Amazed - Chapter 6

2244 local
Thursday November 21st 2002
Harm's apartment

Harm picks up his phone and dials a number.

A voice - Hello!

Harm - Hello, Frank. Good evening.

Frank - Good evening, Harm! How are you?

Harm - Not bad. Is mom around?

Frank - Yes, do you want to talk to her?

And without waiting for Harm's answer, he calls his wife.

Frank - Trish, your son would like to talk to you!

Harm - Frank, wait. I would like both of you to listen.

Frank - I put the speaker on.

Trish - Hello Harm!

Harm - Hello mom.

Trish - So, you wanted to talk to me?

Harm - Yes, I have very... special news. You remember Sandy McCall, my girlfriend when I was in twelfth grade?

Trish - Absolutely. You had spent spring break at Grams together. Besides, I wonder if you had spent some time working...

Harm - I worked a lot, mom. Much energy to wear out... Anyway, she died about three months ago.

Trish - Oh, I'm sorry. How did you find out? I thought you never met again.

Harm - I never saw her again after graduation day. On Prom night, we... well, you could say we saw the sun rise together.

Trish - I guessed.

Harm - And after graduation day, I went for Summer school at Annapolis and I never saw her again.

Harm stops a little while.

Trish – Harm?

Harm - She got pregnant that night, mom.

Trish - Sweet Jesus!

Harm - I'm sorry to tell you that way.

Trish - And... the child?

Harm - It's a girl. May. She came to see me. In fact Sandy never told her my name and she found it only when going through her things after her death.

Trish - She must be around twenty.

Harm - She will be twenty-one next February.

Frank - Are you sure she's not a fake?

Harm - We made DNA tests, Frank, and they're positive.

Trish - So I have a grand-daughter...

Harm - Yes. And she also is a fighter pilot.

Trish – Really?

Harm - Yeah, but she chose Air Force. She's a junior at the Academy. We took Sarah for a flight, and believe me, she's gifted!

Trish - And what about now?

Harm - I'm gonna call Grams and tell her. I would like you to meet her for Christmas.

Trish - That were some kind of news!

Frank - It must be getting late on the East coast, doesn't it? We'll let you go to bed and we'll talk about that later, okay?

Harm - All right, Frank. Believe me, that was a shock for me too!

Frank - We can guess so! So it's good night?

Harm - Good night, Frank, good night mom... and...

Trish - Yes, honey?

Harm - I love you both.

Trish - We love you too.

Harm puts the receiver down and stays on his chair, the elbows on his desk, the head in the hands. He sighs deeply and takes a look at his watch. After eleven hundred, no time to call Grams. So he stands up heavily, as if the news was weighing on his shoulders like a hundred pounds sandbag. He reaches his bed, takes his clothes off and lies down. It takes him forever to finally sleep.

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1728 local
Thursday November 28th 2002
Rabb's farm, Belleville, Pa

Harm's car is going up the driveway of the farm. He stops in front of the steps and goes out of the car. At that moment, the door opens and an old lady steps on the veranda, followed by a man an a woman. Harm smiles.

Harm - Go back in, I'm coming!

He takes his bag from the boot and reaches the steps. He kisses his grandmother's and mother's cheek and shake Frank's hand.

Harm - Come on, everybody, inside. I don't want you to catch a cold, Grams.

The living room is warm when they come inside. Harm lays down his coat and they all take sits around the fireplace where a nice fire is burning. Trish brings a tray from the kitchen and pours hot chocolate to everyone. All eyes are set on Harm.

Grams - So, Harmon, tell us how you found her.

Harm explains how May went trough her mother's papers, found his father's name and came to visit him. After a while talking about May, and a lot of questions, Grams turns to her daughter-in-law.

Grams - Trish, come with me in the kitchen. Frank doesn't know a thing about cooking and Harm can't stand the sight of a turkey. So no need to ask him to cut it!

Everybody laughs.

In the kitchen, both keep busy. Grams cut the turkey, Trish brings the dishes to the table. When all is ready, they sit at the table and take each other's hands. Harm speaks.

Harm - Lord, I would like to thank You for having given me the joy of finding my daughter. It's an extraordinary gift You gave me and I hope I'll always be worthy of it. I ask You to look after Sergei, who is still in Russia. And I also pray You for Dad, Gramps and Sandy, may their souls rest in peace with You. Amen.

Trish - Thank You, Lord for this unexpected granddaughter. May we be and stay a united family. Amen.

Frank - Thank You, Lord, for giving me to enter this family. It is the reflection of Your love and generosity. Please guard it from all evil from now on. Amen.

Grams feels tears roll down on her cheeks as she watches all the members of her family gathered around the table.

