Chapter 14: Wind and Rain

It had been overcast most of the day but the rain had started in earnest as JD left Richmond. It had been a good day - the tax bill passed but with the pass thru clause and an additional waiver for fisheries under a specific income level. The guy with a boat fishing for his own dinner was not going to be impacted. JD was pleased about that. The government wanted to protect the fish and the water; he was glad they decided to protect a few of the people too.

He started to reach for his cell phone but stopped. Since he had spent the day in Richmond, Rachael was out on the boats. He smiled at the thought. Now that the latest legislative crisis was over, maybe they should both quit and join the crew. Edward, however, had made it clear that it would not be on his boat - not both of them, at least. Even if she had the phone handy, she should not be taking his calls while she worked.

Instead, he turned on the radio and scrolled through the stations. He paused when he heard weather advisory. This was still storm season in the Atlantic and though it was pretty late for hurricanes, it did not need to be that bad for a boat to get in deep trouble. He began to have an uneasy feeling and shook it off. Davidson's Midday Sun was a re-fit Coast Guard 44MLB. It was damn near unsinkable short of just tearing into the hull. Between them, Ed, Mike and Paul had something near 120 years of experience. Rachael was actually safer on the water with them. When the advisory started to replay, he turned off the radio.

He felt foolish and paranoid when he finally gave in and called Candice.

"Yes, Julius. Everyone has called in and Midday is on her way to Reedville. She'll probably beat you home."

"Thank you, Candice."

He relaxed for the rest of the drive home. There were several cars in front of the house when he arrived - which annoyed him a touch because the mail had been left in the box. 'You'd think someone could have grabbed it.' He groused to himself as he headed into the house. From the front hall, he could already hear the video game from the living room. Inside on the floor sat the nearly identical heads of Edward's twins.

He squatted down with a grunt and kissed the top of both heads, "Who's winning?"

"Hey, Granddad!" they spared a little attention for him but Joan actually kissed his cheek, "I am."

"Momma's in the kitchen with Gran-Gran." Jean added.

"Where's Miss Rachael?"

Jean shrugged. "Haven't seen her." Joan added.

He ruffled their hair. "I play the winner when you done?"

The girls exchanged looks then focused on the game again. "Deal." Jean said.

JD went into the kitchen. Momma and April were cooking far too much food - which meant half the family was coming over again. He kissed them both and started opening pots on the stove until April smacked his wrist.

"Dad! Nobody called you in here!" she teased, "You're just under foot. Out! Go sue something."

"Momma!" he looked at his mother for support but she just smiled and turned back to her chopping. He scowled and left, "'Least my woman loves me." He muttered as he headed upstairs.

Ten minutes later he was back in the kitchen, clothes and expression changed. "Where is Miss Rachael, anyhow?" When they did not respond right away, he added, "I notice Edward ain't around either."

"Weather's bad, Julius," Momma said calmly, "boat's always late when the weather's bad."

"Right." JD had a prickly feeling across his skin. "Right." He said again mostly to himself. He looked at these two women coolly bustling around the kitchen and suddenly realized that apart from holidays, the largest family meals he could remember happened on stormy nights. How many times had mothers and wives cooked in this kitchen and reminded each other about the weather? He used to be annoyed that there was no phone in the kitchen. Now that seemed like a deliberate design rather than an oversight.

"Grandad!" a sing-song shout came from the living room, "I won!"

April grinned and prodded JD with a spoon. "Go on. Out. Unless you want to cook."

He surrendered and kissed his mother's cheek again on his way out. With Joan's help, he was able to give Jean a run for her money but he was there more to spend time with the girls than to win the game. He tried not to notice the rest of the grandchildren wandering in. Before Jean could start a re-match, George's boy, Alex, jumped up and switched to the TV. Joan put the game away and the sisters took up positions on couch on either side of him to watch the most recent episode of some young folk series JD could not begin to follow. His questions about who was doing what were meet with terse answers or exasperated shh-ing. He chuckled and contented himself with holding the girls comfortably, surrounded by the next generation of McElroys.

