The Tropical Dream

Chapter 71 - December Plans

Greg arrived home on Thursday evening following their meeting with Rabbi Sloane to find Susan in the midst of making dinner, the children all doing homework and Rosemary trying to feed Melody before she left.

"I can do that," Greg offered. "I understand from my wife you have plans for tonight."

"Yes, I do," Rosemary said sounding flustered as she willingly gave up her seat to Greg. "I probably should get going so I'm not late. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Greg told her, and in the space of a half dozen heartbeats, Rosemary was out of the door.

"I'm glad you're home," Susan said as she came to kiss his cheek in the wake of Rosemary's sudden departure. "I think she's a bit nervous about tonight."

"I see. Do you need any other help to be ready for the language teacher?" Greg asked.

"No. Dinner should be ready for the rest of us shortly," Susan predicted.

It was and the family all sat down to eat. Almost immediately afterwards, Mr. Levinson arrived, occupying the rest of their evening with their Hebrew lessons. Bedtime for the girls and more homework for the boys followed afterwards, and before he knew it, Greg found himself getting ready for bed too. He'd been hoping for a moment to talk with Susan about their visit with the rabbi, but there just wasn't time during the evening to squeeze it in. It was for that reason Greg made it a point of arriving home earlier than usual on Friday, the end of their first week in December. Still, it wasn't until after supper that they actually found the opportunity to talk.

Greg and Susan were doing the dishes together after supper that evening, with Greg drying when Susan brought the topic up. Greg wasn't surprised. He suspected it had been on both their minds ever since their meeting with Rabbi Sloane the previous afternoon.

"So what do you think?" Susan asked her husband as she handed him a dish to dry.

"I think as David says, we must be patient. We can see the Lord's plan unfolding. We can see a pattern developing, but we don't yet know what His plan will be or what pattern will develop. My feeling is we will, eventually, although how and when that may happen is indeterminate at present. My suspicion is it may come to us in unexpected ways," Greg said.

"Is that what Rabbi Sloane told you after I left?" Susan asked.

"It is essentially what he said while you were there. I stayed simply to ask him if he thought there might be some merit in you, I, and Reuben paying him a visit together at some time in the future. Given Reuben seems to know more about this than either of us can remember, and the fact that he seems to be part of it, I wondered if David would be willing to speak to the three of us all at once," Greg said.

"That's probably a good idea, although I'm not sure when we'll have the opportunity to do that. We were planning to go to Oakland for Chanukah this year rather than having Ruth and Reuben come here," Susan reminded him.

"That is true. Both Alan and Ruth have invited us to join them for one or two evenings each," Greg said. "However it may be possible we will be at Julie's for the last night ... all of us, which may mean Ruth and Reuben will be in the area."

Susan cocked her head as she ran her sponge over the dish in the sink. "Are Julie and Elliot planning to be in Oakland too?" she wondered.

"For the first few nights, they will be ... or at least Julie will be. I am uncertain if Elliot and the boys plan to come too," Greg told her.

Susan looked at him in surprise. "Wouldn't they? Given it is a family holiday?"

"Not necessarily. From what I understand, Elliot and both boys have increased their involvement recently at Temple in preparation for Jake's upcoming bar mitzvah next month. Intense preparation is necessary for each boy as he prepares to read from the scrolls during Temple," Greg explained.