Porcupines - 38. Chapter 38 - Nanna

Chapter 38 - Nanna

“I’m just glad we finished unpacking last night,” Chuck said looking out at the shorn brown stubble-filled fields passing by. “We can come home to a nice, orderly apartment.”

“Yeah. I guess,” Dylan admitted. He was driving and the traffic was finally easing up. “I didn’t figure we’d be moving Raleigh too.”

“I know. Can you believe his mother?” Chuck added. “She seemed to be coping with Raleigh’s being gay but meeting Isaac really set her off.”

“I feel so bad for him. He wasn’t prepared for that I think,” Dylan looked over at the golden brown standing corn along the roadside. While the day was sunny, there was a tiny nip in the air this morning when they started out. November in Minnesota could be temperate but it got pretty chilly at night even early in the month.

The two men were heading down to Chuck’s parent’s thirtieth wedding anniversary. It wasn’t going to be a big shindig, just family and a few close friends, but it gave Chuck a chance to introduce Dylan to them and of course to Nanna.

“What do you think the two Kellies big surprise is going to be?” Dylan asked Chuck. “I can’t even get a hint out of my brother.”

“My Kelli is just as close-mouthed as your brother. She said it was big news. Do you think they’re engaged?”

“They haven’t even been going out as long as we have,” Dylan shook his head.

“Yeah, but we moved in together. They’re still living apart.”

“Maybe that’s it. They’re moving in together?”

“That’s not ‘tell the whole family’ news,” Chuck dismissed the notion. “It’s gotta be an engagement.”

“I’d be surprised. My brother said he’s never getting married again.”

“Kelli said the same thing but the two of them are worse than Isaac and Raleigh,” Chuck laughed. Last week they had the Kellies and Raleigh and Isaac over and Dylan threatened to spray them down with a garden hose if they didn’t stop necking on the couch before dinner.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Chuck said. “You ever see the Minnesota River valley around St. Peter this time of year?”

“No, I’ve never been down in this part of the state before,” All Dylan could see were corn and soybean fields and the occasional odor of manure hanging in the air perfumed it all.

“It’s really beautiful. The sumac turns bright red,” Chuck said. “I love it down here.”

“Really?” Dylan was surprised. Then again, on second thought, Chuck was from this rural part of the state. This was his home. “Do you want to move here some day?”

“I don’t know about that. I guess I wouldn’t mind living out in the country someday. Never have lived on the farm though I stayed at Nanna’s and Papa’s enough. I guess I have really fond memories of the farm.”

Dylan smiled and Chuck gave him one back.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Chuck asked carefully. In the weeks since their fight, Dylan hadn’t woken him up writhing and crying out. He hoped the dreams had gone but he’d been afraid to ask. Dylan hadn’t said how he was doing.

“I slept like a baby,” Dylan said looking at his boyfriend. “I’ve slept without a single nightmare since I finally told you the truth. Actually, when I faced the truth myself.”

“Good,” Chuck said carefully. “I didn’t want to pry but…”

“You’re not prying and I’m feeling much better. Ron hasn’t been back to haunt me since then. I don’t think he ever will again,” Dylan said and grasped Chuck’s hand in his. After a few minutes, they both began to sing along with the radio.

“Look around

There's no one but you and me

Right here and now

The way it was meant to be

There's a smile on my face

Knowing that together everything that's in our way

We're better than alright”

The autumn colors rolled by and the two men were silent after their song. Dylan had been looking out the window but turned to Chuck with a question.

“How is your grandmother doing? I heard you on the phone a couple of days ago with your dad and I had been meaning to ask you.”

“She’s been sick but I’m sure she’s fine. Nanna always told me she was a tough old bird and nothing much could take her down,” Chuck smiled. “My dad gets too worked up about her. She’s not that old.”

“Never really knew my grandparents, or at least my father’s parents,” Dylan sighed. “They both died before I was five.”

“What about your mother’s parents?” Chuck asked.

“They were never around much. Abby didn’t get along with them so I didn’t have much contact. They died a few years ago,” Dylan said ruefully.

“I guess I’m pretty lucky,” Chuck said. “I got to know all my grandparents. You know, Grandma Dennis, my mom’s mom died just about four years ago. They were always there for me.”

“That’s pretty cool. Not having them was just normal for me,” Dylan said.

“Speaking of family, have you spoken with your mom? You know, since we met,” Chuck asked quietly.

“I did. I called Abby after we found out about my dad. My brother and I talked and I decided to forgive her. She’s really sorry about what she did. I think she’s changed, with what happened and then, you know, dad’s illness,” Dylan said watching his boyfriend closely.

“I’m glad,” Chuck smiled. “You’re going to need her now, both you and Kelly.”

“I know. I hope she’s changed for the better,” Dylan sighed.

