Soul Dancing with the Brass Band (The Brass Band Series) (22 page)

“Let me go on before you interrupt,” Mom continued. “We think it would be fun to get away from the farm and come up to see you. Okay honey, you can say something now. If it’s too much, just say no.”

A few seconds passed and a million things ran through my mind.

“We can get a hotel room. We promise not to be pests. I can still cook a Christmas dinner at your house. We won’t worry about a tree this year.” I could almost hear
please, please, please
in her voice. I think they were actually looking forward to visiting me.

“Mom, I would love for you and Dad to visit over Christmas. You know the library has asked me to work a few extra hours and now I can let them know that I’m available. Should I tell Mr. Delaney you’ll be in town?” I teased. “You know he’ll want to see you,” I said slowly just to rub it in. Even over the phone I could see her blushing.

“You know, I talked to your Uncle Paul the other day. Paul said he hasn’t heard from Sam in years, but got a call from him a few weeks ago. They took quite a trip down memory lane. I guess seeing you must have reminded Sam of his college days at Emporia State with your Uncle Paul… the two basketball stars. I think it would be nice to see Sam again. Yes, of course, tell him I’ll be in town over Christmas, but be sure and let him know Terry will be with me, so he doesn’t get any ideas.”

“Okay Mom, I’ll be sure to tell him how happily married you are. I’ll take Dad up to my special room while you hang out with Saaaam,” I said, drawing out the name for emphasis. “It’ll be fun showing Dad the books I found.” I could tell by her silence that Mom was feeling left out, but she could only be in one place at a time, so I let it go.

“Let me talk to Ruth. Maybe you can just stay at our apartment. She’s going home for Christmas break and might not mind if we use her room. It would be nice to have you here.”

We agreed to talk again in a couple of days and hung up. I heard Ruth outside cursing as she once again was desperately looking for her keys. There was no time like the present to find out her Christmas plans.

“Hold on Ruth,” I yelled running to the door. Ruth carried the biggest purse I’d ever laid eyes on and her keys were never in the same place twice. When I opened the door, she had half the contents of her bag dumped out on the landing.

“Are you sure you need to carry all that stuff?” I said, bending over to help. It wasn’t the first time I’d made this suggestion.

Ruth haphazardly piled all her stuff back into her purse. “I’d hate to be caught without something I need. It might take me a while to find it, but at least I know I have it,” Ruth replied heaving the bag up on her shoulder with a smile.

“Hey Ruth, I just talked to
my mom on the phone.” Ruth hurried inside to get warm, leaving snow in her wake as I closed the door behind her.

“My parents want to come here for Christmas. What would you think about them staying here while you’re gone? Would it bother you if I slept in your room and let them use mine?”

“No, I guess I’ll let you use my room.” She made deliberate eye contact. “Just don’t have sex in my bed!”

I threw a sofa pillow at her as she walked away.

“I don’t think I’ll be having sex with my parents in the next room!”

She picked up a pillow as she passed the chair and not being fast enough, I got smacked in the head.

“Okay, I give,” I said, putting my hands up in the air declaring Ruth the undefeated Pillow-fighting Queen! “Thanks Ruth, no sex, I promise.”

I began thinking about Christmas without a tree and figured it just wasn’t going to happen, not at my house! I had seen a few small ones that were already decorated at the grocery store and decided even a small tree was better than no tree at all. I could invite Will and George for Christmas supper, but decided I should find out if they even “did” Christmas before I got too excited about including them.

I talked Will into staying over one more night before I started to cram for finals. I heard his muffled footsteps coming up the stairs after the two hours he insisted I study. The knob turned and his face peeked around the door.

“Don’t let the heat out. Get in here,” I anxiously said. We had spent enough time together that I no longer felt the need to launch myself into his arms, so I actually walked over to where he stood and fell into his embrace.

“Did you have a nice day?” I asked.

“My day was great
. I thought of this all day long,” he answered after kissing me.

“I need to ask you a few questions,” I said looking up at him. “Take off your coat and have a seat. I’ll bring you some
herbal tea.” I picked up my cup as I walked into the kitchen and heard his heavy winter coat hit the couch.

When I returned, Will was seated at the table where I was studying, checking out my calculus book.

“Interesting stuff, Hillary. I like the way your mind works.”

“Thanks, but that’s not what I want to talk to you about.” I reached across the table to take the book and set it aside. “My parents are coming for Christmas.”

“And,” Will said when I stopped talking.

“And I’d like to introduce you to them and invite you and George to Christmas dinner, if you believe in Christmas… I mean, I don’t actually know!”

“I’d be honored to meet your parents.” His words were so sincere they stole my heart. “And I do believe in Christmas, I believe in the celebration of everyone who has accomplished Christhood, but I’m not sure of my holiday schedule yet. It forms organically. For now, tell me more about your parents.”

