Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy)

chapter Six

Nora and Danny rode their bikes when school started. It felt so different to sleep two hours later and leave for school when they were ready rather than rushing to meet the bus. Nora was going into her senior year and Danny was starting fourth grade. They had more new clothes for school than they ever had. Nora felt more confident that she could hold her head up and be more like the rest of her school mates this year.

After moving to town Danny made so many friends as he rode his bike up and down the street, he waved to almost every kid he saw as if they were his best friend. He wanted to get into junior football and baseball.

Nora, on the other hand, worked on her own little projects all summer and came to school with the purpose to study and make perfect grades.

She expected to see Jeremy pop in front her face at any moment. They had come to an understanding during the summer, she now felt comfortable around him--most of the time. At this point, well maybe, apprehensive was what she felt about him. At her house he was fairly predictable but at school, would he revert back to simply annoying her? Well, Jeremy, she knew could be a problem but she refused, she told herself, to spend that much time thinking of him.

Her morning classes filled Nora’s thoughts as she placed her lunch tray on the table in the school cafeteria.

“Hi,” Jeremy interrupted her thoughts, “how are your classes this semester? Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Hi, Jeremy, sure you can sit with me. We still have our deal? Right?”

“Sweetheart, you are my deal!” He said with a cocky grin. “I promised not to sing ‘Elenora’. Was that our deal? I’m having a hard time remembering,” he said looking up and tapping a finger on his bottom lip.

“Jeremy! Don’t start with me!” she chastised him as if he were Danny. She caught herself and pleaded, “Please, don’t start embarrassing me.”

“I promise I won’t sing ‘Elenora’ and I won’t kiss you in the halls and get us sent to the Principal’s office. How’s that for good promises?”

She let out a big sigh and rolled her eyes, “It’ll do for now. Back to your other question, I have a good lineup of classes, I think. I’m taking Trigonometry, English, World History, Chemistry, Library, and Spanish.”

“Wow!” Jeremy exclaimed. “Those are heavy classes. Is study your middle name?”

“I have to learn all I can, Jeremy,” she hung her head with responsibility. She looked up at him, “I need to take care of my family.”

Jeremy frowned trying to understand her why she felt this responsibility so strongly. “I don’t understand.”

“My dad’s heart is so weak that the doctors told him he wouldn’t live long. My little cousin Jordan has polio. He went into pneumonia so badly this summer he almost died. I have to do something.”

“Nora,” Jeremy shook his head and held out his hands. “Why are you feeling that you are the one responsible?”

“Who else in my family can go to the doctor’s school to learn how to help them?” she earnestly implored. “Danny’s too young, there’s nobody else, just me.”

Jeremy saw the sincerity in her eyes. He recognized the dedication and determination that she had. You know, he thought, I believe I now am beginning to understand what makes you tick.

“Nora, you surprise me. You don’t have to take all this on your shoulders, yet you do. I admire and respect you. If ever you need a study partner and you feel that I can help you, please let me know.”

The bell rang for them to go to the next class.

After school Nora shocked herself when she looked around to see if Jeremy was around anywhere. She didn’t spot him so she rode her bike home.

The next day at lunch Jeremy sat with her again. “So you are going to be a doctor,” he stated.

“Yes, that is my plan. Last year Mrs. Jenkins told me that there was a doctor’s school that she would help me get in. She said that she would get some recommendations from some of the other teachers to help me. With my good grades, Mrs. Jenkins said, I shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“Last night I told my mom and dad about your plan to become a doctor. They are very interested in you and want to meet you.”

“Really? Me?” she gasped.

Jeremy laughed, “It’s okay.” He said waving his hands in a calming motion, “They are regular people just like you and me. They don’t even bite, well, often.” He had to think about that one, since his dad and brothers had a rolling wrestling bout last weekend.

“Mom suggested Sunday afternoon would be a good time to come visit. I’ll come get you, if you’d like.”

Now she was nervous again. If Jeremy is with me, I’ll be alright, she thought. If I stay only ten minutes, I can do it.

“Okay, she agreed, “I’ll wait for you to come get me after lunch.”

