dorm entrance, and Edison spotted the four young people laughing and talking a mile a minute. He turned around to Galen and Sandy.
“I would say Tonio and Sarah have adapted rather well.”
They all stared wistfully at the scene of youthful exuberance; each of them sighed.Four young adults crowded into the back of Edison’s RV and Tonio began a rapid-fire introduction. And by the time they had finished the first course at the little restaurant that bragged about its pancake menu, everyone knew everyone else’s name. The four oldsters had learned that Judy Hicks was from Ohio and interested in rehabilitation medicine. They found out that Sarah expressed an interest in cardiology, and JP would be pursuing forensics.
Galen had listened quietly but intently when Sarah asked Tonio what specialty he wanted.
“I want to be like Tio Galen.”
The old man’s heart skipped a beat.
“Tonio, I thought you wanted to…”
“Yes, Tio, that too—aerospace medicine.”
Galen turned toward JP and Judy.
“Are your folks here? Think they’d want to join us for breakfast?”
The awkward silence tipped him off.
“I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?”
“Uh ... no, Dr. Galen. It’s just…”
Tonio jumped in.
“Tio let me show you the dessert case. I think I saw one of your favorites over there, banana cream pie.”
“He’ll kill for banana cream, kid,” Edison interjected.
Galen understood.
“Sure, show me, Tonio. Excuse us a minute.”
He got up slowly and turned in the direction Tonio had pointed. Tonio stood up and followed him.
“Spill it, Tonio.”
“Tio,” he whispered, “I just needed to tell you about JP and Judy.”
He did, and Galen’s face darkened. He left Tonio and headed for the men’s room. By then Edison was approaching.
“Well, how’s the pie look?”
Edison saw Tonio’s expression and kept on to follow his friend. When he walked into the restroom he saw Galen, fists clenched, staring into the mirror above the sink.
“What’s the matter, big brother?”
“That girl’s whole family died just before she was to start school here. The boy’s father disowned him. Why, Edison, why?”
“I don’t know.”
Galen pounded his fist on the sink.
“That poor girl has no one now.”
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“Just like Leni and Cathy and all the others.”
He turned to Edison and looked more deeply into his eyes than he had ever done before.
“Don’t you die on me, Edison! Don’t you and Nancy die on me! Let me go first.”
Edison looked back at him for a moment. Then he put his arm on Galen’s shoulder.
“Come on, big guy, we’ll blame this on your prostate. We geezers have that privilege now.”
“Thanks, old friend.”
“Who ya callin’ old, Methuselah? You’re older than I am.”
They walked out together.
Back at the table the mood soon lightened again.
“Do you know how long it’s been since this geezer here graduated...”
He caught himself.
“Uh ... Sarah … you realize your grandmother was only a child when she graduated?”
“Nice try, Edison,” Sandy quipped as Galen patted her hand.
“Doogie Howser’s kid sister, this one.”
The four youngsters stared in ignorance.
“It was a TV program from the 1980,” Sandy explained. “Sarah, don’t you remember the programs we used to get by satellite when we worked at Tenwick Hospital? We had just left Nairobi.”
“No, Grandma, don’t you remember? My pet cheetah ate the unit.”
“The cheetah must have been a critic,” Edison quipped.
“That’s cheating, Edison.”
The dinner consumed, the check paid by Galen, and the initial connections made, everyone headed outside toward Wilma. JP whispered to Tonio.
“Are they always like this?”
Tonio nodded.
“Sooner or later Tia Nancy has to make them behave, but it’s all in fun. One would die to save the other. In fact they almost did just that a few weeks ago. Both would lay down their lives for Tia Nancy. And despite Tio Eddie’s goofy looks, he’s really a world-class electronics expert. But Tia Nancy is the real brains. Time and again we’ve seen her rescuing them from social gaffes.”
Edison drove the lot of them back to the dorm. After the hugs and goodbyes and nice-meeting-yous, Galen took JP and Judy by their arms and pulled them aside. He spoke in an unusually gentle manner.
“I want you both to know that Edison, Nancy, Sandy and I would be happy to help you in any way we can. If you ever need anything, even if it’s just an ear to listen, call us, okay?”
Then he turned to Sarah.
“If Tonio misbehaves I want you to call me, understand?”
“But I want Tony to misbehave.”
With that, he knew. She was a keeper. He also saw the bonding between JP and Judy. As he walked to Sandy’s side, Sarah looked knowingly at him and her grandmother.
“You two behave yourselves now.”
The two octogenarians blushed. Nancy and Edison snickered.
As he headed to the door, Tonio called back.
“Oh, Tio Galen, I’m in 213 Bear Hall!”
“I guess the cub doesn’t stray too far, does he?” Edison said. “Wonder what Baloo would say?”
“Who’s Baloo?” Sandy asked.
“Come
