Rosa meets her grandparents

Rosa when she was a baby chick, not so very long ago

“Hello G-d, it’s me Rosa, again. Thank you for creating me when you were so busy with so many planets. Do you have an alien like me out there? Anyway, thanks. Also, thanks for my family and the best daddy. Help me be a good girl tomorrow and help my brain to think during school. I love you amen.”

“And this must be Rosa Hadassah Blau!” Rosa beamed, “and oh my look at Timmy,” Rosa beamed no longer, “and look at Julia. What a beautiful young lady you’ve grown into.” Rosa disliked her grandparents.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about that as her parents were standing right behind her. She wished they weren’t so she could in the best manner possible, excuse herself saying that her Barbie’s or unicorns needed her. She looked to her father hoping he would come to her defence but that didn’t happen.

It all began a week or so ago when Sybil surprised her family, telling them her parents were coming to North Topsail Beach for their two week summer vacation. They had never met Rosa and the last time they were all together was back in New Jersey about ten years ago. Timmy in those days was just a young chick of 3, while Julia was only 6. Rosa wasn’t on the horizon yet. In fact, when Sybil told her mother gleefully that they were going to have another chick she, it is reported, replied “why go for three? There have always just been two chicks in my family going back centuries!”
Sybil did not tell George what her mother had said because she knew he would have another reason not to like them.

Sybil’s parents came from a long line of superior birds. In fact, Sybil’s mother was an import from England, while her father had his own successful family business selling birdseed, called ‘For the Birds.’ Sybil’s parents didn’t like George from the first time they met him. Sybil had been introduced to him by her best friend Marjorie, at her annual summer get together and Sybil in fact was very taken with the dashing young Sandpiper, especially when she found out he owned his own business, a hot dog stand called, ‘One Roll, Two Roll,’ on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.  Because of that she felt her parents, especially her father would like him, but that didn’t happen.

“Oh what business do you own?” asked Sybil’s father Craig.

 “A hot dog stand,” he reportedly replied.

It nearly had Sybil’s mothers Esther, die from shock, while Craig replied, “That’s not really a business is it?”

George never forgot their first meeting and even though he had over the years tried to put it behind him, Craig never did. He asked George to join him in his family business of selling birdseed, but George turned him down.

“And you think a hot dog stand is worse?” he had muttered as he walked out of Sybil’s parents’ elaborate nest decorated by someone from Short Hills. However, Sybil was star struck by George and knew that if she didn’t snap him up, someone in her crowd would. In fact, she had to fight off many friends and eventually proposed to him.

George at first didn’t accept because he knew her parents had someone else lined up for her. Presumably someone better looking than him, but who in all probability had no brains and would gladly join the family business. There was a streak of rebelliousness in Sybil. So, the marriage went ahead.

George wanted the wedding ceremony to be held at his local synagogue in Atlantic City, but Sybil’s parents agreed to pay for everything on one condition. That the entire ceremony be arranged by a leading arranger from Brooklyn, and the reception be held in Trump Tower. Georges parents Ida and PJ were not wealthy and agreed to the terms.

The wedding was an elaborate affair, with Donald Trump making an appearance after he had played his round of golf. He gave George a chick sized gold platted putter, “for the babies.” During the daddy daughter dance, Craig slipped Sybil a note upon which was the bill for the entire wedding ceremony.

Esther when she danced with George to the tune The Continental from a Fred Astaire movie named the ‘Gay Divorcee’ told him to ignore her husband “he’s a show off.”

Thirteen years later they were now standing in the foyer of their daughter and son in law’s nest. Craig did not approve of their middle class nest saying, “son,” it was the first time he had ever addressed George as son, “son, I think we need to make up and have you come into the family business with Greg and James, so you can live in luxury.”

George looked at his family. “No way!” Rosa was the first to reply. That’s my girl, thought George and smiled from ear to ear. Both Craig and Esther took a step back.

Craig laughed. “You’re only a chick,” he said looking down at her as she stood holding her father’s wing. “Wouldn’t you like to live somewhere where you don’t have to worry about money.”
“I don’t,” she replied immediately, “my Daddy pays for my Barbies and Unicorns and that’s all I need.”

 It was time for Sybil to step up. “Come Mummy and Daddy,” she said quietly, “let me show you to your room,” and they dutifully followed her. She threw open the window and a rush of salty ocean air greeted them.

“This is not like New Jersey,” muttered Craig.

“No daddy. This is much better than New Jersey. That’s why we like it down here.”

“But there are no buildings. It’s just, it’s just sea and sand, and what the heck are those?” he asked pointing his wing at some Falashas walking along the beach.

“Falashas,” replied George who had walked in last, “they are part of my congregation.” “Falashas, here?” asked Esther turning up her beak, “are they allowed here?”
“Not only are they allowed, but some of them work for me. In fact, see that big one laying on the beach with his sunglasses on? That’s Moishe. He was in the Israeli Special Forces.”

“Oh,” replied Craig, not quite sure what he should do next.

“Would you like a gin and tonic?” asked George feeling superior for the first time to his in-laws.

“Tanqueray?” asked Esther.

“Yes, of course,” replied George, “and we can drink them on the deck and look out over the ocean.”

Esther began to soften, while Craig refused to. “Look honey,” she finally said addressing her husband, “they have seagulls down here as well.”

“Ugly creatures aren’t they?” replied Craig feeling that maybe he had been a little too stuck up.

Rosa walked in against her siblings’ wishes. She grabbed her grandfather’s wing. “Grandpa come with me please. I want to show you the ocean.” Craig was going to object but one look from his wife changed his mind.

“Why do you want me to see the ocean? It’s the same one in New Jersey as well.”

“No it isn’t,” replied George smiling because he knew what Rosa was going to say.

“No grandpa,” Rosa continued, “next stop Africa.” She said with much flourish.

And before Craig could say anything, George concluded with, “and in New Jersey the next stop is Staten Island!”