When the phone rang, John looked at it with annoyance. He did not know the number but he had a feeling he knew who would be on the other end. He calmed himself down and laughed inwardly as he hit the button to answer.
“Mr. Quinn, this is Joey. We met a few weeks ago in the city. You helped me with those bullies, and I wanted to ask you a favor. If you do not already have plans, which I know you might, I would like you to come to Thanksgiving dinner with me and my family. I know it is really short notice, but it would give my folks a chance to meet you. They are not sure if I made you up, or if you have some other reason that you are in that area. This would give them a good chance to ask any questions they have, and we put out quite a spread for Thanksgiving. Please say that you will come to dinner…”
“Yes, I remember you Joey. You showed a lot of sand that day standing up to them like you did and I would be more than happy to tell your parents about it. It just happens that I do actually have the right free. As long as your parents are okay with the idea, I will be happy to join you…”
“You will not be sorry Mister Quinn. Make sure to bring your appetite and your sense of humor. My folks are a little quirky. You will not regret it…”
As the phone clicked off, John had to laugh softly to himself. Sand… That boy has real sand. As he was thinking about that evening, the text came into his phone with an address and a time. While neither that was settled, all you had to do is figure out how he should dress. He knew nothing of the family, and did not really want to overdo things.
*
John glanced at his phone to confirm the address was accurate and looked up at the old brownstone that was indicated. He was glad he decided to go casual as this did not seem to be the charity ball type. He walked up the door and had raised his hand to knock on the door when it quickly swung open. Standing in the doorway was a sharp featured woman who seemed as shocked to see him in the doorway as he had been when the door opened.
“I am going to take a guess that you are Catherine, Joey’s mother? My name is Jonathan Quinn; your son had invited me to join you for Thanksgiving dinner, with your permission I thought…”
The woman looked very flustered as she stared up toward Jones smiling face, the color draining slightly from her face. “Yes, I am Catherine. Joey mentioned that he had a friend that he invited, but…”
John smiled began to melt away as he realized the real story behind the situation,
“I am sorry to have bothered you, ma’am. Apparently there was some sort of miscommunication. I will be on my way…”
As he began to turn away from the porch, Joey came flying out the door with a huge grin on his face.
“You actually came, I was not sure if you would.”
Following Joey as the door was a small little man who smelled of ink and paper, smiling broadly at his son’s excitement.
“You must be the Mr. Quinn he mentioned to us. I’m Thomas. Please, please, come inside and have a seat. Dinner will be ready for a little while, but we can sit and relax. The game is on in the living room, I will grab us a couple of drinks and meet you in there.”
As the little man scurried away, John looked at Catherine who simply sighed and motioned him inside. John called after the little man,
“Just water for me, thanks.”
*
As the procession of food made its way around the table, the conversation stayed mainly elemental and casual. Once everyone had been served and were eating at a leisurely pace, the conversation turned more toward a retelling of the events in which John and Joey had met.
“… While I do not remember the exact wording off the top of my head, the statement he basically made to these the three boys who were all twice his size was “do your worst, for I will do mine” and he stood nose to nose with the leader of the bullies telling him exactly why he was not afraid.”
While Thomas seemed in rapt fascination with the tale, his mother on the other hand was looking very critically at John. She finally leaned forward over her plate and inquired,
“Just what were you doing in that neighborhood, Mr. Quinn? I seem to remember that that is not the nicest neighborhood, even though it is only a few blocks from the school.”
“Actually I was just cutting through a shortcut on my way back into town when I overheard some of the verbal exchange, and stopped to investigate. When I saw it was 3 to 1, I felt I should intervene. They were chiding him about a brother that he said he had, but no one had ever seen. It just seemed fitting to take on that role, and settle the issue once and for all.”
Joey’s face took on an animated quality as he described John’s appearance out of nowhere without a sound. He described in exquisite detail every word and the reactions in the faces of the bullies. His momentum grew more and more of to the climax of Jake running away with his tail between his legs.
Thomas smiled, nodding,
“I am glad he invited you, John. It gives me a chance to thank you for helping our boy out in a moment of need. Sharing a meal on a holiday like this is the least of what we can do.”
Catherine’s sighed, nodding as well,
“Maybe if there were more role models like you in the neighborhood, there would be less bullies. So will you be sticking around Shreveport, Mr. Quinn?”
Quinn smiled and replied,
“While I am in and out of town a lot, I have been looking for a place here in Shreveport due to some business interests I have in the area. Fighting a small house is more difficult than I would have thought… As for your son inviting me to dinner, I was grateful as I have no family in the area. One can always be thankful for good friends and strong families, like yours.”
Catherine blushed, and smiled at John. She raised a glass and offered a toast “to good friends and strong families, and to bridging new friendships during the holidays.” All of us raise their glasses to join the toast and set it back in to eating the glorious feast that Catherine had prepared.
