Opal and Palmer   06/29/2012


Opal and Palmer sit side by side in a pair of Adirondack chairs watching all the activities around the back yard.

Opal: Isn’t this nice love-bug?
Palmer: Surprisingly it’s quite lovely.
Opal: Look and Jenny and Kathy! Those two are going to sleep good tonight.
Palmer: After a good scrubbing looks like those two found every speck of dirt in the yard!
Opal: And I’ve never seen Jamie or JR look happier.
Palmer: I was just reading about him and his fiancée in the paper this morning. They’ve both done well for themselves since leaving “Chandler Entp” his mother would be very proud of him.
Opal: I think she’d be really proud that he finally got from under Adam’s thumb and become his own man.
Palmer: And that Rebeka is a delightful young woman. Hey, so tell me what did you think of those Thompson’s? (Leaning forward in the chair his voice a whisper)
Opal: They seem very nice. (She shrugs puling her cards from her purse and shuffling them)
Palmer: They don’t seem to be just a little bit like hill people to you?
Opal: They seemed very nice very down to earth. (She sys dealing out her cards across the table and studying them answering him distractedly)
Palmer: I forgot of course you wouldn’t notice. (He quips smiling to himself he leans back in the chair and closes his eyes)
Opal: Why Palmer Cortlandt you’ve become such a snob in your old age!
Palmer: Not being snobbish just an observation. (He opens one eye slightly smirks then closes it)
Petey: Hi Mom, Dad. (He waves with one hand holding Jeannine’s with the other)
Jeanine: Hi Mr. and Mrs. Cortlandt (She waves smiling happily) how are you?
Palmer: Hello! (HE rises quickly from his chair smoothing the wrinkles from his pants with his hands)  Fine, fine you look beautiful my dear.
Opal: And so happy! What’s going on? (She looks from Jeanine to Peter) You two haven’t gone out and done something foolish have you? (She chides them looking down at her cards a moment and then back)
Petey: No, of course not! (He stutters blushing crimson making Jeanine and Opal giggle)
Jeanine: I just got a job working as Dr. Hayward’s lab assistant!
Palmer: Oh? (His ear perking up at the sound of David’s name)
Jeanine: Yeah he and Dr. Slater are going to be working on a project this summer and Dr. Slater posted the want ad before he went on his honeymoon so I applied as soon as I saw it and I got it! (Her voice filled with excitement)
Opal: But that was almost a month ago! (Looking confused)
Petey: Jeanine was chosen over about one hundred applicants from all over the country! (He grins giving Jeanine’s shoulder a squeeze)
Palmer: Oh, well congratulations! (He says taking her hands in his and lightly kissing her cheek) I’m sure your parents are very proud of you.
Opal: I know I am. (Giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek) My son’s girlfriend isn’t just beautiful she’s smart too.
Palmer: I second that!
Jeanine: Thank you both so much that really means a lot to me. (Sounding humble)
Palmer: Well we mean it. (He says with a pat of her had then resumes his seat)
Jeanine: Oh you have your cards out any thing good? (She kneels down and begins studying)
Palmer: There’s nothing good about them! She never leaves home with out them! (Settling down in to his chair and closing his eyes again) I was never more mortified when she pulled them out at the opera and started giving a reading to the woman sharing the box with us.
Opal: And then she called two days later and thanked me for keeping her from making the biggest mistake of her life. She even sends me a Christmas card every year. (She nods with a satisfied smile as she flips out another card) 
Petey: Ahh, (Gently pulling Jeanine’s hand as he backs away )We’re going to go over and say “Hi” to Tad and Taylor we’ll be back.
Opal: Okay kids you have fun! (She waves distractedly starring down at the images in each pile) Palmer, you really shouldn’t make fun of the cards they’ve proved themselves more than once. (She nods starring back down at them) 
Palmer: Oh hog wash! They say what the person dealing them wants them to say! Nothing but silly hokum! (He folds his hands across his chest settling into his chair for a quick nap)
Opal: Oh hush and let me concentrate! (She sys distractedly waving her hand at him)
Palmer: Just do it quietly I’m going to take a nap.
Opal: Yeah, well you do that. (She picks the cards up off the table re shuffles them lays them out again cuts the deck in half and then begins to place them on the table studying each one as she doles them out across the table)
Palmer: Well Houdini who future are you trying to predict today?
Opal: Just double-checking what I read the other day for Tad and Taylor. (She says distractedly turning over another card then stares at it a moment her mouth agape she looks up from her cards and over to where Tad and Taylor stand arm and arm laughing with Jesse and Angie then just behind Taylor she sees her Jenny. She looks from Tad to Taylor and smiles a sad smile then shakes her head from side to side. Opal blinks ones shaking her head then looks back a Tad and Taylor Jenny moves to stand behind Taylor her brow drawn together as a single tear slips down her check. Opals breath catches in her throat as an overwhelming feeling of foreboding washes over her sending a cold chill up her spine as a breeze scatters the cards to the ground)
Brooke: Hi Palmer, Opal!
