Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy)

chapter Fifteen

Jeremy worked on his Science project every night after work. By mid-July, Donald realized that Jeffrey was doing the law work. He remembered that Samantha had told him at the beginning of the summer that Jeremy was working at night on a science project. He decided it was time he checked out what his son was doing.

That evening at meal time all the boys were home except Jeremy, as usual. Donald told Samantha that he had an errand he needed to run and would be home in an hour. He drove to the flower shop and saw Jeremy’s car parked in front of the portable building Samantha had told him she built.

When he opened the door, he saw Jeremy looking at some specimen under this large microscope. That must have cost a pretty penny he thought. There were four folding tables lining the walls covered with papers filled with notes. Several reference books scattered about. Some of them lying open, others with several paper markers sticking out the top. In the corners between the tables were potted vegetable plants. Florescent bulbs lighted the room, and a small air conditioner blew cool air in the window.

Startled Jeremy lifted his head up from the microscope and said, “Hi, Dad.”

Donald stood there spellbound. He wasn’t sure what he expected but this wasn’t it. “I see, you are busy,” he said lamely.

“Yes, did you want something?”

“I think I am mostly curious. Do you mind telling me what you are working so hard on? I think your mother said something about a science project.”

“Yes, sort of,” Jeremy began. “I had an idea about something that I wanted to follow through to see if it would work.”

“You’ve made quite a work shop for yourself here,” Donald commented looking around.

“Actually, Mom fixed it up for me. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for the help she has given me.” Jeremy sighed, thinking of the expense that she put into it. “Especially if I can get my idea to work and I can prove that it does.”

“I’m interested. Do you mind explaining some of it to me?” Donald asked again.

“Okay, Dad, have a seat. This might take a while.” Jeremy began, “You know I have always enjoyed working down here at the flower shop helping Mom. Mostly what I did was landscaping and planting. I enjoyed digging in the dirt, essentially making something uncomely become beautiful. There is something fulfilling in that.”

So during this last year I had the opportunity to take some electives, so I thought why not. I would take a couple of fun classes, so I took biochemistry and horticultural science. Some of the things there blew my mind, it was fascinating to me.” Jeremy laughed, “So, I’m a little crazy. They worked in my schedule.”

“Go on,” Donald laughed, “I’m still listening. I think I would have picked gym for a blow off class, though.”

“Centuries ago people began creating hybrid plants to modify the plants to become what they wanted. For instance, tomatoes at one time were tiny little fruit, not the plump juicy things we eat now. Corn grew tall but produced very few kernels on the ears. I could list them on and on. Back in the early part of this century, scientists had a break through with hybrid plants until now in the late nineteen fifties, the produce from these plants have multiplied dramatically.”

“During the first part of this decade, molecular biology came to the forefront explaining some things about the two helical strands that compose the DNA. What these guys discovered was that by using the data from cytokinesis of this DNA, the linear sequence of nucleic acid based there gave them information. The order of amino acids in proteins provided coded information that they could use to direct how the plant might grow, how it would produce fruit, etc. These are the building blocks of proteins!”

“Fascinating isn’t it!” Jeremy beamed.

“When you study biochemistry, it tells you about structures of living things, their functions, how they interact in the cellular components, like proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, etc. Biochemistry deals mostly with the processes rather than the individual molecules. Interesting stuff!”

Donald shook his head, “That’s a lot of information that I don’t even understand, but what does this have to do with what you are doing?”

“I’m getting too that,” Jeremy laughed, “Dad, you asked.”

“There is another study going called plant breeding. This is all part of horticulture. Plant breeders help to understand how to choose better specimens to create either new plants or superior plants to produce better crops. This goes back to creating hybrid plants.”

Donald sat there scratching his head, “Okay.”

“As I said earlier hybrid plants have greatly increased our crop productivity. This is a wonderful thing.”

He stopped for emphasis, “Except it has also created a problem.” He stood up and reached over for a stapled set of papers and held them up. “Right here is a study done not long ago that proves that hybrid plants which were so revolutionary in providing the nations with food significantly has less nutrients in the fruit or vegetable.”

Donald walked over to look into the microscope. He looked over at Jeremy still not sure what he saw.

Jeremy grinned, “You’re still not sure what I’m doing here, are you?”

With a slight furrow in his brow, Donald shook his head.

“Considering all the information I have given you, now I think you will understand what I am doing here. I know you will keep it confidential. My hypothesis is to study the DNA of a plant, say maybe hybrid corn for instance, single out the genes and manipulate them in a way that will not only retain the improved quality of the hybrid, but return and improve the nutrition of the original fruit of the plant.”

“I believe that if I can unravel the clues for one plant, it would open the door for the rest of them.”

