MARRIED... Spring(ing) into the future (Part 50b)

We left bright and early on a bright sunny Saturday morning. Traffic around the city wasn’t as bad as I usually experienced on Friday nights even though it was Easter weekend. Elle was miserable because, even with more stops than usual, it was almost impossible for her to be dry. Even with plastic pants she would leak through. I had her sitting on multiple bath towels trying to keep the car seat relatively dry. When we arrived at her parents house it was just about dark and she was of no mind to go visiting, especially to see people who had a hostile opinion of her. That meant going on Sunday... Easter Sunday.

I called John and explained the situation. He said he’d take care of it and when he called back it had been decided that we’d do it about mid afternoon after my grandparents had had their Easter dinner. One of the reasons for the lateness was that my parents were eating with them. John, although very close with my parents, didn’t want my parents around when the meeting took place. In fact, he told me that he didn’t think my parents even knew about the projected meeting. All I could do was hope that was so and wait for the time to arrive.

Elle and I went to church and then had a nice Easter dinner with her parents. I can tell you that they, especially her mother, weren’t behind us as far as the meeting was concerned. We arrived at John’s house around 2pm or so and he briefed us on what he had scripted for the meeting. All Elle and I could do was sit and listen... and hope that it worked.

When we walked into the “sitting room” (what they called the living room) my grandfather was at his desk and my grandmother was in her usual place on the sofa. She was pretty much crippled with leg problems so she spent most of her time knitting while sitting on the sofa. John, with his wife following, walked in first. They greeted my grandparents with Elle and I standing in the doorway. After a minute or two John’s wife stepped back and he proceeded to introduce Elle with me standing right behind her. I had her right hand and I could feel it shaking. John then proceeded to tell my grandparents about Elle, stressing that she was an outstanding young woman. He told of her school awards both in high school and in college. He told them that she was in line to get her teaching degree, with honors. He told them about her extra curricular activities and how she’d worked each and every Summer to help pay for her education. He then took her by the hand and led her over to my grandmother.

I dearly loved my grandmother but she had her “moments". She was very stubborn and it was hard to get her to change her mind. She looked up at Elle and if she said anything at all it was mumbled. Next, John led her back to my grandfather. He was exactly the opposite. He took her hand in both of his and then proceeded to tell her that she not only had an impressive ”resume“ but that she was pretty as well. I couldn’t see her face but I know she had to be blushing mightily. Then, even more surprisingly, he proceeded to ask about the pregnancy and how she was handling it. It was during this part that my grandmother finally looked up from her knitting. John, picking up on the interest that my grandfather was showing Elle by asking about the pregnancy, piped up that the baby would make them great grandparents. I’m not sure that my grandmother had ever taken the time to think the situation through to realize that the baby would make her a great grandmother but she was obviously interested in that. The first words I heard from her were to tell Elle that both her mother and grandmother had been great grandmothers. That seemed to please her.

With things going well, John and his wife took leave and, as he left he was able to tell me to stop at their house on our way back to Elle’s parents. I wasn’t surprised when Elle asked where the bathroom was. I led her to it and asked if she was OK. She smiled so that told me everything was going well.

By the time she returned my grandfather had already started in with me. It was like I was being ”grilled“ as he wanted to know how I was doing in school. When I’d come home to go to Summer school he wasn’t pleased at all. When I’d first left for college he had made what I had considered a ”bribe“ in that if I graduated in four years that he would buy me a new car like he’d done for my father upon his graduation. I can’t tell you why but I never really took that as a promise. In fact, I think this was the first time he’d brought it up since my going away ”pep talk“. I know I’d long forgotten about it. So, when he heard that I was doing well (better than any other semester) and he reminded me about it I was really taken back.

That's when Elle walked back into the room and he wanted to hear more about what she wanted to do with her education. He wanted her to sit down but I was sure that Elle was at least somewhat wet. The furniture in my grandparents house was old... very old. It was also very uncomfortable. The last thing I wanted was for her to put stains on it and undo all the good that been accomplished. I jumped in and said I’d get one of the kitchen chairs (wooden) for her. My grandmother asked why and I told her that with the pregnancy Elle really needed a straight back chair after she’d been standing for a while. With no objection, I proceed to get one of the painted ones for her. That eliminated a potential problem. We spent almost an hour with my grandfather really involved with both Elle and I as we talked about the future. I told him I was committed to going into the harness racing business and that as far as I knew I’d be working for AJ starting in May. I remember him smiling when I told him that. He was also surprised and impressed when I told him that I’d kept my fingers in the business by working for Harry on Saturdays.

We stayed until I saw that it was getting dark. My grandmother took Elle’s hand and, looking her straight in the eyes, told her to take good care of herself and the baby. My grandfather went one better, insisting that he give her a hug and a kiss on her cheek. I got a hug and a handshake... but there was a $20 bill in his hand when we did that. As we walked down the hill to the car I remember wondering why we had to go though all those years of ”dancing” around my grandparents.

To be continued...