She scrunched her face as a thought hit her, since when did she depend on Jeremy, of all people, to get her through a situation. Now this is going to take some serious thinking.

Jeremy watched the display of emotions coming across her face in waves, “May I be privy to your thoughts?”

“Okay, Jeremy,” she looked at him seriously putting her arms on the table. “I was nervous or scared to meet your parents. Then I realized you would be with me so I would be alright. Then the thought hit me that I felt comfortable trusting you. How weird is that?” She confided in him with a small laugh spreading her hands on the table.

“Nora, you make me happy. It sounds like I’m making progress.” Taking advantage of the situation, he added, “While I’m in your good graces for the moment, will you go out with me Saturday night?”

She tilted her head to the side and smiled at his antics, “Yes, my faithful protector, I would be happy to date you Saturday night.”

“Aah, you make my day.”

Saturday night when Jeremy met Nora at the door she wore a sleeveless white blouse that buttoned down the front tucked in a full gathered red skirt with white dots. Around her waist was a three inch wide elastic belt with a beaded clasp in the front. She tied a small red shear scarf around her neck. Folded down bobby socks and brown saddle oxfords completed the outfit. She braided her long blond hair in a single braid to hang down her back.

She met Jeremy at the door with a smile, “Hi, come in.” She felt much more comfortable and self-assured than their last date.

Jeremy looked her up and down and whistled, “You’re my girl!” He exclaimed.

Nora glanced around at her parents and laughed. “Don’t pay any attention to him. That’s just Jeremy.” She waved her hand as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

After they went out the door, Nora’s mom looked at her dad and said, “What do you think?”

Her dad replied, “I don’t think she has a clue yet how serious he is.”

Again they feasted on popcorn and soda. He put his arm around her and she leaned in to him. The movie was about a policeman who was trying to catch a killer and ended up getting himself exiled to Siberia.

In spite of the popcorn and sodas, Jeremy took her to the Dairy Mart for ice cream afterwards.

Jeremy commented between bites of ice cream, “I enjoy taking time out to be with you, Nora. This is the most fun I’ve had in a week.”

Surprised Nora asked, “Really? What have you been doing?”

“After work every day, my dad expects me to work at the law firm. On Saturdays, my mom wants me to work in her flower shop. So that leaves me with just enough time after supper to do my homework and go to bed.”

“I had no idea that you had so much on your plate. You schedule is much like what I had on the dairy.” Now she understood why she never saw him after school any more.

“Maybe now you understand how much my time with you means to me.”

His tenderness and sincerity almost brought tears to her eyes. She ducked her head.

They finished their ice cream and she scooted close to him. He put his arm around her and leaned his face into her hair to smell her scent. He needed to drive somewhere else, he decided.

He started the car. He knew of a place that was more private. He needed to kiss her big time.

Hoping that her time with Jeremy wasn’t over yet, she asked curiously, “Where to now?”

He answered, “I want to show you my mom’s flower shop.” It’s the only place he could think of in a hurry to take her where he knew he could find some private time with her.

He drove into the alley behind the shop and turned the ignition off. “I’ll show you in a minute, first I want to kiss you again.”

He put his arms around her and kissed her. She sat there looking at him with those big blue eyes. He tilted her chin up and brushed a kiss lightly across her lips. She put her hand behind his neck and pulled him toward her again. This time Jeremy deepened the kiss. All kinds of sensations were assaulting him. He needed to catch his breath.

Nora studied his face when he pulled back. She ran her fingers through his dark brown hair. He gauged her reaction while she gazed into his brown eyes. She became conscious of the golden flecks sprinkled in his eyes. His serious expression made her want to kiss him again. She pulled his face to her again for another kiss.

This time he felt more in control while he tenderly kissed her with all the emotions that he felt. He kissed her cheeks and her forehead. She returned kisses to his chin and when he brought up his hand to cup her face she turned her face into his palm and felt him caress her cheek.

He thought that’s the most precious thing she could have done.

He reached over to open the door. “Let’s get out for a bit and I’ll show you around.” He reached out and held her hand as they walked.

“These are the outdoor plants that we plant ourselves to sell,” he said proudly. “Over here we have three greenhouses so that we can raise flowers all year around. I’ll take you in the flower shop another time. I don’t want to deal with the security system tonight.”

