I have to admit that, in the beginning, I was some what skeptical of this.
Jordan, one of my daughters, had met a boy she liked and wanted him to come on spring break with us. Oh yippee, I thought. Even though Jordan was in Massachusetts pursuing her Masters, she somehow had a boyfriend who lived in New Orleans. They had met a couple of years before at a Karaoke bar. This just screamed ‘show tunes’ to me, and Jordan at a Karaoke bar? Really? Now you understand my skepticism.
As usual, I rented a Condo in Destin for Spring Break. The whole family was getting together there. Catfish and Jordan were both riding down from New Jersey with Landi and me in the Expedition. Jenn, who was teaching Spanish in New Orleans at the time, was to pick up Jordan’s boy and bring him with her to Destin.
Destin is a full 20 hour drive from South Plainfield, New Jersey. We break it into two days with Knoxville being our stopping point for the night. We usually begin the drive on Saturday morning, and arrive, fairly tired but not exhausted, in Destin at roughly 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon. It’s a trip we have made many times.
On this trip, I was greeted at the Condo by Jenn and Jordan’s boy. They had arrived a few minutes before us. I eyed this boy carefully, checking for any sign of LSU gear. None observed, he passed the first and very crucial exam. He was tall and polite. Just as soon as we unloaded all our gear in the Condo, he very graciously presented me with a very nice bottle of Knob Creek. I was shaken. I don’t know exactly what I expected, but I certainly did not expect bourbon. He had passed another critical test. He knows good bourbon.
All the kids changed into swimming suits, and disappeared down the 9 floors between us and the Gulf. Landi and I organized things a bit, then I poured a bourbon. I cautiously walked over to the balcony. As usual, it took a minute or two for me to ensure that the balcony was safe to walk on. These things, you know, are built by the low bidder. I slowly and carefully eased my way out onto the balcony and cautiously looked down at the four bobbing heads in the water. Landi came over to me, and put her arm around my waist as we watched the kids playing in the water.
‘So, what do you think?’, she asked referring to Jordan’s boy.
Just then, Jordan’s boy spun around to face Catfish. He snatched my son up and threw him skipping across the water like a flat rock. Catfish quickly bobbed back to the surface, and a with a smile so big you could see it from 9 stories up, swam back over to the boy and jumped on him. They wrestled in the water, with Catfish getting dunked a good bit.
‘I think this boy will be just fine’, I replied.
No one is a better judge of character than a 12 year old kid.
This happened years ago, and time has proven out Catfish’s judgment. The boy’s name is Nathan. We didn’t know it then, but a love story was in full swing.
In the spring of 2013, I received a phone call from Nathan. He and Jordan lived in New Orleans. It was odd receiving a phone call from Nate, but I just assumed it was to relay a message from Jordan. I was wrong. He asked me for my blessing to marry Jordan. Nate has both good character and good manners. This gets better and better. I was thrilled, and as I hung up the phone, I told Landi “We are going to get a really excited phone call from Jordan tomorrow!!”. I had a bourbon to celebrate.
And so then next day, we waited. That call did not come. Nor did it come the day after that, not even the day after the day after that. What could have happened? Stress built, but we waited. A week went by. Two weeks went by. Did he ask her and she turned him down? What could she be thinking? A month went by. Two months went by. What in the hell is going on? I like this guy. She is not going to find a finer young man than this, I kept thinking. What the hell? She must have turned him down, but I can’t ask. I can’t even hint. Darkness spread across New Jersey and a deep depression set in.
About a month later, while on a weekend visit to Destin, Jordan opened the door to the Condo. She was greeted by rose petals and a proposal. We got the very excited phone call soon there after.
Before anyone get’s the idea that I have the greatest son in law ever, I would just point out that the bastard let me hold my breath for 3 months.
On this day, October 18, 2014, Jordan and Nathan married. Today they have two wonderful sons, a slightly sketchy dog and are enjoying a wonderful life in the Big Easy.
Happy Anniversary!
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