We returned to Chicago, and Mummy gave her consent to proceed with the wedding as planned. Everything is now rushed, but it turned out well.

It’s a quiet affair, a simple ceremony with flowers, candles, and champagne at the Unitarian Church. Words by Dr. Gibbons from the Bible fall soft as petals. Kelly reads passages from The Prophet with feeling; music to the ears. Dr. Gibbons rendered from the Bhagavat Geeta with approved nods from Mummy and Aunt Kaushalya. I caught Mildred humming and tapping her toes to the background music.

John went to great lengths to get the music for the “Song of India.” I learned it is part of a Russian opera without Mario Lanza’s words. The version John searched for was Tommy Dorsey’s swing jazz rendition. This ensemble led Tommy to fame and established him as the best Jazz Big Band of that era. John wanted to surprise Millie with it. Tommy was a good friend of Millie’s.

With the readings done, and vows and rings exchanged, John is impatient to pop the champagne. Sudhir and Brian are his eager helpers. I am surprised to see Mummy holding a small goblet with style and sipping as she talked to Dr. Gibbons. A sly glance and a mischievous smile follow when she catches me staring at her.

We arrived a bit late at the Fishermen’s Inn. The guests, drinks in hand, are mingling as hors d’oeuvres are being served. A slight pause as we enter and lots of clapping! We do not permit dancing and music in memory of Daddy. Millie still leaves her mark on the day. She brings the house down by adding an unforgettable moment.

The maitre’d announced dinner and everyone took a seat. The open bar is closed. Johnny Boy is in high spirits. “Party-boy USA,” as Mildred calls him is amid a long-winded speech. “Thank you to everyone for gracing this wonderful occasion,” and on and on. Millie’s martini is running low. In a loud clear voice, carrying to all corners of the dining area (and caught on video), she interrupts John. “John Phillip, you said the bar would reopen after dinner–I am ready for another martini.” John’s face falls amidst a roar of laughter and thunderous clapping.

The guests cheer and shout “Good ole Millie”. Kelly jumps up and gives Grandma a standing applause.

John recovers and joins in laughter with a “Yes, Mother. Right away Mother.” The maître’d has already opened the bar before Millie finishes her sentence.

We cut the cake with everyone advising me to smash the plate in John’s face. John looked at me and whispers, “Don’t.” Debating for a few moments and relishing the uncertain look John is giving me, I think, “It will be messy, and I will end up having to clean the mess.” The piece of cake impaled at the end of the fork makes its way into John’s mouth. Groans from almost everyone, and a grateful smile and a peck from John.

Routine sets in after the wedding excitement. The schedule is driven by the twins’ school activities and our work schedule. Brian makes a few visits whenever he has a problem.

He is living with his three friends and holds several jobs to pay the bills. His gift of the gab comes in handy in landing a sales job at an upper-end clothing store. As a teenager with big dreams, he is making decent money. Selling fancy clothing, he develops a sense of style and loves hand-knit sweaters. He realizes I can knit, and asks me to knit him an Irish Fisherman’s ribbed sweater, which I do. He loves it!

Brian moves on to selling pools for a friend and has an impressive title, Vice-President of Sales. A couple of frustrated customers complain about their pool installation and want their money back. The situation escalates and they resort to the community media. The owner sends Brian to do the interview with the local TV station. He’s not only proud of the expected stardom, he believes he has done a great job in the interview. Brian asks all his friends to watch the evening news. The media edits the recorded interview and Brian comes across as the villain, not a TV idol. Although he laughs it off, Brian is now more cautious about job leads.

Another job opportunity comes his way. Brian lands an entry-level position with a well-known investment firm. For once, he has done his homework as advised. He learns about the company and asks sensible, insightful questions leading to a job offer. An elated Brian accepts. The Human Resources process on background checks is lagging, but it’s not a big deal.

The background check reveals the brief incident he was involved in at the University of Missouri. It was not so little, after all. Brian is in total shock. Going from a celebrated entry-level position to being dropped is too much. He cannot comprehend or handle the situation.

Brian calls Dad, who repeats his offer, go back to school and get an education. We will support you with tuition, board, and health insurance. Earn a meaningful degree, keep your nose clean for four years, and then search for a much better job.

At the end of his rope, Brian agrees. He still does not understand what he did wrong. He’d trampled on some silly plants in the hothouse which were part of a student’s project because he had to borrow a heat lamp. It was done without permission! He did not understand it was stealing. For Brian, life is not fair! A student’s entire semester’s worth of work was destroyed, but Brian couldn’t grasp that.