“I want to give you a gift.” He opened up one of the green houses and they walked in. He went to a long stemmed white rose bush. He cut off one rose and wrapped the stem. He placed the stem of the rose in a rose bud vase, and he tied a red ribbon at the top of the vase.

He turned to give it to her. “This, my beautiful Nora, is what you remind me of tonight.”

She noticed the similarity of the colors that she was wearing. “Thank you, again you surprise me.”

She sat the vase down beside where they were standing. She lifted her face and stepped near to him inviting a kiss. He didn’t disappoint her. They wrapped their arms around each other for the first time and held each other tightly.

Finally, Jeremy stepped back and kissed her closed eyelids. He rubbed his hand over her hair and slightly pulled on her braid. She opened her eyes and he smiled as he said, “I would love to hold you all night but if I don’t take you home soon your dad will be driving the streets looking for you.”

She nodded and blinked her eyes as if coming from a trance, “Yes, You’re right .” She picked up the rose and let him lead her to the car.

At her front door he embraced her. “After tonight, my beautiful Nora, I don’t think I will ever be the same again.”

He looked into her eyes, “I feel the same way,” she responded.

He gave her another quick kiss and went to his car.

Nora rushed to her bedroom. She didn’t feel that she could speak to her parents tonight. She had too much to think about. Good God! She thought. I think I’m in love! And with Jeremy of all people!

The next day Nora was in a quandary about what to wear to Jeremy’s house to see his parents. After searching through her closet a few times, she enlisted the help of her mom. Finally they settled on a straight navy skirt with pleats across the bottom of the skirt and a soft pink pullover sweater. She put her hair in a ponytail and tied a pink chiffon scarf around the band of her ponytail. She put on some pink lipstick and hoped she would pass as good enough.

She sat out on the porch swing to wait. She didn’t wait long, not long enough for her to get her jittery nerves calmed down before he drove up.

He got out of the car and gave her his cocky smile as he ran up the steps to greet her. She stood and felt the crazy happiness bursting within her. She could tell that he could see it on her face.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her to the car, “Let’s go.” A big smile radiated from his face, too.

After he got in the car and closed the door. He leaned over with his cocky grin and teasingly asked, “Do you still love me?”

Embarrassed, Nora yelled in a whispered voice, “Jeremy!”

Unperturbed, he whispered back, “I still love you.”

She ducked her head and little red spots appeared in her cheeks.

He reached over and kissed her hand, “Now have I embarrassed you too much?”

“Jeremy, sometimes you are too much for me but I am learning to like it, she responded shyly. “How can a girl not like her boyfriend telling her that he loves her?”

“My sentiments exactly. Let’s go meet the family.”

He drove about four blocks made some turns and drove another block before he pulled up to a beautiful split-level home with the most beautiful manicured lawn she had ever seen. Flower beds full of profuse blooms spread in every conceivable space.

“This is the most beautiful lawn I have ever seen,” she murmured in awe.

“Thank you, it’s a lot of work, but when your mom owns a flower shop and nursery,” Jeremy shrugged, “it’s not so expensive.”

Nora leaned toward him and touched his hand, “I hope you know how fortunate you are to live in such a beautiful home.”

“Yeah, well,” he said looking at her hand touching his. “If we didn’t have to go in right now, I would take that hand of yours and kiss it and you senseless.” He gave his cocky grin again and said, “Now that I have your face warmed up again, let’s go in.”

She slapped her hands to her face, “Jeremy! Give me a break.”

Jeremy escorted her into the house and they were immediately surrounded by his parents, four brothers, two barking dogs and a cat that perched in the window with his tail straight up.

“Okay, everybody it’s my turn to talk,” Jeremy shushed them all. “Please meet my beautiful Nora.”

Nora ducked her head and turned red while his dad laughed and the boys yelled catcalls.

“Nora, please meet my mother Samantha, my dad Donald, my four noisy brothers Jeffrey, John, Justin, and Dennis.”

Each one of them gave a warm smile and a friendly welcoming handshake.

