[Chapter 755: Lost]
Eric listened as Joanna recounted the events of the day while browsing through the tape he held.
Although it was titled The World of Penguins, the back of the box listed over 20 different sources, including various movies and documentaries. As the CEO of a major media group, Terry Semel could easily arrange such a thing with just a few commands. However, even so, it was clear that this tape had involved considerable thought.
After flipping through it for a while, Eric began to piece together some details. He glanced up at Joanna, who stood quietly by his side, and noticed her carefully studying his expression.
Seeing Eric look over, Joanna's eyes flickered with unease. "Should I just return the tape to him?"
Her expression not only confirmed Eric's suspicions but also made him understand even more.
At its core, this was a sensitive subject -- race. Joanna was Jewish, and according to Jewish tradition, Hawaii was also considered Jewish.
Despite their strong presence in America and worldwide for various reasons, those who understood the deeper truths knew that Jews had faced intense exclusion and discrimination for centuries. The notion that Jews controlled America was even more absurd. Historical accusations that Jews instigated economic crises and wars were essentially scapegoating.
Centuries of persecution had instilled in Jews a powerful sense of community -- almost instinctual. On the flip side, they greatly valued intelligence. A few days ago, Hawaii's extraordinary cleverness had left a lasting impression on Terry Semel, which likely had also fostered a natural affinity due to his Jewish roots. Coupled with Eric's daughter's identity, that explained the little gift they received today.
Firefly Group and Time Warner were, after all, competitors. Terry Semel's motivations surely didn't stem from a desire for profit; rather, he likely hoped to foster goodwill.
Eric even thought about how over the years, whether for holidays or the kids' birthdays, aside from close friends, executives from Firefly Group and other Hollywood companies had also gone out of their way to send gifts to the two little ones -- probably for the same reason. Only a glance at Hawaii's gift would surely confirm it was even more lavish. Though many shareholders of the seven major film studios had changed hands over the years and many had moved away from Jewish control, most of Hollywood's studio executives were still Jewish. At Firefly, for instance, of the three key players, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Robert Iger were both Jewish, aside from Frank Wells.
As Eric contemplated these matters, he noticed Joanna's growing apprehension and self-doubt waiting for his reply. Wait a minute -- self-doubt?
He recalled a previous conversation with Elisabeth where she casually mentioned her family wasn't Jewish, wearing an air of superiority. Eric sighed internally, thinking, "What a tangled mess this all is."
Throwing the tape aside, Eric pulled Joanna in for an embrace and kissed her cheek gently. "After all these years, you should know I don't care about race or heritage. Hawaii and Kevin are my kids, and that won't change. So, don't dwell on these nonsensical concerns anymore."
Joanna leaned against Eric and quietly hummed in acknowledgment, then asked softly, "What about the tape?"
"Just take the time to show it to Hawaii. And don't forget to thank Terry Semel for his thoughtful gesture. It's always nice to acknowledge other people's kindness," Eric reflected for a moment and added, "You don't have to refuse such goodwill in the future. Generally, a sense of community and connection won't harm you or Hawaii."
"I understand," Joanna leaned against Eric's shoulder for a moment, feeling relieved. Then she gently pushed away, straightening his collar. "Let's go eat; they're probably waiting for us."
"Wait, there's one more thing." Eric held Joanna back and explained about Virginia: "So I plan to take Vicki to Buffett's gathering in a couple of days. While I wouldn't mind taking you both along, we need to consider the feelings of those old guys who can only watch and not partake. So maybe next time I can take you with me."
Joanna chuckled at the double entendre in Eric's words and playfully tapped his shoulder. "It's fine; I really don't care about these things much. Just take Vicki."
"Looks like we're alike; I'm not that interested either. But you can't always refuse these things," Eric joked with Joanna as they left the room together.
...
Despite having experienced a few minor interruptions, the Halloween dinner proceeded in a lively atmosphere.
After dinner, the women insisted on adorning Eric and the kids in their Halloween costumes. He and Emma donned identical outfits that were overly simplistic, consisting only of two glowing antennae on their heads -- blue for the boy and pink for the girl -- undoubtedly a nod to his Men in Black attire.
By now, the sky had completely darkened. However, the streets of Southampton were festooned with lights and decorations, with many children starting to wander around for candy. There were even reports of a Halloween parade downtown.
Eric stood at the changing room, watching Drew, Virginia, and Ewa dressed in various ridiculous costumes with the twins' assistance, while Joanna managed the throngs of kids demanding candy at the door.
As Eric looked at Virginia made up as Bloody Mary, he asked, "With Joanna staying home, are the three of you really going to go join the Halloween parade? Can I handle all three by myself?"
Virginia, applying red lipstick, replied in a silly tone, "This is a great opportunity for you to bond with the little ones."
"I'm just worried about their safety. The streets could get chaotic. Can't anyone accompany me? I at least need two people," he pressed.