“Mr. Quinn, this is Joey. We met a few weeks ago in the city. You helped me with those bullies, and I wanted to ask you a favor. If you do not already have plans, which I know you might, I would like you to come to Thanksgiving dinner with me and my family. I know it is really short notice, but it would give my folks a chance to meet you. They are not sure if I made you up, or if you have some other reason that you are in that area. This would give them a good chance to ask any questions they have, and we put out quite a spread for Thanksgiving. Please say that you will come to dinner…”
“Yes, I remember you Joey. You showed a lot of sand that day standing up to them like you did and I would be more than happy to tell your parents about it. It just happens that I do actually have the right free. As long as your parents are okay with the idea, I will be happy to join you…”
“You will not be sorry Mister Quinn. Make sure to bring your appetite and your sense of humor. My folks are a little quirky. You will not regret it…”
As the phone clicked off, John had to laugh softly to himself. Sand… That boy has real sand. As he was thinking about that evening, the text came into his phone with an address and a time. While neither that was settled, all you had to do is figure out how he should dress. He knew nothing of the family, and did not really want to overdo things.
*
John glanced at his phone to confirm the address was accurate and looked up at the old brownstone that was indicated. He was glad he decided to go casual as this did not seem to be the charity ball type. He walked up the door and had raised his hand to knock on the door when it quickly swung open. Standing in the doorway was a sharp featured woman who seemed as shocked to see him in the doorway as he had been when the door opened.
“I am going to take a guess that you are Catherine, Joey’s mother? My name is Jonathan Quinn; your son had invited me to join you for Thanksgiving dinner, with your permission I thought…”
The woman looked very flustered as she stared up toward Jones smiling face, the color draining slightly from her face. “Yes, I am Catherine. Joey mentioned that he had a friend that he invited, but…”
John smiled began to melt away as he realized the real story behind the situation,
“I am sorry to have bothered you, ma’am. Apparently there was some sort of miscommunication. I will be on my way…”
As he began to turn away from the porch, Joey came flying out the door with a huge grin on his face.
“You actually came, I was not sure if you would.”
Following Joey as the door was a small little man who smelled of ink and paper, smiling broadly at his son’s excitement.
“You must be the Mr. Quinn he mentioned to us. I’m Thomas. Please, please, come inside and have a seat. Dinner will be ready for a little while, but we can sit and relax. The game is on in the living room, I will grab us a couple of drinks and meet you in there.”
As the little man scurried away, John looked at Catherine who simply sighed and motioned him inside. John called after the little man,
“Just water for me, thanks.”
*
As the procession of food made its way around the table, the conversation stayed mainly elemental and casual. Once everyone had been served and were eating at a leisurely pace, the conversation turned more toward a retelling of the events in which John and Joey had met.
“… While I do not remember the exact wording off the top of my head, the statement he basically made to these the three boys who were all twice his size was “do your worst, for I will do mine” and he stood nose to nose with the leader of the bullies telling him exactly why he was not afraid.”
While Thomas seemed in rapt fascination with the tale, his mother on the other hand was looking very critically at John. She finally leaned forward over her plate and inquired,
“Just what were you doing in that neighborhood, Mr. Quinn? I seem to remember that that is not the nicest neighborhood, even though it is only a few blocks from the school.”
“Actually I was just cutting through a shortcut on my way back into town when I overheard some of the verbal exchange, and stopped to investigate. When I saw it was 3 to 1, I felt I should intervene. They were chiding him about a brother that he said he had, but no one had ever seen. It just seemed fitting to take on that role, and settle the issue once and for all.”
Joey’s face took on an animated quality as he described John’s appearance out of nowhere without a sound. He described in exquisite detail every word and the reactions in the faces of the bullies. His momentum grew more and more of to the climax of Jake running away with his tail between his legs.
Thomas smiled, nodding,
“I am glad he invited you, John. It gives me a chance to thank you for helping our boy out in a moment of need. Sharing a meal on a holiday like this is the least of what we can do.”
Catherine’s sighed, nodding as well,
“Maybe if there were more role models like you in the neighborhood, there would be less bullies. So will you be sticking around Shreveport, Mr. Quinn?”
Quinn smiled and replied,
“While I am in and out of town a lot, I have been looking for a place here in Shreveport due to some business interests I have in the area. Fighting a small house is more difficult than I would have thought… As for your son inviting me to dinner, I was grateful as I have no family in the area. One can always be thankful for good friends and strong families, like yours.”
Catherine blushed, and smiled at John. She raised a glass and offered a toast “to good friends and strong families, and to bridging new friendships during the holidays.” All of us raise their glasses to join the toast and set it back in to eating the glorious feast that Catherine had prepared.