Until he realized the time - 9:30. 9:30 at night and neither Edward nor Rachael was home. Candice had not called. This was not just bad weather; something was wrong. During the next commercial break, got up and headed back into the kitchen. Momma and April were sitting at the table chatting with Elizabeth and George's wife Stacy. He watched them all for a moment.

Then he fixed himself a drink. Bourbon. No water. He looked out the kitchen window; the rain had finally stopped and the night was clear. Starlit. He took a swallow and hoped that Rachael was somewhere that she could see them.

"Daddy? You eaten yet?" He heard Elizabeth behind him.

"Kinda late fo' dinner ain't it, Lizzie?"

"You go on back in an' relax an' I'll fix you a plate, Daddy."

"Sit, woman, I already got one mother." Then he rolled his eyes as he heard the whole table giggle and remembered where he was. "No disrespect, intended, of course." He cleared his throat, "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll eat when..." he cleared his throat again, "when Marcus and Candice get here. Aught to wait fo' the whole family, right?"

"Now there's a boy who ain't never missed a meal." Momma laughed, "You can't put out enough food to feed Marcus!"

They all laughed and JD wondered ultimately over the years who had been braver - the men on the boats or the women here. He knew where he would be if he had a choice. He tipped his glass at the table and slipped out the back door.

He wandered down to the family dock and sat on the bench, looking out over Cockerell Creek. After a while, he put his head down and began praying. Losing Rachael, now, would kill him. He just got her back. And Edward; how would he tell Claudia if Edward died? A heavy hand gripped his shoulder and he knew without looking that it was Marcus. He kept praying until his voice broke; then Marcus took over.

"Lord, please forgive me. I haven't been a good man. I sent Augustus ta ya too soon, Lord. An' I tried to send ya Julius, I know. But please don't take Edward an' Rachael today Lord, please don't take 'em both. You know my brother's heart Lord, he's always been yor voice in my ear." Marcus gasped and JD realized that he had never seen his brother cry, "We love you, Lord an' if you see fit, then take 'em to glory. But Lord, we beg you."

"Amen." JD whispered. He put his hand atop Marcus' and they stayed that way for a long time, neither able to speak. When JD finally began to pull himself together, he took a large swallow of his drink then handed the glass up to his brother. Marcus took it, drained it and sat beside JD. Neither spoke for a while. Eventually, Marcus pointed to the pier.

"Every damn time, I think of that spot."

JD did not ask 'every time what'; he knew his brother meant every 'rainy family dinner'. "Why?"

"That's all I could see." JD waited for Marcus to go on. "Augustus was behind me an' I kep tryin' ta push him off 'cause I could see this one 'lil spot on the dock and I jus' kep thinkin' that if-n we jus' swim, we'd both be safe an' dry 'fore Momma caught us."

Augustus was probably holding him, trying to keep his younger brother's face out of the water with one hand and a gripe on the boat with the other. If they fell in on the far side, not the dockside and Marcus was struggling, Augustus probably could not decide if it were better to try to swim or wait there for help. Not a choice a child should have to make - not a burden a child should bear. Then, JD had an epiphany. Sixty years of family history and veiled references became as clear as if he had witnessed the events. He went down on his knee and took Marcus' hand, "Lord, I'm callin' on you again tonight to forgive me for all my years of cruelty to my brother who has carried the guilty of our eldest's death for most of his life. Please, Lord, ease his burden. Tell him that a six-year-old cudd'na swam 'gainst that current no more than a four-year-old cudda. If'n you tryin' ta teach me ta appreciate what I got, I do Lord." He looked his brother in the eye, "I'm sorry Marcus - it never even occurred ta me that you thought you shoulda saved him. I regret e'very spiteful mean word I ever said ta ya. You been e'vy thin' uh brother could be an' more. I wish I were half the man you are."