Since I had embarrassed Jason so completely before dinner, I opted to remain silent during dinner an just watch as his family visited over barbecued meat and various salads and fruits. I would have never thought to put mustard greens and strawberries in the same dish, but these people did it. Surprisingly it tasted good, as did the lemon marmalade they put on the grilled fish. I've never even heard of lemon marmalade before. So yummy.
"Switchel?" the massive blonde woman named May asked.
"Sure! It been years since I've had it!" he happily replied taking the iced drink. 'What's switchel?' He took a big gulp and I nearly passed out. "Holy…" cough cough "What the… Ahem. Spicier than I recall." Cough cough.
"That's because Maybe likes to put a cayenne pepper in it." Offered the incredibly dark man beside the big blonde.
I still can't get over how big these people are. Even little Nissa grew so much taller than I recall. I thought I was tall at five feet nine inches, but these folks would make me look like a midget.
'Tell me about it' Jason groaned inwardly. I giggled remembering the sheer look of terror on his bodyguards face when May came to pick us up at the airport.
"What's funny?" his wife asked.
Jason looked up with a grin. "Nothing much. Just thinking of the look on Eric's face when he saw May."
May guffawed. "Poor guy. That's whitest I ever black man turn. Ha ha."
"Who is Eric?" Nissa's curiosity piqued.
"My bodyguard. He followed me here."
"Oh. Where is he now?"
"He has family in the area. He's staying with them for now."
"My wife scared your bodyguard? What did you do, my dear?"
'Wife? This black man is the big blonde's husband? I think you should fill me in so I don't accidentally spit something out embarrassing again.'
'How was I to know you knew my niece? You're from Florida and none us knew where she was until she was sent here last year.'
'Family funk huh.'
'Every family has it.'
"I didn't do anything to the guy." May held her hand to her chest as if she were offended. "Why do you think I'm so mean all the time?"
"She picked up like a sack of flour and threw me over her shoulder right in front of him." Jason laughed. "Before he could even register what happened, she did the same to him and said, 'let's go, I'm double parked outside.' Ha ha."
"Oh my…" Sarai covered her mouth to hide her smile.
"He kicked and screamed all the way to the car, but she wouldn't put him down until we got to the car."
"W-well…" May stammered. "I didn't want to get a ticket. Besides, I gave him a hug and thanked him for taking care of you, didn't I?"
"Yes, and then she offered him an autograph after he realized she was the winner of the gladiator show he watched. I've never the guy so flustered and tongue-tied in all the years I've know him. It was priceless."
"So is he small like you, then?" Nissa asked with innocent eyes which brought tears of laughter to everyone at the table.
I could feel Jason frown a little but ultimately smiled at my friend. "No, he's pretty tall and well built as is necessary for his line of work."
"Which is what makes this all the funnier." Sarai offered as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I can just imagine the hulk of a man screaming and fitting like a little girl while being carried through the airport."
I fell in love with the way this family got along so well. It was obvious it had its fair share of family funk but it didn't seem to lessen the love they shared for each other. They laughed and teased each other. After dinner they brought out the instruments and started playing and singing hymns and such. Even Sarai joined in by singing an Indian lullaby her birth father used to sing to her and her sister when she was little. I was hauntingly beautiful tune that I won't soon forget. I could myself smile at the whole experience. I relaxed and enjoyed the music as Jason filled me on who was who in the family.
I learned that the really dark black man was a doctor named Jams that had migrated to America for school under the sponsorship of Sarai's parents; Gram and Tristan Gabbard. Jams was married to May, nicknamed Maybe and she was an athlete of renown. Both were insanely tall, well built and hilarious in a scary sort of way. I also got to meet their two children that were both crazy beautiful. A perfect mix of mother and father with milk chocolate skin and light eyes. Their son's name was Backus, which I thought was weird but at the same time it fit his looks. The daughter was named Alexis, slightly lighter complexion than Backus with long light brown hair. She played the piano wonderfully.
Jason's wife, Sarai was adopted by the Gabbard's when she was a teenager, as was Melinda. Nyssa and Bethany were adopted as toddlers, Grace was adopted as a baby. Gram said there was more kids in the family, but they weren't here this time around. All in all, Sarai was one of twelve kids that were either born to or adopted by the Gabbards.
I also learned that Tristan Gabbard had passed away a few years ago and Gram had since remarried. To her brother-in-law, George. I thought it an odd thing to do, but then Jason told me that they have been friends since kindergarten so it made sense to him that they would be together after both of them being widowed. Well, whatever chips your cookies… Not my place to judge. I'm a seventeen-year-old girl living a thirty-two-old man. What right do I have to say anything about a woman marrying her brother-in-law? At least she doesn't have to change her name.
*
The next day, Sarai; or as Gram called her, India; spent the day in the 'dungeon' with George while Jason and I hung out with the folks around the house. Gram gave us a short tour to refresh Jason's memory where everything was. She introduced us to the workers around the house and animals they cared for in the barn. It was my first-time seeing chickens, rabbits and horse in person. I know I accidentally made some squealing noises and behaved in a way that wouldn't be considered normal for Jason because he was scolding me inwardly while Gram was giving us odd looks now and again.
I would love to be able to catch up with my friend, but there was no way I could do that without it being weird since she and Jason didn't share the same relationship as her and I did. I'm dying to find out what happened our other friend, Jude but I have no way of asking. Every time I look at Nissa's babies, I see Jude. I'm so stinking curious that I could just die. I knew they were friends, but I would have never thought that they would get together.
During lunch, I kept stealing glances at the twins while Jason was trying to hold a conversation with his mother-in-law. "I'm sorry we've not been home in so long." He said
"Don't apologize. You're a big star now. And soon to be a father too. It's enough that you call."
"Still…" He tried to argue as I stole another glance at the twins. The girls has her mother's dark eyes with blonde hair. The boy has darker hair but those blue eyes of his look just like…
"They look like Jude don't they?"
'Huh?' Jason thought. "Yes," I agreed. Jason hands covered his mouth when he realized my words had once again escaped his lips. "I m-mean… I assume this Jude person is their father?"
Gram put her hands under her chin as leaned on them and gazed lazily in our direction. It almost felt like she could see me in Jason's eyes. I felt his heart rate increase. His palms started to sweat. Her eyes dug into his psyche, digging through the layers of fear he was trying to mask. Neither of us wanted to be discovered. Sarai knowing was bad enough. Even though she did her best to make our situation seem normal, we all knew it was crazy. It's just that, I didn't want Jason to lose what he has because he's saddled with me in his brain. And he doesn't want to end up in a loony bin for having a 'split personality'. "Uh huh." She hummed.
"Wait!" You know Jude?!" Surprise was dripping from Nissa's words.
"Um…" Jason started to panic. "Well…."
"I'm sure India heard all about him from your mom. And no doubt husband and wife discuss things." Gram interjected. "Besides, neither of them look that much like you, now do they? It would make sense that they would like their father. No?"
Nissa visibly relaxed. "Oh. That makes sense."
Jason and sigh sighed in relief.
"Well, Jason," Gram turned her phone. "I have an appointment with your wife. Care to join me?"
"Sure. Excuse me, Melissa." He said as he went to follow Gram.