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Copyright 2009-2010 by
Mary Brotherton
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Inside my Brain


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Thursday, June 03, 2004

A Call from Richard

I talked with Richard tonight. He called me at Lancade, and thank goodness, even though we were busy, the kids there were not too loud. We talked nearly an hour and he filled me in on many details.

Jami is doing okay - swelling badly and growing less and less comfy in her own body ...gee? do we know anyone else like that these days? Jacob is lying face up on her lower back, feet on one side and his head on the other - sideways breech.

They talked to a Catholic priest, since Richard was raised in the Catholic Church. To my knowledge, he has not gone to Mass since joining the Navy unless he was visiting me, before I left SC. On a side note, I am astounded that I could have been so active in my local parish while I was married, only to leave the entire structure and not feel "sinful" or out of grace, or even a bit out of sorts. I suppose that is because I substituted real spirituality for religion.

On another side note, I am sipping on a cup of Green tea with Jasemine flowers and it feels so good to my senses. Slightly sweetened with honey, it satisfies my sweet tooth and the jasemine scent just fills my nose with softness. Even though it is 71 degrees out right now (that's just under 22 degrees Celsius) the warm tea feels good to my body, and not the least bit warming. Tea amazes me. It can heat when we need heating and cool when we are warm.

Back to Richard's call. He said that the priest told them that he would baptise Jacob at birth, but then urged them to return to services, bring the other children, and work on getting their previous marriages annulled, so that they could be truly married in the church and he could resume reception of the sacraments. He seemed a bit shaken by this, but did admit that going to church as a child was one of the things he enjoyed and that he felt it would be good for Sebrena and Connor.

He told me that the card and money I sent for Connor's third birthday was the only rememberance the child got outside of his and Jami's. He seemed very touched that I would remember the child - isn't that what Gramary's do?

He also told me that they have scheduled a funeral for Jacob for July 12th, and he is expected to be delivered by C section on June 25th. We discussed the fact that Jacob might have other plans and ideas for his life - he said they covered that with the priest, but that I should still plan to be in Maryland on the 12th...unless things drastically change.

He wants me to pick Matt up on my way, which was my original intention. Rusty was trying to find a way for Matt to take a bus to a nearby city so he could ride with him and Bonnie - I would much rather go OUT OF MY WAY to get my son, than to have him ride a bus for innumerable hours. I do hope Matt can arrange for time off so that he can ride up with me. I remember the many road trips that kid and I used to take during his teenaged years and how we bonded during them. Rusty took Richard fishing and I took Matt shopping or wherever - we usually stopped by a library and got a book on cassette first, and that is something I will do this trip as well - get some audio books. The trip to Atlanta will take me about 9 hours -then I will have another 9 or so to Maryland.

Richard will reserve us a room at the Navy Lodge, which will provide us inexpensive lodging and it will be conveniently about 5 minutes from where they live. He seemed concerned that his father and Bonnie would be there - I told him that I would be very disappointed if they weren't. His father still works, but he can certainly take time off and Bonnie does not work at all. There would be no reason for them to NOT attend such an important event. Richard understands that Curtis will have to remain with Lancade, and said HE would be disappointed if things were otherwise.

I yet have to calculate the mileage and start planning for the financial aspect, but I think I will be just fine.