Idupe (Thanksgiving)

          The Brown family dining room hadn’t known warmth in five years, not since the passing of Grandma Mary, the gentle matriarch who had glued everyone together. But tonight, beneath the low golden chandelier, laughter mingled with the clinking of cutlery, and the long wooden table overflowed with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

         Grandpa Caleb's joy knew no bounds at the fulfilment of his earnest desire to have the family come together once again. It's been five years since his beloved Mary died of cancer and the deadly trail that had caved into the already weary bond in the family. It was significantly distressing to have watched his home drift apart for the last five years, now he was 75 and even if it meant acknowledging a final wish he was set on reuniting the Brown's, beginning with a fruitful thanksgiving dinner at the family duplex in Maryland.

“To family,” he said, raising his glass with a weathered smile. “We may be scattered, but we always find our way home.

They echoed the toast, and for a moment, it felt like old times.

          As dinner commenced. Matt, the firstborn, sat quietly next to his wife Liliana, his hand resting protectively on his seven year old daughter Ivie’s shoulder. He watched for some minutes as her small hands clutched a crayon drawing of a turkey she had made for “Great-Grandpa Caleb.” He smiled "isn't she's so sweet". He lifts his head from looking, there was a chit-chat ensued, his heart was troubled and he seemed helpless as all he could do was smile at words he could barely hear.

          As dessert was served, Ralph's favourite pecan pie and his sumptuous sweet potato casserole, tension bubbled beneath the surface.

          He watched as his baby brother Ralph who would have on any other occasion dealt himself to a large portion of the meal now took not much portion than Ivie. He gazed more at everyone seated, he obviously just like his Mom had a grace for reading spaces and he could actually tell there was lots of emotions held up in the room. He wondered what Grandma Mary would have done to make them all feel better. He missed her definitely, this he was confident everyone did but how much agony could bring back the dead anyway. 

          Pattie, stylish and sharp-tongued as always, leaned in conspiratorially toward her younger boyfriend John, who looked both flattered and overwhelmed. Her relationship with the young man was obviously a thing for debate among her mates and this she knew, though she'd always put up a 'I know and I don't care what you're thinking' aura, she'd always kept up her stance. She had already been married twice and now this? A 23 year old intern? Still, she smiled defiantly. “Love doesn't ask for permission,” she had replied him once “It just shows up and dares you to follow.”

          His other brother was Philip who had offered the grace earlier before the meal, his voice strong but his eyes weary. He pastors a congregation back in Detroit, Papa's favourite as he's often referred to as the priest in the house preceding Grandpa Caleb. His ministry is rumoured to have taken a not so wholesome twist in recent times, the congregation back in Detroit's was dwindling. Bills were growing. Faith sometimes felt like something he held for everyone else but rarely for himself. Maya his wife sat beside him, supportive but silent. Mark and May, well-behaved and cheerful, clung to their Grandpa Caleb for stories.

          Then there was Ralph, hoodie-clad, slouched in his chair, pushing peas around his plate. His laptop bag sat by the door, containing unfinished demos and rejection emails. He had dropped out of computer engineering, chasing music that hadn’t yet loved him back. This dinner felt like a mirror of his failure but he'd come anyway. For Grandma Mary sake obviously, he'd always been cold to Papa.

There was silence and it was Ivie who broke it.

“Daddy,” she said innocently, “are you going back to work at the hospital soon? You said you missed your patients.”

          The room became even more quiet, everyone interested in the soon Tete-a-Tete between father and daughter but Matt’s mind wasn’t in Maryland, it was back in Chicago, where his career teetered on the edge of collapse. A sexual misconduct claim. False, but loud enough to suspend his license. He hadn't told anyone. Not yet.

"Ivie" her mother called, "no talking during meals remember" she scolded the child gently 

"Sorry Mummy.." the little girl apologized and continued her food.

"It's alright Liliana" Grandpa Caleb spoke, "she's only but a child" he turns to Matt "why is she asking anyway, haven't you been going to work!"

The room quieted.

Matt exhaled. The moment had come. “I’ve been suspended,” he said simply. “A patient accused me of something I didn’t do. There’s an investigation. I didn’t want to burden anyone.”

"And you kept that away from the family!" It was Pattie who spoke

"I'm innocent, it's nothing to be worried about" Matt responded looking into all their faces "You didn't tell us you were now dating either!"

"I guess I needed not to" 

The conversation paused as Maya signalled the children to excuse the adults. John offers to stay with the children along side Rachel the maid.

"So… you and John. You’re really serious?” Matt asked after the children left.

Pattie responds dryly “Should I be asking you that, Dr. Touchy-Feely?” 

Matt flinches. “That’s not fair.”

“Neither is life. Look I know what you think. Two divorces, now a toy-boy intern? But you know what hurts more than people judging me?”

“What sweetie?" Grandpa Caleb finally spoke, he'd been observing the conversation sequel, though he's happy they are together as a family, he's scared of unforeseen outcomes.

“That I’m starting to believe they’re right. That maybe I’m just not cut out for love.”

Matt softens. “You're just scared. Same as the rest of us.”

Pattie looks at him. “So what’s the real story? You think you’ll lose your license?”

He hesitates, then finally opens up. “There’s a video. Edited. Makes it look bad. The hospital's protecting their reputation. I’ve lost patients. I’ve lost sleep. I might lose everything.”

Liliana touches his arm gently "you won’t lose us babe.” he grins calmly as he sees others nod.