Core Beliefs - Chapter 9 - Happy Birthday, Brother

            Core Beliefs : Chapter 9 : Happy birthday, Brother

The week flew by, and Matt found Friday had arrived much too quickly. He called key personnel and informed them he would be out of town for his brother’s birthday.

The trip was uneventful. I-70 traffic was smooth and steady, but a thousand things perked into Matt’s thoughts. The last month rushed through his memory, event by event, all piling up into an unimaginable sequence, like dominoes tumbling. Somewhere near Sweet Springs, Missouri, he pulled over, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

“Why me?” It whispered from his lips a dozen times. There was no answer to the question. It was what it was. After a long twenty minutes, he resumed his drive.

Joe’s family and Matt went out for dinner that night. Matt found himself comparing meals to the one Charlotte had fixed. He concluded that Charlotte's was still the best he had eaten in years.

Both of Joe’s boys were home for the big birthday, and Matt watched the joking and playful jesting between them and Joe. It was obvious there was a lot of love mixed with the fun.

It hit for a moment, the sensation of being alone in a room full of people. The emptiness gripped him a few times over the past year, but it was always worse around Joe’s family. Christmas was unbearable.

The boys bunked together so Matt could have Charles’ room. He slept well, waking early but not as early as Cynthia, who seemed to have big plans for the day.

Matt repeatedly moved out of her way as she bustled about rearranging things.

“Can I help?” Matt asked after the fourth time he got moved from a spot.

“Can you get Joe out of the house for a few hours?” she asked.

Obviously, something was up. Matt knew it, Joe knew it, everybody knew it, but if anybody knew what it was, they weren’t telling.

After the twenty-third hint, Joe mumbled, “Let’s go for a drive and leave these plotters to their evil ways.”

“Where do you want to go?” Matt asked.

“Let’s tour the fountains,” Joe said.

Matt remembered doing that once before with Joe and Cynthia. Kansas City did have some really neat fountains and parks. Winter had arrived early in the area, and many of the water features had ice built up, transforming them into spectacular crystal sculptures that refracted the light.

They ended up on the Plaza, parked, and walked along Nichols Road and 47^th Street, taking in the unique architecture.

Matt enjoyed the moment. He and Joe sat down at a coffee shop and indulged in a double deluxe cappuccino or something or other. It was good, but seemed like overkill for a cup of coffee.

“How are you doing?” Joe asked.

Matt mumbled about being sore from the digging and how he had scrambled to get everything done so they could send the payment, but overall, he was satisfied.

“Not what I’m asking about,” Joe smiled, but his eyes were dead serious.

To Matt’s relief, Joe dropped the subject and looked at his watch.

“Ready or not, we’re heading home,” Joe said.

About three in the afternoon, they approached Joe’s neighborhood. Bumper-to-bumper cars parked, starting two blocks away. It became apparent that everyone was at Joe’s.

Someone decorated the yard with black “Over the Hill” signs and black crepe paper. There was a coffin and an animated Grim Reaper in the yard. One parking spot had been left in the drive.

Matt looked at Joe. “This is why I keep my birthday low-key. What do you think? Should we make a run for it?”

Both men laughed as they exited the car.

“No, I think I’d better face the music. I don’t have anywhere else to sleep.”

They strolled to the front door. It was obvious that it wasn’t a surprise party, but when Joe walked in, everyone yelled, “Happy Birthday!”

It amazed Matt; the house was packed. His first thought was that there had to be twenty-five to thirty people, but as he continued to count, he realized there were more than fifty, maybe sixty people.

“You come with me.” Joe snared Matt’s arm and tugged him into the throng.

Introductions came fast. Joe was determined to have Matt meet every person there.

Matt tried to remember names, but his brain quickly went into overload, and overload was always followed by shutdown.

With Charley’s help, Cynthia climbed on a chair in the living room and got everyone’s attention. “Okay, folks, the spread is set in the backyard. Let’s let the birthday boy go first.”

There was a huge roar of approval, and a way was cleared for Joe, followed by Matt, to the sliding glass doors in the family room looking out onto the backyard.

It was a sight to behold. While Joe and Matt were touring fountains, a large tent had been erected, and a catering group was there with food.

Doug pulled the door open, and Joe led the way to the food line. It was Bar-B-Q, and that made it about as good as it gets.

Cynthia and the boys joined Joe. They filled their plates and headed for the tent.

Matt noticed that they had infrared heaters strategically located, and the temperature in the tent was quite pleasant. There was a head table, and Joe’s seat was right in the middle. Cynthia had Matt seated next to Joe, with Doug on his right and Cynthia and Charles on the other side.

There was a table to the side of the main table, which was filled with cards. Charles gathered the cards and brought them to Joe.

“Go ahead, dear,” Cynthia said. “Open them and read aloud so your good friends will know just how we feel about you.”

There were some serious cards, but a large percentage were humorous, and many were almost abusive, referencing canes, eyeglasses, wheelchairs, and other more personal topics.

Joe laughed as he read them and thoroughly enjoyed the moment. By the time the cards were finished, most of the guests had finished eating.

A flap was pulled back, and the caterer brought in a huge cake, black with lots of writing in orange icing, bemoaning the fact that Joe was now a half-century old. Pieces were cut and delivered, and they all sang Happy Birthday.

“You lucky SOB,” Matt slapped his brother on the back.

“I do know just how lucky I am,” Joe said solemnly, “and appreciate it every day.”

He got up, kissed Cynthia, hugged the boys, and gave a very short but sincere thank-you speech.

The party was over.

It looked like Bar-B-Q was on the menu for supper, but that would be later. Right now, everyone was stuffed and ready for a nap. That is what Matt did. It wasn’t intentional; he just slipped off to sleep in a recliner in the living room.

Awakened by laughter, it took him a couple of seconds to get his bearings. He realized he had slept for almost two and a half hours. Rousing himself, he went to the kitchen to apologize for drifting off, but before he could say anything, the clan greeted him.

They were munching on ribs and told Matt to grab a plate. It seemed Doug was determined to make sure nothing survived to go in the fridge.

Matt smiled and complied, but only took small portions. Doug and Charles finished first and excused themselves, leaving Matt, Joe, and Cynthia around the table.

Matt took a moist towel and stripped BBQ sauce from his fingers. Ribs do make a mess, but they are good.

Matt asked Cynthia if he could help clean up, but she shooed the two men out of the room.

“Let’s go to the study and relax,” Joe said.

Joe’s study, which also served as his home office, was larger than Matt’s. It had a huge mahogany desk and credenza. There were two large leather armchairs and a couple of side tables.

Joe motioned for Matt to take a chair while he went to the credenza and took out a bottle. Taking two small glasses, he filled them almost to the top and brought them over. Handing one to Matt, he then sat in the other chair.

Matt raised his glass. “To the luckiest man I know.”

Joe thanked him, and they both took a sip of the golden nectar. It was warm but didn’t burn, and the taste seemed to have some familiar elements to it.

“What is this?” Matt asked.

“Amaretto,” Joe said.

Matt took another sip, closed his eyes, and savored the moment.

“Joe, I would like to tell you what the silo is all about.”

It took about twenty minutes. Matt began the story with the events of the night of September 23rd up to the previous Friday. Joe sat silent after Matt finished.

“I know,” Matt said, “that’s how it hit me at first.”

The two men talked for the next two hours. Matt explained his plans, and Joe asked how he could help.

Matt hit a point where he was so tired that he nodded right in the chair. Joe suggested they get to bed.