Drew, attempting to fit her clown accessories, pointed to the twins. "Let Natasha go with you."
"Her?"
Ewa chimed in, "Come on, Eric! You're such a buzzkill. We've finally got some time to enjoy ourselves."
Virginia impatiently urged, "Yeah, go outside already! I still need to change."
With that, Eric was shoved out the door, along with one of the twins who ended up with a pair of pink glowing antennae handed to her, as they had prepared quite a bit for this event.
...
Although they'd gone trick-or-treating last year, Emma evidently had forgotten. Both little ones looked puzzled, unsure of what their dad had planned next, and it seemed rather frightening to them.
Downstairs, Joanna was cheerfully distributing candy from a box full for the children outside who chorused "Trick or treat!"
After sending off a wave of little trick-or-treaters, Joanna opened the door, signaling Eric to take the kids outside.
Eric carefully touched the soft antennae on his head and said to Joanna, "I feel a bit ridiculous."
Joanna leaned down to straighten Emma's pretty little dress and smiled at Eric. "Why would you feel strange? Haven't you ever done Halloween before?"
Eric thought the women might have been in cahoots; usually, mothers took the kids trick-or-treating. What was a big man like him doing with three small kids?
It seemed that after observing the earlier group of children, Emma began to get excited, tugging at Eric's sleeve and babbling to go outside.
"Alright, alright, let's go," Eric finally relented, taking Emma's hand while she clutched onto Kevin and Hawaii, with the twins quietly trailing behind them as they headed out.
This was a neighborhood in the southern part of Southampton. Exiting their estate, the street was alive with decorations, with pumpkin lanterns everywhere, and throngs of kids scurrying door to door under adult supervision.
Although it had been over a year since Men in Black had premiered, the blue antennae costume was still very popular, with numerous kids running around sporting the glowing headgear. Oddly, few adults wore such costumes. The twins, naturally a bit shy, didn't wear the antennae Drew had given them when they left, making Eric's own bright blue ones stand out even more. After all, compared to the movie, his "cosplay" was quite spot on.
Initially timid, the little ones grew bolder after visiting a few houses, expertly shouting "Trick or treat!" and scoring quite a bit of candy. Even Hawaii seemed genuinely curious, contemplating why saying that phrase brought treats. She even pointed to strangers' Halloween costumes, asking various questions along the way.
Eric decided to let the little ones lead the way as they continued many of their visits, switching streets at the end to explore a bit longer. It wasn't until the six of them suddenly found themselves at the edge of an unfamiliar lake that it dawned on Eric they'd wandered off quite a distance.
They were lost...
Stopping Kevin, who was about to try eating the candy wrapper, Eric cradled his son, looking at the twins beside him. "Do you girls know where we are?"
The twins paused, looking at each other cluelessly. "Master, we don't know either," they replied.
"Alright, what about the phone?"
One of the twins rummaged through her pocket and handed Eric their cellphone.
He dialed home, and when Joanna learned Eric had lost the three little ones, even her composed demeanor couldn't suppress her laughter. Yet, she managed to gather their surroundings and assured them she would soon come to pick them up.
After hanging up, Eric returned the phone to Natasha and looked around, leading the kids towards a bench under the lamplight by the lake.
Sitting on the bench with Kevin in his arms, Eric motioned for the twins to sit beside him and began sorting through their basket of collected goodies with the children.
...
After chatting with the children for a while, a chill breeze blew through, bringing a faint fragrance in the cool air. Eric glanced over at Natasha and her sister seated beside him, realizing how little he actually knew them since they had always been with Drew. Curious, he idly asked, "I just realized, how old are you two this year?"
The sisters turned towards Eric with puzzled expressions, quickly confirming he was speaking to them. The girl on his left answered, "Master, we are twenty-one."
"Oh, what a coincidence! That's the same age as Drew," Eric nodded, smiling. "I thought you two were my age."
The twins were uncertain of what he meant, carefully holding the children in their arms, bowing their heads slightly.
Eric remembered another question and asked, "By the way, where are your parents?"
The same girl on the left replied, "They're in Iowa; the boss bought a farm there."
Eric nodded, feeling that was a decent arrangement. He asked, "Do you miss home?"
This time, the twins displayed the same confused expression.
Eric was puzzled as well and explained, "I mean, do you want to go back..." Considering he didn't know specifically where they were from, he just used the previous term, "Do you want to go back to the Soviet Union?"
As soon as he said this, he noticed the girl on the left's face pale slightly, shaking her head urgently. "No, I don't want to."
Eric realized the collapse of the Soviet Union had profoundly affected her but didn't realize the depth of that fear. He sighed and asked, "What about in the future? What do you plan to do?"
The left girl's cheeks flushed noticeably; she cautiously glanced at Eric and softly replied, "Whatever the boss says, we do."
*****
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