(Continued from Feb. 11, 2010)
There was no doubt that, in the future, there would be a lot more conversation about my sons and their children. At that moment, Thea abruptly changed the topic because she wanted to know a few more details about the young man whom she was about to meet—the lookout who would keep us informed about Bob’s whereabouts during the various time periods of the evening. The fact that she wanted to know what manner of deportment would be most suitable, vis-à-vis Alphonse, clearly indicated that Thea was very serious about being a good daughter.
“Am I correct in assuming that you have known Alphonse for quite some time?” Thea questioned.
I told her that I had known him for more than a decade. “He and my youngest son are best friends,” I added.
“That is good information,” Thea noted. Next, she wanted to know how often Alphonse and I would normally have contact with one another. I told her that “Fairly often” seemed a reasonable answer. Since it was obvious that she wanted more specific particulars, I explained: “We email each other practically daily and meet at least once a week.”
Thea appeared satisfied about the way the discussion was going. After a few seconds reflection, she declared: “You visit your sons and their families for lengthy periods of time, but they don’t usually come over to visit you for an equally long stay. Is my reasoning correct so far?” she asked with a big smile that exposed her small white teeth.
I confirmed that her observations contained no errors. Although I had a good idea about the direction of her reasoning, I didn’t volunteer any additional details at that point. I was curious about the way she would continue with her logic.
“So, Alphonse is pretty much like a third son to you,” se proclaimed. It was the conclusion that I had expected from her and I told her that she had made some good deductions. The manner in which I spoke those words expressed a certain measure of pride. She evidently caught the connotation.
“I am glad that you are proud of your new daughter,” she said contently. “Anyway, now that I know about your relationship with Alphonse, I will behave toward him as would a sister. However, I will not do so in an exaggerated manner because you need to inform him first, in a tête-à-tête session, about the new developments.”
I felt totally relaxed about the meeting between Thea and Alphonse. She had taken charge of the situation. I didn’t have to come up with any comprehensive explanations at that point. It was clear to me that Thea was much more mature, in matters of the heart, than he was. I was in the privileged position of being a spectator, looking forward to an interesting spectacle.
(To be continued)