The Legacy - The Legacy Saga

Legacy - Part 28

One hundred-five

We enjoy the delicious dinner Jacob prepared. He had informed us earlier that it is actually a going away dinner for us and told us how much we will be missed. We will miss him as well.

We repeatedly compliment Jacob on his cooking. Southern cooking is something neither of us have ever been able to quite master, even though I was born and raised here. Jacob tells us he learned everything he knows about cooking from his mother, and since he's hasn't had anyone but himself to cook for since she died, he's had plenty of time to practice. He is happy to see us enjoying it so much.

We dine on breaded catfish, garlic potatoes, green beans flavored with bits of ham, and cornbread. Dessert is pecan pie and bread pudding. I can't help smiling as I watch my husband mentally taking notes of how everything is prepared, and I am sure he will be asking Jacob for his recipes before the night ends.

"I can't believe you've never been married," Andrea says, taking another bite of the fish. "You would make some lucky woman very happy."

Jacob smiles, his expression thoughtful. "I came close to being married once, but . . . it didn't work out. It turned out that we were more different than I'd realized, and we didn't want the same things–like me wanting to get married and her not wanting to be tied down."

"Well," Andrea says, "she didn't know how good she had it."

"Thank you," he says, smiling shyly.

"Have you lived here all your life?" I ask.

"No. My mother and I moved here when I was eight."

"Where did you move from?" Adagio asked.

"Charlotte."

"Really? I lived in Charlotte when I was young, too. I have never been back."

"I. haven't, either. I've heard it has grown a lot though."

"I'm sure it has. Of course, I thought Charlotte was big when I was young."

Jacob chuckles. "Everything seems bigger at that age."

"This is true" I say, grinning. "What made your mother decide to move here?"

"Well, actually, she never would tell me. I mean, many years later she did, but during the time it was happening, she just said she wanted to start out fresh somewhere else. So she moved us here."

"She must have been going through a rough time," Adagio says, spooning more potatoes onto his plate.

"She was. And I learned just how rough when she finally told me the real reason we left." Jacob pauses, again becoming thoughtful. "She found out that the man who fathered me was married and had a kid a little older than me. Mama knew someone who knew him and his wife. The person told her he was abusive. It was all a major shock. For years after that, Mama tried to move on in her life and forget about him, but she couldn't. Finally she decided she couldn't stay there any longer."

I shake my head sadly. "So you've never had any contact with him?"

"Naw," he drawls. "I never felt the desire to see him. Pretty sad, huh?"

"Yes, but it's also understandable. He was never a part of your life. You can't miss something you never had."

"I met him once before we moved. Even after seeing me, he didn't want anything to do with me. I guess that kind of stuck with me."

I nod, understanding. "It's sad how much we hurt others with our choices, especially when it comes to our children." Adagio takes my hand, squeezing it gently and I smile, knowing he is remembering just as I am. The years of sexual abuse I suffered at the hand of my father will never truly be forgotten, but I made my peace with him a long time ago.