Weathers: Family
Chapter 3
“Gracie, you gotta feed Checkers for me, okay?” Jake said. “He’s not tall enough to reach the cabinet that his food is in by himself. He’s just a puppy now but one day he’ll grow big and …”
Grace Weathers smiled and nodded along while her brother spoke. He seemed to be looking out the window behind her at the airplane. But it wasn’t his fault. Jake was never good at making eye contact. It was a symptom of his condition. And even though he was three years older than her, Grace had helped take care of Jake for most of her life.
She assured him Checkers would be well taken care of. Jake was grinning from ear to ear as he followed his parents to the gate. Grace had already said her goodbyes to the rest of her family. They were flying to see a doctor in London who they believed would be able to help Jake become more self-sufficient.
As Jake got older, taking care of him kept getting harder on his parents. They loved Jake, but he was 35 and they weren’t getting any younger. Grace loved her brother deeply too and it pained her that she could not make the trip with them.
Grace left the airport and headed back to St. Paul’s church. The sisters were still setting up for the annual dinner. They were taking inventory of the items that had been donated for the auction. The event was usually the biggest fundraiser of the year for the parish. Not that money had ever really been an issue for them. But this was the reason she couldn’t be with her brother on the trip. She was in charge.
“Sister Grace!” Father Ustorf walked briskly down the hall as Grace headed to her office.
Ustorf was a new priest fresh from Russia. He was still learning English but he knew enough to get by. “Seesta Grace, do you know vere is Fazzuh Simon?”
“Yeah, Ivan, he’s reading out by the Prayer Garden,” Grace smiled.
“Sank you.”
Grace walked into her office where she found Sister Andrea waiting. Andrea was Grace’s second in command. Together they took care of managing every aspect of the parish. They were dedicated and they were best friends.
Grace greeted her. “How’s everything going with the dinner?”
Andrea didn’t hear the question. She was staring at Grace, nearly ready to burst into tears.
“Andrea, is everything all right?”
Andrea shook her head and masked the lump in her throat as she spoke. “Your family was on Oceanic Flight 749, right?”
Grace nodded but didn’t notice Andrea’s gloom. “When did the plane leave?”
“About two hours ago. Jakey was in good spirits.” Grace smiled.
Andrea could hold back no longer. She broke down and began crying. Grace was baffled and embraced Andrea. She didn’t know what was wrong.
Just then Father Simon showed up at her office door with Father Ustorf behind him. “Sister Grace. Something terrible has happened.”
Andrea continued to cry as Grace asked, “Was it Andrea’s mother? I know she’s been sick for—”
“No, Grace,” Father Simon interrupted. He spoke unevenly. “Grace, your family’s plane. The news is saying that an Oceanic flight lost an engine over the Atlantic and …”
Grace stared at him in silence.
“Gracie, you gotta feed Checkers for me, okay?” Jake said. “He’s not tall enough to reach the cabinet that his food is in by himself. He’s just a puppy now but one day he’ll grow big and …”
Grace Weathers smiled and nodded along while her brother spoke. He seemed to be looking out the window behind her at the airplane. But it wasn’t his fault. Jake was never good at making eye contact. It was a symptom of his condition. And even though he was three years older than her, Grace had helped take care of Jake for most of her life.
She assured him Checkers would be well taken care of. Jake was grinning from ear to ear as he followed his parents to the gate. Grace had already said her goodbyes to the rest of her family. They were flying to see a doctor in London who they believed would be able to help Jake become more self-sufficient.
As Jake got older, taking care of him kept getting harder on his parents. They loved Jake, but he was 35 and they weren’t getting any younger. Grace loved her brother deeply too and it pained her that she could not make the trip with them.
Grace left the airport and headed back to St. Paul’s church. The sisters were still setting up for the annual dinner. They were taking inventory of the items that had been donated for the auction. The event was usually the biggest fundraiser of the year for the parish. Not that money had ever really been an issue for them. But this was the reason she couldn’t be with her brother on the trip. She was in charge.
“Sister Grace!” Father Ustorf walked briskly down the hall as Grace headed to her office.
Ustorf was a new priest fresh from Russia. He was still learning English but he knew enough to get by. “Seesta Grace, do you know vere is Fazzuh Simon?”
“Yeah, Ivan, he’s reading out by the Prayer Garden,” Grace smiled.
“Sank you.”
Grace walked into her office where she found Sister Andrea waiting. Andrea was Grace’s second in command. Together they took care of managing every aspect of the parish. They were dedicated and they were best friends.
Grace greeted her. “How’s everything going with the dinner?”
Andrea didn’t hear the question. She was staring at Grace, nearly ready to burst into tears.
“Andrea, is everything all right?”
Andrea shook her head and masked the lump in her throat as she spoke. “Your family was on Oceanic Flight 749, right?”
Grace nodded but didn’t notice Andrea’s gloom. “When did the plane leave?”
“About two hours ago. Jakey was in good spirits.” Grace smiled.
Andrea could hold back no longer. She broke down and began crying. Grace was baffled and embraced Andrea. She didn’t know what was wrong.
Just then Father Simon showed up at her office door with Father Ustorf behind him. “Sister Grace. Something terrible has happened.”
Andrea continued to cry as Grace asked, “Was it Andrea’s mother? I know she’s been sick for—”
“No, Grace,” Father Simon interrupted. He spoke unevenly. “Grace, your family’s plane. The news is saying that an Oceanic flight lost an engine over the Atlantic and …”
Grace stared at him in silence.
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