Chapter 21 twenty one

The next day, Luis called the intensive care unit of the emergency center and said that Norma's condition was still in critical condition and that standard medical treatment was required within 24 hours of the heart attack.But Louis got a piece of reassuring news from the doctor who saw Norma, who said, "I don't think it's a small heart attack, not to scare you, Dr. Creed, she does owe you a lot." , you saved her life." That weekend, Louis instinctively bought a bouquet of flowers, went to the hospital to see Norma, and found that she had been moved downstairs to a semi-private care unit, which was a good sign.Chad was with Norma.

Seeing the flowers, Norma cried out in surprise, urged the nurse to bring the vase, then ordered Chad to fill it with water, arranged it according to her intention, and placed it on the bedside cabinet. After three fiddlings with the flower, Chad said dryly, "This is the best day the old lady has ever felt." Norma said, "Stop being clever." "Yes ma'am," Chad said jokingly. In the end, Norma looked at Louis with a touch of sincerity and said, "I want to thank you for everything you've done for me, Chad said you saved my life." Louis said sheepishly, "Chad is exaggerating."

Chad squinted at Louis, almost laughing, and said, "No exaggeration, I, Chad, don't lie. Didn't your mother tell you not to say no to thank you, Louis?" Norma didn't say anything, at least Louis couldn't remember, but he remembered Norma saying something about being too modest to be proud. "Norma, everything I do is what I am willing and happy to do," Louis said. Norma said, "You're such a nice guy. You take my old man out somewhere and ask him to buy you a beer. I'm feeling a little sleepy again, and I can't seem to get him off my ass."

Jud stood up cheerfully and said, "Great! I'll go, I'll go. Come on, Louis, let's go before she changes her mind." The week before Thanksgiving saw the first snow of winter and another 4 inches on Nov. 22, but the day before Thanksgiving was clear and blue with cloudless skies and a bit chilly.Louis drove the family to Bangor International Airport, and Rachel was taking the kids back to Chicago to visit her parents.Rachel has said these words no less than 20 times since talking to Louis about coming home a month ago: "Louis, this is wrong, I don't think it's okay for you to be walking around our house alone on Thanksgiving , it was supposed to be a family reunion festival.”

Louis tipped Gage from one arm to the other, and his son stared wide-eyed, like a big boy in his parka.Elle stood in front of a large window watching an Air Force helicopter take off. Louis said: "I'm not going to cry over a beer alone. Chad and Norma are going to treat me to turkey with garnishes. God, how do I feel like a sinner. I never like This kind of big holiday party. I'll start drinking at 3pm and watch football, go to bed at 7 and feel like my head is going crazy the next day. I just don't like seeing you and the kids off, I'm worried .” Rachel said: "I'm fine, I'm flying first class, I feel like a princess. Gage will sleep on the flight from Logan to O'Hare."

"You think it's beautiful," Louis said, and they both burst out laughing. The radio called the flight number that Rachel and the others were going to take, and Ellie hurried over and said, "Mom, it's our flight. Go—go—go, or we won't catch up, and the plane will take off." "No, it won't," Rachel said, clutching three pink boarding passes in one hand, and wearing a gorgeous brown faux-fur coat.Louis thought that no matter what kind of imitation fur it was, it made the wife look absolutely beautiful and lovely. Perhaps it was in Louis's eyes that Rachel gave him an impulsive hug, and Gage looked surprised, but not unhappy, between the two of them.

Rachel said, "Louis, I love you." Allie said impatiently, "Mum-mi, go-go-go-" Rachel said, "Oh, yes, yes. Take care of yourself, Louis." Louis smiled and said, "I'll tell you, I'll take good care of myself, Rachel, give your parents my regards." "Oh, you, that's funny," Rachel wrinkled her nose at him.Rachel was no fool, she knew why Louis didn't go back with them to see her parents. Louis watched them get on the boarding ladder of the passenger plane, thinking that he would not see them for a week, he couldn't help feeling a little homesick for his wife and children, and felt a little lonely.He walked to the window where Ellie had been standing, hands in the pockets of his coat, watching the porters pack the luggage.

