech had also become more native.

Irene leaned into the camera view and kissed Jill on the cheek. “I’ll say good night now,” she announced. “I’m going to leave the wine bottle with you, Jill.”

“Thanks mom,” Jill flushed.

“Yeah, thanks mum,” Luke echoed. “Have a good night.”

“You too,” Irene shot over her shoulder. “Don’t keep her up too late Luke. We have a long drive tomorrow, and there will be no sleeping in the car.”

“Roger that ma’am,” Luke gave a salute with his wine glass.

Jill moved to her bed setting the laptop on her lap desk. She closed her bedroom door, and sprawled on her belly on the bare mattress. She sipped her wine, and set the glass on her nightstand.

“So, is it just you and me now?” Luke inquired hopefully.

“Yes,” Jill laughed softly. “Well, at least she doesn’t think you’re a douche for leaving.”

“Oh?” Luke smiled. “Who thinks that?”

“Joe,” Jill answered. “I told him you have to do what makes you happy.”

“The only part of this that doesn’t make me happy is that you aren’t with me,” Luke stated.

“Oh, come on.” Jill could not help smiling at that. “I’m sure you’ve found yourself a nice British girl by now.”

“Ah, a gentleman never discusses his conquests,” Luke winked. “How about you my sweet? Find yourself a nice summer fling before you head off to college?”

“You know I don’t do flings,” Jill admonished. “There hasn’t been anyone since you.”

“I can truthfully say the same,” Luke sighed. “Did you get the flowers , and the poem?”

“Yes, they were both lovely,” Jill sighed. “I just wish I could take the flowers with me.”

“They wouldn’t survive the trip,” Luke stated, “but there might be a surprise for you at your apartment.”

“Luke!” Jill exclaimed. “You shouldn’t waste your money on me.”

“It’s not a waste if it makes you happy,” Luke corrected. “I’ll be coming home for winter break. I’m going to be watching my parents house while they go on a cruise.”

“You’re not going?” Jill asked.

“Nope,” Luke smiled. “It’s a couples cruise. So, unless you want to go with me…”

“I can’t afford a cruise,” Jill shook her head.

“Then we can spend the month together,” Luke sounded genuinely excited by the idea. “Will you save yourself for me?”

“I don’t know,” Jill shrugged non-committedly. “I might meet a nice southern boy in Florida.”

“If that’s the case I look forward to meeting him,” Luke smiled. “Well, darling, it’s probably close to midnight where you are,and you’ve got a long day tomorrow. So, I’ll say good night for now.”

“Good night Luke,” Jill yawned.

“Give me a call when you’re settled in?” he requested.

“I will,” Jill promised.

After she hung up the call she wrapped up in her sleeping bag, and cuddled her teddy, and blankie close. They gave her comfort enough to help her fall asleep. I wonder what Freud would say about that? She thought as she drifted off to sleep.