For Dylan’s sake, Chuck hoped so too. He really, really did.

**********************************

When they got to Nanna’s farm, they crawled out of the car. The three hour drive was exhausting. Dylan was glad they were staying overnight. It would be weird spending a night under the infamous Nanna’s roof after just meeting the family, but if Chuck and Kelli were okay with it, he would be too. It was an enormous house with porches and lean-to’s sticking out everywhere. The farmstead was different than he imagined as well. Instead of a big rickety red barn like you see in the movies, all these building were made of corrugated metal and freshly painted in neutral colors. The yard was neat as a pin without any machinery sitting out. He noticed as they drove up the drive way all the corn had been combined from the fields around them and the golden brown cornstalks made the fields look abandoned.

“Come on. I’m sure mom has dinner ready,” Chuck said excitedly. Dylan was a little anxious and his stomach wasn’t sure it wanted a big noon meal like his boyfriend had promised. They headed toward the front door and it flew open before they got there.

“Dillwin, Unk, you’re here!” Brandon jumped into Chuck’s arms. Susie was right on his tail.

“Hi Dylan! Hi Unk!” she squealed and held out her hands to her uncle. Dylan picked her up and kissed her little button nose. He looked up to see a middle-aged couple standing in the doorway smiling broadly.

“I see you made it,” the man said. His hair was about half gray and the rest was black. It was carefully combed into place and he had a ruddy complexion and open smile. “Good to see you son.”

“Hi dad,” Chuck said letting Brandon down. “I want you to meet Dylan.”

Dylan extended his hand hesitantly still clinging to his niece. The man shook his head and gave him a half hug instead. “I’ve heard so much about you, I couldn’t wait to meet you,” he whispered into Dylan’s ear.

“Come here,” the woman said to Chuck. He gave his mother a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek. “This is my mom, Molly. My dad is Glen.”

Susie squirmed her way loose of Dylan and he stepped forward. Molly looked him in the eye and then hugged him just as tight as Dylan had ever been hugged. “It is so good to meet you,” she said and Dylan believed her. He wasn’t expecting this joyous of a meeting but it felt good. Made him feel even worse considering how his own mother had treated Chuck. These people were genuinely pleased to see him and he wondered why.

“Let’s get in the house and have something to eat,” Molly said taking Dylan’s arm in hers. She whispered to Dylan. “Kelli tells me Chuck’s doing better. She thinks it’s because of you.”

Chuck followed with his father in tow. They were talking about how yields were. Chuck had explained to Dylan his father didn’t farm. His father was managing Nanna’s farm. They retired last year and moved from the trailer out to her house.

“Something smells awfully good,” Chuck said as happy as Dylan could ever remember. The two Kellies were in the kitchen holding each other close and watching as the group came into the big kitchen.

“We’re gonna have steak Dillwin,” Brandon said tugging on his arm. “Come sit by me.”

“No, I’m sitting by Dylan,” Susie squawked.

“Hey, I’ve got two sides,” Dylan joked and looked to his host and hostess. “Where should I sit?”

“Sit wherever,” Molly said mixing something on the stove. The delicious aroma of broiling steak had filled the room. “I saw you turn off the road and threw those steaks on right away. We can start with salad though.” Dylan saw beside each plate was a small bowl with green salad, red tomatoes, and thinly sliced onion. His stomach growled.

After situating the kids on either side of Dylan, the rest of the family sat down. “Time for grace,” Molly said. Chuck’s father said the simple prayer and they all lifted their heads and dug in. Molly was like a bouncing ball. She’d sit, take a bite, and then jump up to do something at the stove or counter. Soon steaming bowls of potatoes, carrots, and a big casserole of scalloped corn were on the table. Immediately after, a huge platter with about twenty steaks was plopped on the table.

This was lunch?

“So, why isn’t Nanna eating with us?” Chuck asked. His mother looked up at her husband. She nodded a little and Glen said, “She’s not having one of her better days unfortunately. I’ll bring her something to eat in a little bit.”

“I’ll bring her something,” Kelli said quickly. “Or Chuck and I will both feed her.”

“What do you mean?” Dylan looked at Kelli.

“Nanna’s had a series of strokes. She’s not able to get around or feed herself.”

Dylan looked at Chuck who in turn looked increasingly sad. The image Dylan had created in his mind was a persnickety old badger, not a semi-invalid.

“That’s why mom and dad moved out here,” Kelli explained to her boyfriend. “I should have mentioned it.”

“She’s gotten quite a bit worse the last couple of months,” Glen said shaking his head. “It’s hard to watch.”

“She can’t be that bad. I was just here on the 4^th for the fireworks. She wasn’t getting around too well but she was sharp as a tack,” Chuck said frowning.

