The Reunion Book 11

The

Reunion

Book 11

N. K. Beckley

Copyright © 2020 by N. K. Beckley.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2019919753

ISBN:       Hardcover                     978-1-7960-7003-3

                 Softcover                       978-1-7960-7002-6

                 eBook                             978-1-7960-7001-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/06/2019

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Contents

Chapter 1     The Introductions

Chapter 2     What Do You Think of Your New School?

Chapter 3     Homework

Chapter 4     The Chance Meeting

Chapter 5     The Answer

Chapter 6     The Meeting

Chapter 7     The Mass

Chapter 8     Mr. Gilbert

Chapter 9     The Unexpected Visitor

Chapter 10   Memories

Chapter 11   The List of Helpers for the Seventieth Anniversary Reunion Dinner

Chapter 12   The Phone Call

Chapter 13   The Anniversary Plans

Chapter 14   Father’s Answer

Chapter 15   The Conversations

Chapter 16   Saturday Morning

Chapter 17   Shoveling Snow

Chapter 18   The List

Chapter 19   The Emails

Chapter 20   Jodi’s Emails

Chapter 21   Shoveling the Snow

Chapter 22   Technology

Chapter 23   The Committee Meeting

Chapter 24   Shawn’s Phone Call

Chapter 25   The List of Arrivals

Chapter 26   Shawn’s Arrival

Chapter 27   The Surprise at the Airport

Chapter 28   Concert Rehearsal and the Concert

Chapter 29   The Saturday Festivities and the Seventieth Celebration Dinner

Chapter 30   Memories and Conversations

Chapter 31   The Article

Chapter 32   The Wrap-Up of a Wonderful Seventieth Anniversary Celebration Weekend

Bibliography

Endnotes

To my Nether Providence High School classmates of 1966.

Miss Jean A. Houck

Thank you for your love and support.

Chapter 1

The Introductions

This story takes place in a small suburban town outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in August 2017.

"I would like to welcome everyone to our first meeting of the PTG (Parent Teachers Group) Association of St. John the Baptist Catholic School. I would also like to introduce you to some of our new families and to our school," said Father David.

"The newest member to our parish and our school is the O’Leary family. They have eight children, two sets of twins Alex, Donna, Adam and Amy. They will be in Sister Mary Katherine’s room, and the second grade. Then we have Aaryn and Angel. This will be a real challenge trying to tell them apart until we get to know them. They will be in Sister Patricia’s room and in the third grade, and finally Alan and Camille will be in the seventh grade and in Mrs. Baxter’s room. They are all new to our parish and our school, so I hope you will give them all a very warm welcome. Mrs. Baxter comes to us from New York City where she is a published author of children’s books. We hope to have all her books in our library by the end of the school year.

"Mrs. Baxter will be teaching our social studies and English and Language Arts Program or the (ELA) Program in the middle school. I hope all the students will take advantage of your writing talents, Mrs. Baxter, as we have a school newspaper here called The Wiz that was started here many years ago by Sister Joyce and her students."

"Thank you," she answered.

"Father David, please call us Abby and Abe," they answered when they were called upon.

"I will keep that in mind, said Father David with a smile on his face. We have something here for all our students that are called study buddies. Your study buddies are from a higher grade, and they will get you used to all the rules here, as well as our after-school clubs, one being our newspaper, called The Wiz. It was started years ago by Sister Joyce and some of her students, and was a huge success. Maybe your children would like to write for it sometime during the year after they get used to our school.

"Celeste is in the eighth grade and will be Alex and Donna’s study buddy. Alan is also in the eighth grade and will be Adam and Amy’s study buddy. You can ask them any questions about our school, homework, or clubs or anything else about our school. They will be able to meet with you during lunch or after school anytime, providing you give them notice earlier in the day," said Father David.

"Now would all the study buddies introduce themselves and take the new students to their classrooms so they can meet their teachers. This will give me some time to meet with the parents and answer their questions. Thank you so much for all your help. You are dismissed," said Father David.

The rest of the evening seemed like a blur to everyone in the O’Leary family. There were so many classes for everyone and so many things to do here. It was so different from the small Quaker school they had attended before. The curriculum was going to be a lot tougher for everyone, and there was going to be a lot more homework, so everyone was going to have to budget their time a lot better.

The one great thing about their new school was the school orchestra. All the O’Leary children played a musical instrument. Both sets of twins played violin and cello. Aaryn and Angel played the flute and clarinet, and Camille and Alan played the French horn and the string bass. Both parents played piano and organ, so there was always music in their house. Their parents used to say that a family that plays together stays together.

Both Abby and Abe spoke to Father David, "Thank you for making our family so welcome in our new church home, Father."

"Well, our parish is known as a family parish, and I hope you and your family will be very happy here. I hope you can find something in our parish extra to do so you will be able to meet our other parishioners and church family, such as some of our clubs. We encourage all our students to become a member of one so they get to know us a little better. If you have any questions, I’m only as far away as your nearest phone. Please, don’t hesitate to call me anytime, and if I’m not there, my secretary, Joanne, can help you, or just leave a message on my machine," said Father David.

"This parish is certainly a very friendly one," replied Abby.

Everyone said their goodbyes, collected their children, who were really having a great time in their new classrooms. They didn’t want to leave.

Both Abby and Abe spoke to their children’s new teachers.

"I think our children will be very happy here. Thank you so very much for making them feel so much at home here," said Abe.

"You are very welcome. Have a good evening, and we will see you tomorrow providing the weather will cooperate," said all the teachers.

Chapter 2

What Do You Think of Your New School?

Everyone got into the car, and then all the questions began. The biggest question was asked by Abby.

"Well, now what do you think of your new school?"

Amy was the first one to answer her question. She was talking so fast that she had to stop and take a breath.

"I like Sister Mary Katherine, but you really have to listen to her carefully, she talks funny, and she has the most beautiful smile."

"That’s because she is from Ireland, and she has an Irish accent," said her mom.

"Mom, she is really nice. Did you know they have a game table in the back of the room, and when you finish your work, you can play some of the games or go to The Reader’s Corner, and read some of the books there? That’s so cool," said Adam.

"She even has a beanbag chair, and a bathtub that you can sit in and read your books. We even have a computer lab that you can play some games on too," said Amy.

"What kind of games are they?" asked