Jeremy squatted down to the dogs and said, “Sit and shake.” Immediately the dogs sat and stuck out their right paw. “Nora, I would like you to shake with Curly and Fred.”

Nora knelt down to the dog’s level and shook hands with each of them and respectfully said, “How do you do?”

Both dogs responded with, “Yip!”

“They are adorable,” Nora responded. The beautiful, silver colored dogs looked at her with a smile on their faces and their tongues hanging out. They looked to be about fifty pounds and stood approximately eighteen inches tall, from what she guessed. Their hair appeared to be about an inch and a half long and was freshly groomed. “What breed are they?”

“They are Labradoodle,” Jeremy laughed. “It’s something that everybody asks when they see them.”

“I love animals but I have never seen such beautiful dogs,” Nora said in adoration rubbing her hands through the hair on their backs.

“They mind better than the kids,” Donald said with a good natured snicker as he watched Samantha’s reaction. “You just made Samantha’s day.”

“I admit they are my babies,” Samantha admitted with pride. “I searched the through books and magazines until I found the perfect dogs, then I ordered them. They have never given me a reason to regret that decision.”

The younger boys went outside for a game of basketball on the driveway.

Jeremy sat on the couch and pulled Nora down beside him. Samantha served lemonade.

“You have a beautiful home and lawn; I have never seen so many flowers blooming at once at one house.” Nora complimented.

“Thank you,” Samantha responded. “Five yard workers don’t hurt either. Does it Jeremy?”

Jeremy gave a mock bow and said, “At your service, Ma’am.”

“Okay, I’m curious. I noticed that all the boy’s names began with J, except the youngest, Dennis,” Nora inquired. “There’s got to be a story behind that.”

All three of them laughed at her question. “Everybody asks that, too,” Samantha answered good naturedly.

“He’s adopted.” Jeremy pointed out.

“No,” Donald spoke up with a smile. “We found him crawling in the alley. When nobody came to claim him we didn’t have the heart to put him back out there so we’ve had him ever since.”

That’s not right, Dad, “Jeremy disagreed. “A distant relative sent him from England and we didn’t have the heart to send him back.”

“Actually, what really happened,” Donald put in, “was when they brought the birth certificate to Samantha to fill it out, she was eating. When she tried to say Jennis the nurse misunderstood and wrote Dennis.”

Nora was sitting there with her head whipping back and forth as each one told their story. Her mouth was hanging open wondering what to believe. Jeremy and Donald could hardly contain their amusement as they watched her expression.

“Now, Nora, I will tell you the truth of the situation.” Samantha laughed at their antics, “When Dennis was born, we still had our hopes of getting our baby girl. Of course, that didn’t happen. We hadn’t even planned a name for a boy, so on the spur of the moment, Donald piped up and said why another J name. I’m a D man. We chose not to go with a junior so the name Dennis evolved.”

“That’s a cute story,” Nora proclaimed. “Uhm, all of them” she added elbowing Jeremy.

“We really wanted to meet you since,” Donald cleared his throat, “Jeremy is so smitten with you.”

“Thank you,” Nora replied, “it helps understand Jeremy’s sense of humor when I see him interact with you.”

“Well, yes,” Donald shook his head and winked at Samantha. “Sam here had a little trouble understanding me at first but now she can throw it back at me.”

“What I wanted to say is Jeremy has talked to us about your desire to be a doctor. He has mentioned your determination, your studies and your father’s illness. I think he mentioned a nephew as well.”

“Yes, Sir,” Nora responded.

“I am on the board of directors at the hospital. If you are interested, at the end of this school year, I will help you get a job at the hospital as a nurse’s aide. That will give you some experience in your field of interest. After working at the hospital you may not want to continue your education in that area. If you do want to pursue that area of study then you will already know people who work in that field. That experience will also help you obtain a scholarship.”

Nora choked back tears. “Sir, this is very important to me. I would forever be grateful for your help.” She leaned back on the couch and rubbed her face. “I plan to earn a scholarship. I will put in every necessary effort I can to be a doctor. My family is very important to me and my goal is to help them.”

At that moment Donald Littlefield promised himself that this very determined girl would get every necessary help he could give her to help her obtain her goal.