“The doctors think she may have had a couple more strokes,” Molly said. “We didn’t know until last week. We just thought she was being stubborn. She’s not herself.”

All the happiness Chuck had been exhibiting seemed to have disappeared. Dylan caught his eye. He gave Chuck an encouraging smile. Chuck smiled back half-heartedly. Dylan could feel Chuck’s disappointment. He felt a little bad himself. He’d been looking forward to meeting the woman who probably saved Chuck’s life.

They ate in silence for a few moments. Brandon and Susie started chattering to each other and that broke this ice. Soon, the conversation was about Chuck and Dylan’s move to a two bedroom apartment together.

“It’s not that much bigger, but it has two stalls in the heated parking garage which is nice and an extra room for Chuck’s stuff,” Dylan explained.

“You’re not sharing a bedroom,” Molly asked with some confusion on her face.

“No, we just wanted to have space for an office. I’m going to grad school in January,” Dylan said his face turning every shade of red from embarrassment.

“Chuck’s going to cooking school too, right?” Dylan’s brother said. “He’s an amazing chef already though.”

Dylan and Chuck didn’t answer right away. Dylan was looking at his plate and Chuck was rearranging his potatoes and carrots. “I, um, can’t go,” Chuck finally said quietly.

“Why?” his sister asked. “What about that scholarship?”

“I didn’t get the big one,” he said. “I only got a thousand dollar scholarship, not the twenty grand one,” Chuck mumbled.

“That’s insane. How could he not win? ”Dylan’s Kelly was incredulous. “Dylan, are you okay with him abandoning this? It’s his dream.”

“I told him he has to go. He said he couldn’t afford it. I told him we could make it work,” Dylan said sorely. “Somebody’s very headstrong.” Chuck wouldn’t look up from his plate.

“I don’t have the money. I would have to work two jobs and then I wouldn’t have time for school,” he said.

“Take out loans,” Dylan’s Kelly said. “You can take out student loans and pay over time.”

“I can’t afford thirty thousand in debt,” Chuck answered softly.

“You can’t afford not to do it,” Kelli said and nudged Dylan’s brother. “Tell him what you told me.”

Dylan’s Kelly said, “Chuck, look at me. Please?” Chuck looked up with shame painted on his face.

“If you graduate from a school like Gastronomique, you can make up that debt in about two years,” Kelly said.

“Listen to him Chuck,” Dylan said. “My brother is a financial advisor,” he looked at Molly then Glen. They nodded understanding.

Chuck looked at Kelly skeptically. “I don’t understand. What do you mean I’d make that in two years?”

“What do you make now?” Kelly asked. “What, about 27k a year, am I right?”

“Yeah, that’s about right.” Chuck actually made a little less than that but it was more than he’d ever made in his life so he felt pretty good about it, until right now.

“You graduate and you’ll get a job at a hotel as a chef de cuisine or sous chef and you’ll make over 40k starting,” Kelly explained. “That’s coming right out of school. You will increase your earning power by a third. After two years, you’ll have made all that money you borrowed back. But, you’ll have education and now experience and executive chefs make over 60k up to 80k per year.”

Chuck listened but didn’t really believe it at first. Maybe this was worth it. His sour face began to get more neutral. The way Kelly explained it made sense. Management was where the money was. It was also were he could create menus, recipes, and concepts that he’d always dreamed of doing.

“Do you think?” he finally said.

“Dude, I help people manage their money including deciding how to invest for their retirement. I work with chefs and restaurant managers. You can’t afford to not go to school,” Kelly said sitting back. He felt Chuck’s sister’s hand on his arm. He turned and gave her a big kiss. ‘I owe you for this,’ she mouthed to him. He felt like he’d just conquered the world.

“Son, we can help if you need it,” Glen said. “Farm’s doing well. We couldn’t do all of it but you’ve always loved cooking and if this is what you want?”

“I can’t take your money. You don’t have anything to spare,” Chuck said. “I can take out loans, like Kelly said.”

“We can do this Chuck,” Dylan’s eyes were shining as he saw hope arise on his boyfriend’s cheeks.

“Maybe we can,” Chuck said and thanked Kelly.

“Thank you guys,” Dylan said. “He wouldn’t believe me when I told him that.”

“Kelly explained it well,” Chuck said, “But I would never have considered it without your support.”

They all dug back into the food. The mountain of food didn’t seem to get much smaller. “I’m stuffed,” Glen said pushing his chair back. “I’m ready for a nap.”

“I am too,” Chuck said. “But, not until I hear what the Kellies have to announce.”

Chuck and Dylan’s siblings tried to make everyone wait until supper tonight but no one would hear of it. The rest badgered the two of them until they relented.

“It’s probably better we make this announcement with just you guys anyway,” Chuck’s sister said.