“Wow, that’s ambitious of you, Son.” Donald said somewhat surprised. “Is this some kind of assignment or something?”

Jeremy shook his head, “No, Dad. This is something I’m doing on my own.”

“What do you hope to gain by working so hard this summer? What’s in it for you?”

“If I can accomplish this to my satisfaction this summer, I want to present it to the University. I hope I can earn a scholarship or a grant or something. I need to become financially independent.”

“Why, Jeremy?” Donald questioned his son. “With your grades, when you graduate you will have your pick of job opportunities.”

“Two reasons, Dad.” Jeremy walked to the other side of the room and turned to look at his father, “I hope you understand me and don’t get angry.”

Jeremy raised both hands and ran them through his hair on each side of his head. “Have you ever had to live away from the ones you love, especially Mom? Have you been required to study an occupation that you have no interest in doing?”

Donald stood still studying his son. After a moment he turned away and looked at all the research Jeremy had done. He spoke in a subdued voice, “Yes, Son, when I was in college, I didn’t get to be with Sam for a whole semester. I thought I would die before I got back to her. I packed her up and took her with me for the rest of the time we were in college.”

“My father was an attorney and I never considered doing anything else.”

“I plan to marry Nora as soon as I can financially do so. I have never wanted anyone else. She is my heart, my love.”

“I promise, Son, I will think about this. Jeffrey is doing so well at the office, he can handle the research. You are free to work on this science project.” He started to step out the door, when he turned to say, “I am impressed with your project, and I could not be any more proud of a son.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Jeremy walked over and gave his Dad a hug.

“By the way, I have never heard a case presented more eloquently inside or outside of the court room.”

Donald returned home. He found Samantha leaning against a pile of pillows on the bed watching television. He explained to her where he had been and what Jeremy was doing.

She nodded and smiled.

“You knew all about this all the time, didn’t you?”

She nodded again.

“You built that building just for him, didn’t you?”

“Pretty much,” she agreed.

He stood looking at his lovely wife, thinking how much she manipulated all of them. “How much did you have to do with Jeffrey coming to the law office?”

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “I simply mentioned to him that he was the age that Jeremy was when he started at the law office. He did the rest of whatever he did on his own,” she said innocently.

“He said that he came because he wanted to do research and learn anything that Jeremy could teach him.”

“Uh-hum,” she nodded. “Jeffrey has always wanted to be an attorney.”

He frowned and held out his hands, “How did you know that?”

She shrugged and shook her head, “A mother knows things about her children.”

Donald stood there looking at her and asked, “Why didn’t Jeremy talk to me earlier? Why didn’t Jeffrey tell me up front that he wanted to work in the law office instead of the back handed way that he did?”

Samantha patted the bed beside her, “Come here and sit down beside me.”

She moved some pillows to make room for him. She reached over and kissed his hand. “You are a wonderful man, and I love you dearly.”

“I hear a ‘but’” Donald said.

“But I know you care very much for your sons and you want the best for them. Sometimes what you think is best for them, may not be what they desire. You don’t always hear what they are telling you, because you have already made up your mind.”

“I can’t believe I’ve made such a mess of things,” Donald muttered and hung his head.

“Not such a mess, nothing irreparable, anyway.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. One thing you could rectify right now is I’ve been waiting patiently in this bed for you.”

Donald grinned, “That is one thing I’ll be happy to rectify immediately.”

Nora stopped by Jeremy’s lab on her way home. She was later than usual because they were short handed and had asked her to work late.

As soon as she walked through the door, Jeremy turned and caught her up in a bear hug. She leaned back to look at the excitement in his face. “Okay, what happened?”

Jeremy released her and said, “I’ve been liberated.”

“What?”

“Dad came by.” Jeremy grinned at the recollection, “I don’t know what he expected, but boy! Was he surprised when he saw me in here working and alone, too! Anyway, he wanted to know what my project was here. I explained everything to him, pretty much in the long version.”

Jeremy grinned, “I thought he deserved that, since he kept asking.”

Nora laughed appreciating Jeremy’s lightheartedness.

He grabbed her hands and whirled her around, “After all was said and little done, he,” Jeremy emphasized with quotations in the air, “said, without my prompting or asking, that Jeffrey could handle the work at the law office. I could work here.”

He motioned for her to come to him, “Come here, baby, I need a hug.”

“I can’t work on these plants anymore tonight.” He breathed in deeply, and slowly let it out triumphantly, “I feel like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Nora, my love, would you like to go dancing.”

Nora spread the skirt of her uniform and said, “Not in this. I would be happy with a hamburger.”

“Your wish is my command. Let’s go eat.” Walking out the door and locking it, he told Nora, “I really want to celebrate tonight, after the hamburger I think we should get an ice cream cone. Yep! I think an ice cream cone would do it nicely.”