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Jonathan's life revolves around Clark, even when he no longer lives at home. Completed ficlet, Rated G. (Regular disclaimers apply)
Please read and let me know what you think.
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A Watched Pot Never Boils
Waking up on a Sunday morning had been his one reliable pleasure each week since that sad day in September when his son had gone off to Metropolis University to begin his freshman year. He awakened with a smile on his face and a definable happiness within his heart. It was a welcome change from the other six days of the week.
Sundays were special days; the day of the week Jonathan looked forward to the most. It wasn’t because it was his one day of respite from his grueling schedule of keeping the farm running without his son’s help. It was for something more important than that; something that meant more to him than a day off. Each Sunday he woke up knowing that this was the day where a week’s worth of worrying, wondering, hoping and praying would be tempered and he would feel a parent’s relief wash over him.
He rolled over and kissed Martha on the cheek and hovered above her smiling until she opened her eyes to notice. She must have felt his stare because she smiled before opening her eyes and she reached her hand up to his cheek to give it a loving pat.
“Jonathan, you are nothing more than a great big kid.” She delivered the line with all the warmth of a woman who has loved her man deeply for many years.
They arose from the bed and put their slippers and robes on, then headed down the stairs. Once inside the kitchen, Jonathan walked over to the calendar and checked the day ‘just to be sure’. He walked away from it with a Cheshire cat grin and patted Martha on the bottom with glee.
“Let me guess, you want blueberry pancakes, two eggs over easy and orange juice this morning?” She had a tender smile on her face in response to Jonathan’s happiness.
Every Sunday, like clockwork, Jonathan would request Clark’s favorite breakfast. It was his way of feeling a connection to the boy who had enmeshed himself so deeply within Jonathan’s heart. Martha found Jonathan’s behavior quite endearing and happily placated his weekly request just to feed into this cheerfulness on this one day a week.
In truth, it had been very difficult for Jonathan with Clark gone. His requirements for happiness in life were really quite simple in that if he had his family nearby, then life was good. However, once an integral member of his family moved away, Jonathan floundered. He still operated in his daily life as if things were normal, but Martha could tell he longed for his beloved son. He missed Clark’s companionship. He missed feeling necessary and important. He missed Clark’s dependency on him. Mostly, he missed the love he received just by being in the same room with his son. So Jonathan moved about each day slightly grief-stricken for having to make a life adjustment as his child grew up and moved away from the comforts of his home.
It seemed to be a ritual that he always turned on The Weather Channel on Sunday morning after breakfast so that he could reset the house clocks to the time ticking across the bottom of the screen. The day passed slowly as Sundays always seem to and he checked and rechecked the time as his eagerness grew in direct correlation to the arrival of long awaited moment. Boredom on Sundays made it hard for him to not obsess on the timing of things, but nothing dampened his happiness internally.
He would skip lunch on Sundays since he usually worked his nerves into a bunch by this point. Instead, he would enjoy a glass of lemonade out on the porch swing and reminisce over wonderful family moments over the years. As always, Martha would come to sit beside him, holding his hand as they listened to the silence around them.
It made no sense, but he always made sure to be showered and dressed before the moment he’d been anxiously awaiting. He looked like an eager boy with his dampened hair and goofy smile, as he took a seat in a chair which he placed just beside the phone. His hands rested on his knees and his arms were displayed straight and tight as if he was pushing his knees downward. His anticipation was great.
As 5:00 p.m. came and the phone rang, he always shouted “I’ve got it Martha” even though it was evident from his positioning beside the phone. Her eyes always crinkled as she smiled in response to his childish delight of the arriving phone call.
He let it ring one full ring on purpose, not wanting to appear too eager. He cleared his throat.
“Hello?” But, it was evident he was excited.
Martha watched Jonathan’s face as he listened intently to his son on the other end of the line. She saw so many emotions flicker across his eyes. He nodded his head, he offered advice and he listened quietly when the situation arose. But she always knew it was her time for the phone when his eyes filled with tears and his expression became melancholy and she heard him say in response, “I love you too, Son.”
