Can You Jump High Enough?

Driving on their way on their way to the funeral, the station wagon remained silent. Following every car in line, the family of five was upset. Though his face hadn't displayed much emotion, Dexter was a wreck on the inside. After all those years of being together, nothing had prepared him to say goodbye to his father.

Placing her hand in his lap, Daniella looked back over her shoulder at the kids. Max, Maddie, and Hannah sat with wide eyes. It was barely a week ago that they'd seen their grandfather alive and kicking. Fishing down by the docks of the small community pond, their last memories of him would be smiling while putting squiggly, wiggly, worms on their hooks.

***

After the sun had gone down, Daniella went to bathe the kids before sending them off to bed while Dexter talked with his father over the grill, while battered catfish filets cooked in a pan of frying oil.

“So, what do you think, dad? It's a nice place right?”

“Nice place with a decent school a few blocks away, and everybody around here knows your name. I don't like it.”

Dexter chuckled, “And why's that?”

“You know why. Gosh darn hoa's. Filled with nothing but a bunch of college dropouts trying to relive their glory days of being in power at highschool.”

“As always, when you're right, you're right, dad,” Dexter pulled up a seat next to his father, and they tapped beer glasses together.

“Fish smells good.”

“You cleaned it good. Thanks for spending time with the kids today.”

“No problem son, it's my duty. Besides, you guys are my legacy. I'm just glad that I got to live long enough to be able to enjoy days like this.”

“What makes you say that?”

“For the longest time I thought our bloodline ended with you, but look at'chu now. You got yourself a nice dame who gave children for ya’, and you've done more than manage to put a roof o'er their heads and food in their bellies.”

Dexter laughed, “You thought I wasn't going to have kids or something?”

“What? Ever since you were a kid you've always been work focused. I'm just glad that you were able to go and smell the roses for once.”

“I could be saying the same thing about you, how's mom been?”

“She's been doing alright. She's gotten a green thumb ever since you moved outta' the house. Each time you told us that Dany was pregnant you mother planted a series of fruit trees for each kid. Your brats are gonna be spoiled with a fruit filled forest.”

“That sounds like mom alright. Always focused on the investments that you can see with your own eyes and touch with your own hands.”

“And that's why I love that woman,” he said, taking a swig of his beer.

“Mind if we join you boys?” Daniella poked her head from behind the door, and three little heads poked out beneath hers. “It smells lovely. Got enough for all of us?”

“Sure thing, come on here,” their grandfather waved his arm and all three of them bustled around the table in a hurry.

Being the smallest, Hannah stayed by their mother’s side, proceeding to sit on her lap while Max sat on their grandfather’s lap and Maddie waited for their dad to grab the pan. Turning off the burners, Dexter lifted the lid to the gas grill. The smell of fried fish wafted in the air.

“Ohhh, that smells amazing. Want me to go grab some hot sauce,” Daniella asked.

“No need,” Dexter responded, “it’s been well seasoned enough to pack enough kick already. Besides, I’m pretty sure you’d like to taste the fish and not the sauce.”

Placing the pan in the middle of the table the children watched as bits of oil still popped and flew from out of the pan. Her hunger getting to her, Hannah started reaching for the tin metal till she was stopped. “Ah, ah, ah,” their grandfather chimed. “You don’t want to burn your fingies, little one. Sure, that pan may cool down quickly but that fish’s piping hot.” Hunkering down, Hannah simmered a little bit while she impatiently waited for the food to be plated.

With paper plates hastily grabbed along with a few forks, Dexter started serving all three seats. Upon finally sitting down, only then did Maddie grab a seat upon his lap.

Though the fish was right in front of them now, the kids could still see the steam rising. Remembering about having burned their taste buds before with hot chocolate, they tried waving their hands to cool down their meal faster. As they remembered, “a dish is best served hot, but best eaten warm.”

“Ready ?” Daniella looked at Hannah, “Just like me.” Waving her head in an exaggerated fashion, Daniella blew air onto their plate, cooling their food down, and her daughter started to do the same.

“I think it works best this way,” Dexter replied. Cutting into their filets with his fork, he released the heat from within, into the night. “Smells good, right Maddie?”

“Yes,” she looked up at him and responded. “Quick, wave it with your hands a little bit.”

“Hehehe,” their grandfather chuckled lightly, “you kids are putting in way too much effort. This is how it’s done.” Holding a paper plate, he handed one of them to Max, “It’s all about working smarter not harder. Right Max?”

“Big brain!” The youngin’ responded while enthusiastically fanning the fish.