The simple truth is that Rachel's parents in Lake Forest, the Goldmans, had never liked Louis from the very beginning.Because they thought he wasn't of their class, which was only a general reason, and what was worse was that their daughter would support him while he was in medical school, which he was almost certain to fail at. Louis could handle all this bias, and he did, in fact, do his best to deal with it, but then something happened that Rachel didn't know and never would have known...but not by Louis.Mr. Goldman invited Louis to his study for a talk. At first, Louis thought they had found out that he and Rachel were living together. Unexpectedly, Mr. Goldman offered to pay Louis all the tuition fees for medical school. The price for this "scholarship" (as Mr. Goldman calls it) is that Louis must break off his engagement to Rachel immediately.He also reached for his checkbook to write a check to Louis.Louis was already under a lot of pressure in his study and life, and was depressed all the time. When he heard Mr. Goldman's mention of making a deal, he became furious.He accused Goldman of wanting to keep his daughter like a museum exhibit, that he was thinking of himself and not her, that he was an insufferable, thoughtless old bastard.Later, the two began to scold each other.All this made the relationship between their husband and son-in-law very tense.After a long time, Louis admitted in his heart that the tantrum was just a vent to the pressure of intense study and life.

Then Rachel softened their relationship, and on their wedding day the Goldmans' faces resembled those carved on Egyptian sarcophagi.Their wedding presents to Louis and Rachel were a six-burner china set and a microwave oven, without money.While Louis was in medical school, Rachel worked as a clerk in a women's clothing store. From the day of her wedding to now, all Rachel knows is that there has been tension between her husband and her parents, especially between Louis and her father. There has been discord. Louis could have gone to Chicago with his family, and although the school schedule required him to come back three days before Rachel and the others, that was no problem.Besides, he can be with his family, and the children have eased the relationship between him and his father-in-law a lot, and children can often play this role.Louis figured that if he pretended to forget about the past, they could make their relationship better, even if Rachel's parents knew he was faking it.But Louis didn't want to ease the relationship with them. Although 10 years had passed, Louis could never forget the feeling of that night.

Louis could have gone with his wife and children, but he would rather have Rachel's parents see their daughter and grandchildren and hear the message of his greeting they brought with them. The plane taxied on the runway, turned...Louis saw Elle sitting by one of the front windows, waving desperately.Louis smiled and waved to her, and someone—probably Ellie or Rachel—drew Gage to the window.Louis was still waving, and Gage was waving too, maybe he saw Louis, maybe he was just imitating Elle. Louis muttered, "Take my family safely." He zipped up his coat and headed out to the parking lot.The wind was so strong that it almost blew Louis's hat away. He pressed the hat with one hand, took out the key with the other, and opened the car door gropingly. Turning around, he saw the plane leave the ground and rumble towards the blue sky.

Louis felt really lonely now—almost tearful, and he waved again. Louis had been feeling down that night, even a little sad when he crossed the street from a beer with Chad and Norma.Because of the cold, they moved to the kitchen to drink.Chad lit the stove and they sat around it while Norma drank a glass of wine and her doctor allowed and even encouraged her to sing it.Chad and Louis drank cold beer, beside the warm fire, Chad told him how the Mi'k-Mack Indians avoided the British roundup 200 years ago, when the Mi'k-Macks were very timid.Chad added that some state or federal real estate attorneys think they are still timid. It was supposed to be a good night, but Louis could realize that there was only an empty house waiting for him at home.Walking across the grass, listening to the snow and ice creak underfoot, Louis suddenly heard the phone ringing at home.He broke into a quick run, burst through the front door, hurried across the living room and into the kitchen, nearly slipping on his snow-covered shoes.He grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?" "Louis?" It was Rachel's voice, a little distant but pleasant. "We're home, safe trip, nothing happened." "That's great!" Louis said, then sat down and started chatting with his wife, thinking: Man, I wish you were all here.