Grams - My Lord, Your infinite generosity made this lonely child come back to us. It is the first thing I would like to thank You for tonight. I'll be soon by Your side and I thank You also for keeping me alive long enough to meet my great granddaughter. And the last thing I would like to thank You for is the good health You gave me. May we stay one family even beyond death. Amen.

They all stay silent for a while, thinking about what Grams said. She raise her head smiling.

Grams - Well, children, we won't stay like this until tomorrow! Harm, help yourself and pass the dish.

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1804 local
same day
The Pattersons
Colorado Springs

May is seated around the Patterson family table. John, the father, begins the graces.

John - Thank you, Lord for all the good things You gives us, the friends me make, and all those we keep. Please protect the ones who give their lives to protect our own. Amen.

Robin - Lord Jesus, we thank You also for the children and grandchildren You gave us. Keep them within Your love and take death and sins away from them. Amen.

They turn to May who close her eyes.

May - I would like to thank you Lord for the chance You gave me to find my father and my family. Keep them away from evil. I pray You for Mom who is by Your side. I also thank You for AJ. Help him understand and accept. Amen.

They stay silent for a minute.

Robin - May, help yourself with turkey and corn and tell us who AJ is.

May - I met AJ when I was in Washington. And... one could say I care about him.

John - Oh! And what's his job?

May - He's a lawyer.

John - Good job. And how old is he?

May - I don't have a clue. I must admit I didn't asked him. He's older than I am.

Robin - Have you planned anything for Christmas and new year's eve?

May - Well, I talked a bit with dad. We decided to spend the Christmas' eve together and we'll go to the Vet's Wall at midnight. It's a tradition for him. My grandfather was reported MIA in Vietnam that same day in 1969. And his name is on the Wall. And then we'll spend the following days at my great grandmother in Pennsylvania. And dad's CO is giving a little party for JAG for new year's eve, so we'll go. And I think I'll spend the rest of my leave visiting Washington. And Dad told me he would take me with him to fly in his Tomcat. And I can't wait for that!

Robin - All your leave is planned. That's a lot to do. Do you think you'll have time for everything?

May - We'll see.

********************

2153 local
same day
Rabb's farm

Once the table cleared, all the family gather around Harm who picks up the phone.

********************

1953 local
same day
The Patterson's

The phone rings. John answers, and turns to May.

John - It's for you!

May – Hello?

Harm - Good evening, May!

May - Dad! Hi!

Harm - Hi! How are you?

May - Fine, and you?

Harm - Very well! I'm at Grams and the whole family is around me, and the speaker's on.

May – Oh!

Grams - Good evening, May. I'm Harmon's grandmother, what makes me your great grandmother.

May - Good evening.

May wipes a tear that was rolling on her cheek.

May - I didn't thought you would call tonight.

Grams - Believe me, we all were looking forward to talking to you.

May - Me too.

Harm - There's also Frank and mom, who is very moved.

May - I am too!

Nobody speaks for a while.

Harm - So, How's it going at Springs?

May - Not bad! It wasn't easy to go back to work, I had so much to think of! But Val, my roommate helped me a lot. And as I love what I do, it wasn't too hard.

Frank - And what courses do you have?

May - Well I have a lot of physics and math, political history, mechanics, biology, law, psychology, management. And I do a lot of sports.

Trish - That's a lot!

May - Oh yeah! And I also have flight lessons. And I'm the best of my class!

Grams - It doesn't surprise me. If you're like my son and your father, you must fly really well!

May - In fact, I give lessons to the ones who need some! I have three pupils. And I will have my certificate of private pilot at the end of this year. The teachers say it happens not very often. It will help me when I go to flight school, after the Academy.

John and Robin smile.

At the farm, Trish and Grams regularly wipe their tears. Harm is also very touched.

May - I have a question. Does any of you know why dad is a vegetarian? I asked him when I met him, but he didn't wanted to answer.

Trish looks at her son and sighs.

Trish - He was about twelve. The three of us were coming back from the airport after a weekend spent in San Francisco. Night was falling and suddenly a deer ran across the road. Frank couldn't avoid it. We stopped on the shoulder to see what had been done. I couldn't convince Harm to stay in the car. And he saw what was left of the poor animal. Since then, he refused to eat meat. But fish did not bother him.

Harm - Mom, I just had seen Bambi being killed. How did you expected me to react?

Trish - Poor dear!

May - Frankly, dad, you should have overcome that!

Harm - Every time I see meat, I think of that Bambi. Sorry if I can't help it!

May - Do your colleagues at JAG know that story?

Harm - May, I advise you not to tell them!

May - Or what?

Harm - It could come back to you...

May - Come on, dad, you wouldn't dare!

May's smile widens and Harm, who was about to answer to that, laughs.

Harm – Please?

May - I don't know... I have to think about that... What is your offer for my silence?