“I think you will really like them. Mom and I are nothing alike. She’s beautiful, petite and a wonderful cook.” Before Will could give me an argument, I slid an envelope from under my computer. “Remember when I told you at the Fall Mixer that you sounded like my dad? Well, I wasn’t kidding. Last year he wrote me a letter. I had invited him for Father’s Weekend and added a P.S. to let him know I was disappointed in my grades. Nothing can tell you more about my dad than this letter can.” I held it up for him to take.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m sure.” He opened the envelope and unfolded the hand written letter.

Dear Hillary,

Your letter made your old Dad very happy! What could be greater than to have your daughter say that she is proud of you and anxious to show you off? I’m sure my walk will be a little livelier and I will stand a little taller for quite some time.

Yes, I will be proud of you if you don’t make it as a “big college girl.” Whether you make a 3.0 or a 0.3 makes absolutely no difference to me. I was proud of you, beyond words, the very first time I saw you thr
ough the glass at the hospital and you couldn’t do anything then but cry!

I can remember at the beginning of each semester feeling that it was far too difficult
, I was in over my head and was sure to flunk out. It depends only upon how important it is to you because the only limitations we have are those we place upon ourselves.

I am not sure how really reliable an education is. Nothing new can come from a book. It’s already old stuff or it couldn’t be there. They can teach you the formula, but the inspiration, the vision, only you can furnish. The source of wisdom is within. You already have that. You need only to become aware of it.

School is kind of a game we play. The teacher’s part is to impart to you certain information. You store that information away in the recesses of your brain, or on a crib sheet, and when he asks for it back, you give it to him in the form of an answer on a test. You learn to copy, mimic, parrot, and repeat what you have learned or read of others.

If you are particularly adept at the playing of this game, you are given all kinds of rewards-good grades, grants, scholarships, etc. When you are in a family gathering your Mom & Dad will brag on you, and you will feel very smug. Your ego will say, “Yes, look at how great and wonderful I am!” but what does it really mean to you?

No graduate, upon receiving a sheepskin can say, “Now I am fulfilled.” On the contrary, most are confused as hell - more paranoid than ever. Having little notion of what life is really all about.

As it is the nature of a honeybee to seek honey
, it is the nature of man to seek beauty. That’s what it is all about. The whole purpose of life is to reach that top most pinnacle of human unfoldment. That top most pinnacle beyond which no man can go is merely an awareness of beauty. Not just the beauty of those things around us, but that spiritual mystical kind of beauty within.

We look for it in many ways
; schools, a bottle, a pill, a smoke, T.V., a book, a movie, a lover, etc. You will not find it in any of those places. The best they can do is inspire you to make the search.

Beauty (beauty, peace, love, joy, strength, light, wisdom), although elusive, surround
s everything and everyone. It cannot be seen. It can only be hinted at. All who have known true beauty have found it within. Beauty originates in the soul and is expressed through creativity. That is why creativity is the only thing of an enduring nature.

Life is said to be “a perilous bridge between the physical and the spiritual.” It is perilous indeed. There are many hurts involved. How do you transcend the physical and avoid the fears, disappointments, heartache and anguish that go with it?

It is very simple. Seek beauty always! Listen to your heart, not your Dad. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and just take the time to listen.

Much Love

Dad

When Will reached the end of the letter he carefully refolded it and placed it back into its envelope.

“Wow, thank you,
Hillary. He is a profound thinker. I believe I will like him very much.”

Finals week came and I was more than prepared since Will had purposely stayed away, so I could study without distraction. I felt great about all of my grades and posted them on the refrigerator door for my parents to see, just like they did when I was a kid.

There was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground the day Mom and Dad arrived. They had called me from the highway for final directions, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before they turned onto my street.

Waiting for them in front of my apartment, I began waving wildly when I saw their truck. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. As they pulled to a stop, both doors flew open and Mom and Dad ran toward me. This was what family was all about. We hugged and Dad twirled me around enough to make me dizzy.

Mom started unloading coolers of food onto the sidewalk, of course she had been cooking for days and had every meal planned. Dad brought in the pies and lined them up on the kitchen counter; pumpkin, pecan, blueberry and apple. I was going to love this holiday!

Mom prepared
all of my favorites for dinner, brisket, potatoes, string beans and more potatoes. I loved all potatoes; sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked, scalloped, French-fried, it didn’t matter. Mom told when I was a kid that one day I would turn into a potato and maybe I would, but for now, the meals would be wonderful and made sweeter by my parent’s company.

I was pleasantly full and very sleepy as bedtime approached. We had talked about everything…twice. I promised to introduce them to Will the first chance I got. I figured I’d wait until they actually met Will before delving into the reasons he was spending his nights at a home instructing young boys in meditation. To tell the truth, I didn’t really understand it all myself, although Will always made his path sound like music. I wanted my parents to hear that music, too.