“Easy now, you don’t want to blow it off the table. I’m not one for crying over spilled milk, but milk battered fish is another thing.” They all chuckled at that.

After their cooling antics, they all said grace before digging in. The flavors of the spices from paprika to coriander and even a dash of finely crushed red pepper. The kids licked the grease off their fingers before leaving to brush their teeth for bed.

“Thanks honey.” Daniella leaned in to kiss Dexter on her way to follow the kids. “I’ll see you inside.”

“What? No kiss for me?” Dexter’s dad jested.

“You’ll get one from your wife when you bring her. I’m pretty sure the kids would love to do some gardening with her.”

The old man chuckled, downing his glass. Once Daniella had entered the house, Dexter went about cleaning up. Talking with his dad, they moved the chatter inside. Sitting in front of the TV, his dad fell asleep in one of the reclining chairs. Joining his wife in bed, Dexter turned out the lamp’s light, acknowledging that the day had come to an end.

***

Getting out of the car Dexter said to his kids, “Hey, your uncle Spencer’s here, and so are his kids.”

“Ugh,” Max rolled his eyes. “I don’t like Jarvis. He’s always trying to push us around because he’s bigger.”

“Yeah well, he had a growth spurt. Thing is you guys had one too. Plus, if he gives you any trouble, you come over to me right away and I’ll settle things.”

“Last time I tried doing that he sat on me, and Hannah was little to remember to do a simple task. She ran over to mom and got her diaper changed without coming back.”

Daniella’s face turned red for a bit. She did remember the tears that Max had afterwards. He’d been subject to the torturing of tickling till the point he peed his pants, was slapped till his cheeks were as red as a bad diaper rash, and had purple nurples so bad that his chest was bruised for a week.

“Well, there’s only one of Jarvis, and three of you. Maddie, you and Max stick together and make sure that you keep a close eye on Hannah when you guys go to play.”

“Do I have to stick together with Max? We’ve been sticking together before we were even born.” Ever since Maddie knew that twins shared the same belly she’s been striving for more independence from her brother as of late. However, that didn’t mean that she didn’t enjoy games. “Besides, Jarvis has a sister too. Why can’t she play with him?”

“Well, Leslie thinks she’s a bit too old for him,” Daniella answered.

“There’s only four years apart. That’s the same distance between us and Hannah.”

“Besides,” Max interrupted, “if Leslie likes to play with kids her age, then shouldn’t Jarvis do the same too?”

“How about this,” their mom started up, “one of us will always be in earshot and watching distance. I promise you. Right honey?”

“If Jarvis is really that bad, I’ll stick nearby just in case, alright?”

“Yayyy!” Maddie and Max had exclaimed.

“Now come along, we have to pay our respects.”

After struggling to read through the eulogy, the hardest part came. Surrounded by his friends along with his brother’s family, Dexter and Spencer both had tears rolling down their cheeks like boulders careening off a mountainside. Seeing their dad being put in the ground was one of the darkest things they saw. Luckily for them, their mother had showed up that day, along with a potted tree for each of her grandchildren. So, they still had somebody to lean on.

Once the dirt covered his casket, the matriarch of the family began to say, “Now, now, I too am personally saddened by the loss of my husband. He’s lived a long life and a good one too. I like to believe that he’s impacted the lives of many for the better, regardless of whether they wanted his help or not. Now, I know that he would want us to grieve and weep for him, but he would also want us to rejoice and be glad. Before we go over his will in the following days, let’s enjoy what he set up for us here.”

Confused, Spencer and Dexter both looked at one another. Speaking up Spencer asked, “What do you mean mom?”

“I mean that now’s the time to party. Your dad always loved a good party with good people and good food. They make for good times, you know. Follow me.”

Doing as she bid, she led them around one of the smaller hills, there was a small buffet catered with a plethora of tables along with a bounce house and two fun slides for the kids. The adults had a small dj with a dancing platform too.

“Did dad really want this for us?”

“Dexter, please. He set aside a budget for it years ago and asked me to have a small spot of land rented out nearby. Trust me, if he could, that man would hop on out of his grave trying to dance along with us for the party,” she leaned in closer to her sons, “And if he really wanted to he’d try to go down the slides with the kids even if he looked just like a zombie falling apart at the bones. As far as I’m concerned I don’t think death could stop that man from having a good time wherever, whenever, he goes. God bless his soul.”

Turning around to face the audience, Dexter said, “Well, what are we waiting for? In honor of our dad, let’s eat!”