“What is it?” Dylan said. “I’m dying here.”

Brandon tugged on Dylan’s sleeve. “I’m gonna have a baby brother.”

“No. It’s gonna be a girl,” Susie yelled. “I don’t want another stupid boy around.”

The group was silent. Mouths had dropped open. Sleeping rabbits could have been heard in that kitchen.

“Kelli, are you?” Molly asked and she was holding her throat.

“Yeah, mom, dad, Dylan, Chuck, we’re pregnant,” Kelli said and leaned over to kiss her Kelly.

“Congratulations bro,” Dylan said. Kelly was beaming and looked a little nervously at Glen. Glen was looking down at first but a smile was creeping up his face.

“I get to be grandpa again,” Glen said and his eyes sparkled.

“You wrecked it,” Susie said to Brandon leaning around Dylan’s abdomen.

“Actually, Brandon didn’t ruin the surprise totally. You see, we’re having twins,” Dylan’s brother exploded with laughter.

“Oh my Gawd,” Chuck said. “I never would have guessed that.”

“When are you due?” Molly asked.

“Not for almost seven months,” her daughter said.

Chuck was screwing up his face and counting out loud. “Let’s see. I think that means these babies must have been conceived…”

“Chuck, stop it,” Dylan said knowing what he was going to say. “Your parents don’t need to know that.”

“My dad grew up on a farm. He knows the gestation duration of a human baby. He can figure it out,” Chuck giggled.

“I can figure it out too,” Molly laughed.

“It was the night of the slumber party wasn’t it?” Chuck asked his sister. “That’s why you said you hadn’t broken The Vow.”

“Chuck. Don’t,” Dylan said. He was laughing too. “I don’t think we need to talk about this.”

“But I met that doctor when he picked you up?” Chuck asked her with a grin on his face.

“Hey, that’s right. I met Isabella.” Dylan couldn’t resist. His brother was about to burst.

“We happened to go to the same restaurant. By chance our tables were quite close. The dates didn’t go so well,” Dylan’s brother smirked.

“Mine was an insufferable bore who couldn’t stop talking about his ex-wife,” Chuck’s sister giggled.

“Isabella was a little too high maintenance. She wanted me to order a frickin’ three hundred dollar bottle of champagne. I told her that was ridiculous. She kind of walked out on me.”

“When my date was in the bathroom, I joined Kelly and we started laughing about how hilarious the whole thing was,” Chuck’s sister looked happily at her man. “My date wasn’t too happy and told me off.”

“So, you did the ‘walk of shame’ after being with Dylan’s brother?” Chuck said.

“What’s that?” Brandon asked. Chuck ignored him and then said, “So when you told me I’d met him, I really had.”

“Yep,” Kelli said and fake toasted him. “I’m glad it happened.”

**********************

“Nanna?” Chuck said softly at the doorway of her room. She was sitting in a chair silently staring straight ahead. She didn’t look much like the Nanna he saw just four months ago. She was bone thin, totally blitzed out, and almost catatonic.

“Nanna, it’s me Chuck,” he said coming closer to her. He took her hand and looked up at her. Nanna didn’t respond right away but after a few moments, she looked down and a flicker of recognition showed on her face. Chuck was encouraged. “I wanted you to meet Dylan. He’s the one I told you about on the phone.”

“Hi Nanna. I really wanted to meet you. You mean so much to Chuck,” Dylan said. He didn’t know if the poor person knew they were even there but it mattered to his boyfriend and that’s all that he cared about. Within this woman was a person who did everything she could to save her grandson. Nanna was special.

The woman in the chair’s eyes flickered up and Dylan could see she was looking at him. She didn’t look like she could recognize herself in the mirror, but her eyes now looked into him. For just a few seconds Dylan thought she tried to smile at him. She looked back down at Chuck and then nodded.

Then she was snoring.

*********************************

On the way home the next afternoon, Dylan looked at Chuck whose tears hadn’t stopped since the morning. Nanna had been found by her son that morning cold as stone. They were driving back to the Cities. They needed to get a couple of things for the funeral and talk with Lynora.

“You know I think she knew I didn’t need her anymore,” Chuck choked and said sadly.

“She loved you so much,” Dylan said, his voice hoarse. “You know I’m here for you. I will do anything to help you deal with this.”

“I know, “Chuck said and looked at Dylan. “She knew you’d take care of me and she could go to Papa. She missed him so much.”

“I will Chuck. I’ll take care of you forever.”

“Yeah, just two porcupines being very careful.”

“And making love…”

*********************

“Between the Raindrops” writer(s): Jude Cole, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Jason Wade

Copyright: Kevinthecity Publishing, Prescription Songs LLC, J. Kasher Music, Sony/ATV Tunes LLC