Please read and let me know what you think.
------------------------------------------------------------
A Watched Pot Never Boils
Waking up on a Sunday morning had been his one reliable pleasure each week since that sad day in September when his son had gone off to Metropolis University to begin his freshman year. He awakened with a smile on his face and a definable happiness within his heart. It was a welcome change from the other six days of the week.
Sundays were special days; the day of the week Jonathan looked forward to the most. It wasn’t because it was his one day of respite from his grueling schedule of keeping the farm running without his son’s help. It was for something more important than that; something that meant more to him than a day off. Each Sunday he woke up knowing that this was the day where a week’s worth of worrying, wondering, hoping and praying would be tempered and he would feel a parent’s relief wash over him.
He rolled over and kissed Martha on the cheek and hovered above her smiling until she opened her eyes to notice. She must have felt his stare because she smiled before opening her eyes and she reached her hand up to his cheek to give it a loving pat.
“Jonathan, you are nothing more than a great big kid.” She delivered the line with all the warmth of a woman who has loved her man deeply for many years.
They arose from the bed and put their slippers and robes on, then headed down the stairs. Once inside the kitchen, Jonathan walked over to the calendar and checked the day ‘just to be sure’. He walked away from it with a Cheshire cat grin and patted Martha on the bottom with glee.
“Let me guess, you want blueberry pancakes, two eggs over easy and orange juice this morning?” She had a tender smile on her face in response to Jonathan’s happiness.
Every Sunday, like clockwork, Jonathan would request Clark’s favorite breakfast. It was his way of feeling a connection to the boy who had enmeshed himself so deeply within Jonathan’s heart. Martha found Jonathan’s behavior quite endearing and happily placated his weekly request just to feed into this cheerfulness on this one day a week.
In truth, it had been very difficult for Jonathan with Clark gone. His requirements for happiness in life were really quite simple in that if he had his family nearby, then life was good. However, once an integral member of his family moved away, Jonathan floundered. He still operated in his daily life as if things were normal, but Martha could tell he longed for his beloved son. He missed Clark’s companionship. He missed feeling necessary and important. He missed Clark’s dependency on him. Mostly, he missed the love he received just by being in the same room with his son. So Jonathan moved about each day slightly grief-stricken for having to make a life adjustment as his child grew up and moved away from the comforts of his home.
It seemed to be a ritual that he always turned on The Weather Channel on Sunday morning after breakfast so that he could reset the house clocks to the time ticking across the bottom of the screen. The day passed slowly as Sundays always seem to and he checked and rechecked the time as his eagerness grew in direct correlation to the arrival of long awaited moment. Boredom on Sundays made it hard for him to not obsess on the timing of things, but nothing dampened his happiness internally.
He would skip lunch on Sundays since he usually worked his nerves into a bunch by this point. Instead, he would enjoy a glass of lemonade out on the porch swing and reminisce over wonderful family moments over the years. As always, Martha would come to sit beside him, holding his hand as they listened to the silence around them.
It made no sense, but he always made sure to be showered and dressed before the moment he’d been anxiously awaiting. He looked like an eager boy with his dampened hair and goofy smile, as he took a seat in a chair which he placed just beside the phone. His hands rested on his knees and his arms were displayed straight and tight as if he was pushing his knees downward. His anticipation was great.
As 5:00 p.m. came and the phone rang, he always shouted “I’ve got it Martha” even though it was evident from his positioning beside the phone. Her eyes always crinkled as she smiled in response to his childish delight of the arriving phone call.
He let it ring one full ring on purpose, not wanting to appear too eager. He cleared his throat.
“Hello?” But, it was evident he was excited.
Martha watched Jonathan’s face as he listened intently to his son on the other end of the line. She saw so many emotions flicker across his eyes. He nodded his head, he offered advice and he listened quietly when the situation arose. But she always knew it was her time for the phone when his eyes filled with tears and his expression became melancholy and she heard him say in response, “I love you too, Son.”
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