Once the crowd wandered their way over to the tables, people had moved everywhere. The children mingled about the adults and dispersed like dandelion seeds to the wind. Some went to fill their bellies alongside their parents, others wanted to work up an appetite so they went away climbing up the stairs to race down the slides in burlap sacks whilst others went jumping up and down within the bouncy house.

“You go eat with your brother, I’ll watch the children,” Daniella said to her husband.

“You sure? At least grab yourself a sandwich or chicken leg?” He looked down, seeing Hannah at her leg. “Well, keep them to one thing at a time. We’ll catch up, quick.”

Placing a kiss on his cheek she said, “Take your time. Who knows how long we’ve got until we can catch up again.” Watching her run off after Max and Maddie, Daniella had a stooped back as she followed Hannah’s little hustling legs.

After grabbing a plate of macaroni salad, red beets, pulled pork, and he pulled up a chair next to his brother, “Spencer, tell me how’ve the kids been?”

“Leslie’s been growing through the pains of entering womanhood one step at a time. If I had a dime for everytime I told that girl to wash her face and for every oily zit I popped off’a her face, I’d be richer than a dermatologist on TLC.”

“What about Jarvis? Has he mellowed out since the last time?”

“Oi, I put him through the wringer for that. I can’t seem to apologize enough for that. Especially after all the good manners that mom and dad taught us, it honestly hurts me that they’re having such a hard time sticking with him. How’s Max been since then?”

“He’s been braver, if not bolder, dare I say. Just a few weeks ago at school he stood up to a bully two years older than him.”

“Geezus, your son’s already striking up above his weight class. I wish I could get mine to just sit still when he needs to, only then would he realize that he could practically do whatever he wants so long as he does what he’s asked.”

“How’s the wife?”

“Grief stricken at this, but still struggling like me to help discipline the youngins. Ever since postpartum she never really got back to her old self.”

“Has the medication been helping her?”

“Not much as of late, but she returns to herself when we go about hiking and when she does her oil paintings.”

“I hear those have been selling well, lately.”

“One of hers fetched for the equivalent of nine of my paychecks.”

“Wow.”

“I know right. So,” he poked a fork in Daniella’s direction, “how about you and yours?”

“Dany’s always treated me kindly, before and after the kids’ birth. Having one kid made her want to have more, and so when we had twins it was like a two-for-one deal.”

“They haven’t killed the bedroom now have they?”

“No, with little feet kicking you in the chest Friday nights lose their zest. Yet, with eyes glued to Saturday cartoons in the morning of our time we make the best.”

“And I thought only mom and dad knew that trick. How many times would they surf the channels to give us a good distraction back then?”

“Far too often. I’m surprised we didn’t end up with another little sibling. As a matter of fact, that’s how I ended up with you.” Dexter met Spencer’s in the eyes, and they both nearly had spat out their food laughing, “One day we went to the grocery store and rented a movie from one of those red box things. After everything got put away, mom sat me down in front of the tv. Next thing I knew, nine months later I was watching cartoons with you.” They let out a hearty laugh then.

“That was one hell of a time jump, Spencer. Did you not notice mom’s belly getting bigger?”

“I thought it was some weird weight loss program. Get fat for a few months, then get skinny afterwards by turning all that fat into a kid. Boy was my world rocked when I learned about how babies were made. At least I wasn’t too far off my mark.”

“Max and Maddie were excited to see that Dany’s belly was growing. The whole thing about it being a baby brother or sister got them excited. I remember one day I saw Maddie pushing a baby carriage around and naturally it was a little baby doll. She named it Shae-Shae. Later on in the day I found Max doing the same, but when I went to lift the carriage’s top it was a bulldozer!” Dexter kept trying to tell the story through choked laughs, “He whispered to me “Shhh, asweep.” Phew, on the day that we brought Hannah home the smile on their faces was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It was like a collection of little bundles of joys.”

While Dexter and Spencer were strolling down memory lane, Daniella was watching the kids at the bounce house. After Hannah had tired her little legs out and from having grown frustrated of having tired from regaining her balance from falling over one time too many, she clambered her way out to their mother.

“Come here, Hannah. Are you alright?” The little one just tucked her face into her mother’s shoulder. Tired from sliding and jumping, the only thing that she wanted to do now was take a nap. It wouldn’t have been the first time that she tuckered herself out past the point of not wanting to eat. Still, on the inside Max and Maddie were bouncing around, flipping in the air performing summersaults as their knees were tucked to their tummies. Looking back at the jumping, Hannah saw her siblings bouncing with other children.

Being approached from the side, her husband nearly startled her, “Oh, Dexter, dear. How was catching up with your brother?”