Palmer: Oh Brooke (He says opening his eyes and grinning from ear to ear as he raises from the chair) How good to see you.
Brooke: Opal, Earth to Opal?
Opal: Oh, Brooke I didn’t see you there.
Brooke: Are you all right?
Opal: Maybe I‘ve been out in the sun too long but I thought I saw…I mean it was the oddest thing … (She starts looking down at the table as a gust of wind blows across flipping cards on to the grass she bends to pick them up duck walking a few paces before noticing a hand holding her cards out to her she looks up and is momentarily blinded as the offered hand assists her to her feet)
Adrian: Hello Momma!
Opal: Adrian! Oh my Lord! Adrian! (Throwing her arms around hi and rocking from side to side) Tad didn’t tell me you would be here!
Adrian: I wanted it to be a surprise. So I guess you were surprised!
Opal: Surprised is not the word for it! All my boys in the same place at the same time! Oh it’s so good to see you! (She says hugging him again) How’s you Dad?
Adrian: He’s good you know keeping busy. How are you?
Opal: I’m fine I was just saying to Brooke…(Her words cut off again as Tad jogs up and hugs his brother giving his back a firm pat)
Tad: Hey when you’d get here?
Adrian: Just a second ago! Where’s Pete?
Tad: Hold on, (He looks around the yard then call out spotting him by the horse shoe pit) Pete! Look who’s here! (He calls waving him over him over and pointing to Adrian. Pete’s eyes open wide as he spots Tad and Adrian across the yard and comes running over Jeanine I tow)
Pete: Hey! (He shouts excitedly throwing his arms around Adrian and hugging him) Good to see you!
Adrian Good to see you too!
Pete: Oh Adrian this is my girlfriend Jeanine, Jeanine this is my brother Adrian.
Adrian: Very nice to meet you. (His voice soft and sultry voice making Jeannine blush and Petey puff out his chest and move to stand slightly between them)
Jeanine: Nice to meet you too.
Opal: Oh look all three of my boys all in one place! I want a picture! I want a picture right now! Where’s Francessca? (She says looking around spotting her talking to Amanda and waves her over)
Adrian: Who’s that? (Tad mouth twist in quizzical smile as he watches his bother primp rolling up his sleeves sucking in his gut and puffing out his chest)
Tad: Down boy! That’s your nephew’s new wife! (He nudges him in the side then laughs as the spark in his eye fizzles with the air he exhales making them both laugh)
Francessca: Hey, what’s up? (She gives Opal a quick hugs then waves quickly to everyone else)
Opal: Francessca: This is my son Adrian!
Francessca: Hi very nice to meet you!
Adrian: Nice to meet you too. I hear congratulations are in order?
Francessca: Yeah, thank you. (She says blushing slightly)
Adrian: Welcome to the family!
Francessca: Thank you!
Adrian: So where’s Jamie? (He says looking about)
Francessca: He ran inside for a minute.
Opal: Honey, could you do me a favor please?
Francessca: Sure!
Opal: Could you take a picture of the three most handsome boys in the world! (She says kissing each one and hugging them)
Francessca: Of course! Okay guys do me a favor stand over here, K, I want you here you here (She moves Petey then turns Tad) perfect, (She walks back to her spot looking through the lens of her camera) now smile, got it! (Releasing the shutter then walking back over and pulling Opal over) Now Opal I want you to stand here!
Opal: No, just them! (She pulls her arm away shaking her head smiling all the while)
Tad: Come on Momma! (They grin waving and cajoling her to join them)
Adrian: Yeah come on!
Pete: Yeah What they said!
Opal: Oh all right! (She gives in trotting over to join them)
Francessca: Okay stand right there…(She adjusts Opal’s stance then walks back to her place) perfect Smile everyone! Got it!
Opal: Thank you honey!
Francessca: No problem! Anytime! You can see them if you want (She holds up her camera switching the button then scrolls through the photos as Adrian’s phone rings)
Adrian: Excuse me a minute. (He looks down at the screen then steps away from the crowd as he answers his phone)
Adrian: Hello Sword…
Chief Director Sheffield: Sword, have you checked in with your contact?
Adrian: I heard from him before I landed he had a meeting and Chandler Enterprises, were meeting later this evening.
Chief Director Sheffield: Good let me know what he has to report contact me as soon as you’ve been briefed.
Adrian: Yes sir.
Chief Director Sheffield: Sheffield out!
Opal: Come on Adrian (She hollers waving him over) Francessca’s going to take one more photo!
Adrian: Be right there! (He yells back placing his phone back in his pocket and joining his family)