Brian joins the state university in Macomb for a marketing degree. The four years of hand-holding Brian to see him through his studies is not without him getting into more trouble. He becomes friends with a vulgar woman, with a child. She has a record of destroying the child’s father, but her sob story has garnered Brian’s sympathy. John warns him but “Pretty Woman” is playing in the theaters. Brian not only fancies himself the Bruce Willis look-alike but also Macomb’s Richard Gere. We wonder and try to conjecture what goes on in his mind.

One afternoon, his new girlfriend leaves Brian with her son. She returns to find the child has developed some kind of rash. They took him to the hospital, where she accuses Brian of child abuse. Not willing to take any risks, the hospital administration calls the police. Brian calls his dad. A lawyer, clever enough to expose her past, comes in and sends her packing. That’s the end of that noble cause.

A couple more girlfriends follow. Someone with aspirations of becoming a doctor charmed John and me. Her plans are all laid out and her family is behind her. She clearly outlined the details about her graduation as a full doctor. Beyond that, she plans to set up a foundation to help other students join the medical profession. It’s a grand plan and I am all starry-eyed. A bowled-over John is fearful of Brian’s capacity to screw things up. It all fizzles out fast after an argument between her and another student in a local bar vying for Brian’s attention. Brian is flattered by doing the ‘manly thing.’ He walks away from both and refuses to see the reason for his loss.

Next enters a photography student. This does not go anywhere. Her mother does not think Brian is a desirable catch!

While Brian is trying to get into the school groove, Jason and Kelly plod along with their studies. Jason drops out of football, much to Kelly’s chagrin. He puts an end to her badgering with an “I do not appreciate spending my time sitting on the bench.” He wants to be left alone with his guitar, his Dungeons and Dragons, and the cat, Toot. When Jason is tired, he stretches out on the bed on his tummy. Toot’s favorite spot is the window sill. Their eyes remain fixed on each other for hours in adoration. He is doing well in school, so we cannot complain too much about him being quiet or unsocial.

Kelly more than makes up for Jason’s quietness. Like Brian, Kelly cannot resist getting into trouble. Mildred once asked her, “Why do you do things that get you into trouble?” Kelly’s innocent response, “I don’t know Grandma, it just happens.”

She and her friend, Heather, chase an ice cream truck to garner a free ride on its back footboard. They took a tumble, and Kelly ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Heather’s dad had a comment which amused John to no end.

“If it is not one thing, it’s another.”

This becomes one of John’s favorite quips. He is thankful this was not shoplifting. We visited Kelly at the hospital, and her current admirer is already there holding her hand. We got a sneering expression, like, “What are you two doing here?” Good old Dad sends the insolent snot scramming with “We’re the ones paying the hospital bills.”

Fortunately, this minor accident worked out well for Kelly. The school started after the long summer. Kelly fell back to her ritual of waking up early every morning to wash and set her hair. Unfortunately, the swim class is right after the first hour. All this time spent fixing one’s hair only to get it wet and straggled is unacceptable. Something needed to be done about this. The concussion came in handy to wiggle out of this water-soaked class. Everyone was sympathetic and smiling. Kelly, the Cheshire Kitty-Kat, had a good lapping of the ice cream.

Sixteenth birthdays are fast approaching! Dad refuses to pay for private driving lessons. Get your grades up and enroll in the free Drivers Ed class at school. It is an incentive to get the grades up for one semester at least.

Dad intends to make a big deal of the twins’ licenses at the DMV. A call from the Turkeys for a Saturday morning flocking changes his plans. I end up taking them. Jason takes his test first. He walks back in after the test, a changed person. His gait is tall and his stride long. He tosses his head as he enters, oozing confidence. “Oh my God, he’s got it,” I think. Sure enough, he has passed.

We now wait for Kelly to complete her test. She returns and one glimpse at her face is enough for me to grab her and take her outside. Her face crumples up, and she is sobbing. What did she do wrong? She went through an amber light. The Examiner points it out to her and she chirps,

“Dad always does it.”

Wrong answer, Kelly!

“Dad’s methods aren’t always by the book. You read it, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“There you go, Kelly. Let’s focus on the positive side. You can retake the test in two weeks, read the manual this time, and correct Dad.”

Two weeks later, we are back at the DMV. As Kelly is called for the test, I shake a finger at her. “Don’t smart-mouth the Examiner.” She smirks and is gone. In almost no time, she returned with a big grin.