The Book of Leah

Family Tradition - Chapter 5

Sunday morning, June 7, 1992, Skokie, IL

"Alright, let's go everyone! Jake and I already loaded the van." Bobby said urgently, trying to encourage the ladies to get out to the car.

"But Dad, I can't find my earrings?" Jenny called urgently from upstairs.

"Then grab something else," Bobby called back, trying to stay calm and lower his blood pressure as he glanced at his watch.

"But then I'll have to change," came the strained voice from behind the door.

"Jenny, I..." Bobby began, but he was cut off by his wife, Christy, who spoke sweetly but directly.

"Jenny, could you come into my room, NOW, please?" Christy said.

Within seconds, the door opened and Jenny slipped into her mother's room.

"Why don't you just go tell them you're leaving and head to the van?" Jake suggested as he laid out on the couch.

Bobby looked at the young man and smiled. "You said you had trouble keeping your girlfriend, Jake?"

"Uh, yeah, she dumped me. What does that have to do with this?" Jake said, confused by what his uncle was trying to say.

"More than you might think, son, more than you might think," Bobby chuckled. "Hey, go grab those sodas from the bag in the fridge and take them out to the van for me. I'll be out there shortly."

"Sure, Uncle Bobby," Jake said as he went to the fridge, grabbed the bag, and headed to the van.

A few minutes after Jake went to the van, Jenny came downstairs smiling, with two gold hoop earrings dangling from her ears.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Bobby said. "The earrings make you look very grown-up."

"Thank you, Daddy," Jenny said as she hugged him and headed out to the van.

After about five minutes, Christy came downstairs in a purple drop-waist dress she had recently bought at Marshall Field's and had been saving for the big summer family gathering.

"That dress looks amazing on you, dear," Bobby said with a smile as he looked at his wife.

"Really? It looks okay?" Christy said.

"It's perfect, and today will go fine," Bobby said, pulling his wife close for a quick kiss.

"I hope so," Christy said as she fiddled with her purse and got out a mirror. "I know you guys just pal around and drink beer, but the women in my family are all very catty".

"I just hope Aunt Edith doesn't cause any trouble." said Bobby

"No offense, but your aunt is crazy as a loon." Bobby added pointing to his brain with his finger.

"Oh, we all know it. But she's the last of the Glass Sisters, and Uncle Harold and Uncle Alvin are trying to have her at family events as she's the last link to their mother. I mean, she's almost 95. As long as she doesn't stir up trouble with Aunt Lucy, today should be just fine," Christy said as she squeezed her husband's arm.

"I sure hope so," Bobby said, "or it's going to be a long lunch." As they headed out to the van and drove north to Milwaukee.

There was light traffic that Sunday, and as they reached the Milwaukee city limits, Bobby took the new outer expressway around the city to reach the Old Tosa village. On the old brick street, Bobby found a space not far from Church Street, and soon they walked together to First Congregational Church. Rounding the corner from the top of the hill, Jake heard his Aunt Evelyn call out loud enough to make the passersby stop and look.