There's just something so special about family reunions. Part of the reason would have to be the fact that most members of the extended family have only seen each other once or twice every two years. Now, everyone can gather together in one place at the same time. They are just so pleased to come together and catch up on current events. Some are just happy mainly because they are waiting for their cousins to pay them back those hundreds and hundreds of dollars which probably weren't well spent in the first place.
Kevin didn't always enjoy participating in these sorts of personal congregations, but once he graduated from high school, he wanted to see more of his original acquaintances. Now, at twenty-one years of age, he couldn't wait to see his cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents. Family is always the exceptional group of companions because of certain relations that one would never expect from a casual friend. And that was the main reason why he wanted to visit his uncle Francis, who currently resided in Orange County, California. The city of Rancho Santa Margarita had been Francis's home for quite some time now. He never married, but sharing his home, one of the most expensive in the city, with someone he loved most likely didn't matter to him. He found phenomenal success as the principal conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Kevin's fuel for admiring classical music burned much brighter just from Francis's occupation alone. Even if Kevin still had rock music percolating in his heart and soul, Beethoven and Mendelssohn would kick in at the right moments.
Even without the classical music, the young man always admired his uncle, so much so that he couldn't stop thinking about him every once in a while. As a matter of fact, in random moments in the evening for the past two years, he would imagine Francis lying in bed with him with his arms wrapped all around him.
The family reunion started on a Saturday afternoon. Uncle Francis held it at his own home, a spacious and lavish two-story house, which was located near the hillsides of the Santa Ana Mountains. It was a good thing that the backyard would be where the gathering was held, since everyone would have a good view of the barren but gorgeous mountainside. When Kevin showed up alone with casual attire, which consisted of blue jeans and black t-shirt, he hung his jacket on the coat rack. He found his parents greeting him at the front door and showed their contentment because of his presence.
Kevin asked, "Where's Uncle Francis?"
His father replied, "He went to the store to get some more liquid refreshments. He'll be back. You really want to see him again, don't you?"
"Why not? I haven't really seen him in a long while."
"Don't worry. He'll be here. In the meantime, there are some other people who can't wait to see you again. Your grandparents are in the backyard."
Kevin groaned. "I don't even know what to say to them anymore. They don't even speak English half of the time."
"Hey, speaking Welsh is a fundamental right. You could have at least learned the language while you're still in high school."
"I don't think California is willing to have a school that teaches basic Welsh, anyway."
His father pointed at the kitchen. "Just go ahead and say hello to them. Remember, they're family. Show respect, even if you can't understand what they're saying."
Kevin nodded with mild reluctance. "All right, I will."
He took one look at the two-story house before meeting his grandparents. Francis's home appeared so large and luxurious, a traditional representation of the American Dream. Brown leather furniture and a grand piano had become stunning items in the living room. Just the mere appearance of a well-kept house ignited another glimmer of irresistibility toward Francis's positive outlook.
Kevin found his grandparents sitting at the patio table, discussing something with one of their grandsons, Seth. The grandparents had that typical conservative look. Their old-fashioned clothing, wrinkled skin, white hair, and warm gracious smiles would make anyone proud of having such lifelong family relations.
As soon as he spotted his cousin opening and closing the patio door, Seth stood up with a smile on his face. "Hey, Kevin! Good to see ya again."
The two hugged each other before Kevin whispered in Seth's ear, "Help me out here."
Seth asked, "What's the problem?"
"I need you to tell me what grandma and grandpa are saying."
Seth almost laughed. "You still don't know how to speak our native tongue?"
"Okay, first of all, both of us were born and raised in California, so our native tongue is nothing but ENGLISH. And second, you know I never have the time to learn such a thing."
"All right, I'll help."
"Good."
Kevin gave his grandparents a big smile. "Hello, how have you been doing?"
Seth translated from English to Welsh, from Welsh to English. The exchanges had grown ordinary whenever Kevin had the chance to find a translator in order to have a normal conversation with his grandparents.
But all of a sudden, in the middle of a hot topic, Seth gasped when he saw someone who arrived in the kitchen.
Kevin looked to see if Uncle Francis had returned from the store. "Who are you looking at?"
Seth quickly crawled under the patio table and whispered, "It's Aunt Lorraine. I don't want her to see me."
"You DID pay her back the nine hundred, didn't you?"
"Well, what do you think?"
"It's been two years, man!"
Seth hid behind his grandmother. "Blame the economy. I'm outta here."
He dashed for the back door that led to the dining room, leaving Kevin with abrupt silence between him and his grandparents. He forced a smile in the midst of an awkward situation.
His grandfather asked him a question in Welsh. Kevin hesitated and said, "...Ydw?"
Basically "yes" in English.
His grandparents gasped simultaneously and expressed sudden shock.
Kevin whispered to himself, "Ah, crap."
He stood up from his seat and didn't even bother to try and translate his next phrase: "I need something to drink."
Once he went into the kitchen, he greeted his Aunt Lorraine. No one would ever forget her because of her fancy hairstyle and long painted fingernails. She asked if he had seen Seth wandering around this house.
Kevin thought of a lie pretty quickly. "I think I saw him at the ATM making a withdrawal."
Aunt Lorraine smiled. "So it ends tonight. I feel so relieved right now."
She had become one of the cooks for tonight's dinner. With a large spoon, she kept stirring what looked like a bowl of mashed potatoes, but Kevin couldn't be too sure. It looked way too thick and brown.
"Would you like a taste?"
Kevin took a few steps back. "I'd rather not. I don't want to spoil my appetite just yet."
Aunt Lorraine had never been a good cook in the first place. Her adding pieces of garlic into her latest concoction would be considered empirical evidence. "You'll love it. It's one of my specialties."
"Uh, please tell me it's mashed potatoes."