“Like we never left each other’s side. How’ve the kids been so far?”

“They seem to be alright. Little Hannah’s here tuckered herself out already.”

Looking over at his wife’s other shoulder, his daughter looked at him and then buried her head in the side of her mother’s neck. “I bet you that tuft of hair on her head’s ticklish.”

Daniella scoffed a bit, “You have no idea.” Laughing, they shared a smile together. Even in the absence of the life of a beloved, they had much to celebrate.

“Over here Max!” Maddie was bouncing out. “Let’s do one of those flying kick moves like in the show!”

“Stick to your right side as I will mine!”

Bouncing past each other they did reenactments from their cartoons and action shows, imitating those that they found fun and cool. While they were having fun, Jarvis bounced and pushed them both in midair.

Angry at having their fun ruined, the twins turned and got up quickly to face their assailant, their motor skills being more coordinated than Hannah’s.

“Hey! What’s your problem Jarvis?!” Maddie fired off.

“Grandad wanted us all to have a good time, and nobody to be a party pooper!” Max retaliated along with her

“Well then, it’s a good thing I’m enjoying the party, unlike you two party poopers,” Jarvis replied coolly.

“Shut up Jarvis!” Max began to yell, “You only think you’re better because you’re bigger! Go play with somebody your own age!”

“I play with who I like!”

“If they don’t want to play with you you’re a bug! Nothing but a pest!”

“Yeah! Nuisance!” Maddie yelled after Max.

Getting on their feet again, the twins started to bounce around Jarvis. Nodding to each other, it was almost like telepathy that they knew which fighting moves they were going to put on him. First they started pushing into him, sending him bouncing back and forth like a big volleyball. It was like a game of catch, but instead with a human.

“Stop it! ENOUGH!” Jarvis couldn’t stand being picked on; not by his sister, not by his classmates, and certainly not by half-pints smaller than him. He wasn’t going to be pushed around by anyone, not anymore and not ever.

“Ready,” Max asked Maddie. With a sly smile returned to him, they matched their bouncing with the swing of their arms.

Spreading out his arms preparing to catch them both, Jarvis was about to be caught by the attack that he had interrupted earlier.

Yelling to the top of their lungs, they both yelled, “FLYING FUSION KICK!” Knocking Jarvis off his balance by sending blunt force through both of his arms, Jarvis was sent spinning to the ground of the bouncy house, recoiling from the floor’s elasticity. He never felt so mocked in his life till this very point. He’d been outnumbered and outsmarted.

Gathering near the entrance, Max and Maddie bounced, throwing their arms around one another’s shoulders laughing to their heart’s content. The other children around them had seen the spectacle too. A circle had formed around Jarvis, laughing at him, mocking him, scorning him. It was all too much for him to bear.

Once he got to feet, the tears in his eyes from anger and humiliation started to flow. Being made to cry around other children younger than him was more embarrassing than having been knocked down. Having his wrath build up in him, he slammed one foot into the floor and lunged at Max. There was no way he was going to be outdone by somebody he made cry previously and subject to his whims.

“Pass her here.” Doing as he bid, Daniella, began handing Hannah over to her husband. The toddler was growing tired, and wanting to hear the deep soothness of her father’s voice. “Shhh, shhh, shhh. Don’t worry Hannah, daddy’s got ya’.”

Pushing both hands into Max’s chest, Maddie was ripped from her brother’s side. Spinning around to the floor, she saw her twin brother fly out the entrance to the bounce house. Yet, her eyes widened with fear when she saw that his trajectory was placing him past the cushiony stairs.

From the corner of her eyes, Daniella saw her son fly out of the bounce house like a blur. The only thing to stop his descent was the ground beneath him. Blinking quickly, her neck turned rapidly enough that she just caught the last glimpse of his eyes being opened. As the brown in his eyes waved by like the pelt of a deer galloping through a forest in fear of a hunter.

The grass, so green, so lush, so deceitful. Even when mowed well, the smallest, most treacherous of things can be well hidden. Even if thousands of feet have trampled the ground, especially if thousands of feet have trampled something into the ground, the grass holds many secrets. Sometimes it’s systems for sprinkling across the lawn, other times its pests like moles, or even the slithering scales of garter snakes. Yet, it wouldn’t be any of these today. Not something man made, or one of nature’s many sentient beings.

When he met the ground, neither a word nor a grunt left his lips. Hitting the ground, Max’s head had hit a rock, coloring part of the green grass a crimson red in the sunlight. Their mother’s screams brought an end to the party.

***

Author's Notes: Let's just call this part one for now.