The Flounder Family Chapter 12

Jettison tiptoed into the kitchen and put his finger to his lips.  Dove stared at him with a half smile and a bemused expression.  “So what? You’ve robbed a bank or something?”

Jettison pulled two hand-woven baskets from behind his back.  They were filled with various candies and small surprises.  Dove’s eyebrows rose.  She whispered, “Those baskets look…well…authentic.  Where’d you get them?”

Jettison set one down at Tasha’s place and the other at Kiddo’s.  He looked at his wife, his eyes twinkling.  “There’s that Indian store down the highway, well, I always wanted to stop there and you know, I could never convince myself I really needed a basket.  But as I was driving past the other day I thought about Easter and the whole bunny thing and how the kids get filled with candy and miss the whole point.  So I thought, I won’t take the fun out of it, but do something a little special instead.”  Jettison stepped out of the room.  Dove waited.  He returned with another basket, this one filled with planted herbs and flowers.  He handed it to his wife.  “You see, I not only got the Lent thing, but I think I am getting the Easter thing too.”

Dove smiled as she reached out and hugged her husband.  “Oh, Jettison.  I didn’t get you anything.  I never thought about it.  I hate the whole candy business so I tend to ignore the basket full of treats.  But this…well, this is really special and it does mean something to me.  I love the herbs.”

“I figured you would.  And I didn’t get the kids the usual chocolate bunny stuff.  I got them a real Indian basket which has a little story attached about the people who made them.  Then I picked up something I knew they’d each like.  For Tasha I got some colored pencils and for Kiddo I got some colored chalk.  I did get them a couple candy bars just for fun.  But I want to remind them that their lives should be about making the world a more beautiful place – not about eating till you make yourself sick.”  Jettison rubbed his jaw.  “Do you think they’ll understand?”

“Well, if they don’t, I do.  But yeah, I think they’ll get it.”  She squeezed her husband and took his hand.  “I have a surprise for you too.  You won’t believe it!”

Jettison looked very pleased as his wife led him into the living room.  He made a motion to go upstairs but she pulled his arm toward a side table.  “You know how I looked up my family history?”  Dove watched her husband’s bewildered expression.  “Well, I decided to research your family too.  And you won’t believe what I found.  Four generations ago your father came to this country and apparently the people who were writing the names down weren’t especially good spellers.  It turns out, that your name is not really Flounder but Founder.”  Dove continued to watch her husband as she handed him the paper with the written records spelled out in precise detail.  “Isn’t it perfect?”

“Jettison smiled as he looked over the paper.  “Too bad I can’t do the same with Jettison.”  Dove smiled.

“I thought of that.  So, I called your great uncle, Irving, and you know, he said that Jettison was actually a war hero that your father admired.  He died saving his friends in the second world war.  He thought your Dad had told you about him. I guess he never had the chance, you were so young when he died. Sad to think that all this time you didn’t know who you were named after.  Irving said your father really loved the guy.”

Jettison put the paper down as tears filled his eyes.  “You know, there was so much lost.  When dad died, it was all so senseless and Mom didn’t hold together too well.  She toughed it out by pretending.  But in the end I was left with vague memories and little substance. Neither of may parents really meant to fail me, but they couldn’t give to me what I needed.  Or that’s how I always figured it.  So I rejected my history.  I rejected my faith and my heritage.  I didn’t want to know.”

“But you’ve been so strong for Marie.  That didn’t come from no where.  Somewhere along the way you found your strength.”

Jettison sniffed and rubbed his nose.  “Yeah, I suppose someone’s been praying for me.  Funny, the people in my own family I didn’t really know…or understand.  But in caring about Marie – somehow I can face them now.”

Dove tugged at her husband’s arm again.  “Well, it’s late and tomorrow Mass is at 9:00.  I want to be there early and get a front pew – that way Kiddo can really see what is happening.  I’ve tried explaining it to him but I suspect he needs to see more to understand better.”

“Tasha’s been amazingly receptive.  I thought she would rebel against joining the church.”  Jettison moved up the stairs, his arm around his wife.

“Dove whispered, “She likes Father Barry.  She also thinks church history is cool.  Now that she sees herself as a part of the picture – it puts her into the action.  Funny, she could never relate to history before, but now…well…she’s a part of it.”

Jettison smiled as he led his wife to their room.  “I still have another surprise.”  Dove’s mouth opened in surprise.  “But I’ll tell you tomorrow.  I think you’ll like it.  The best is yet to come.”

“Mr. Founder, you amaze me!”  Dove smiled as she led the way forward.