Nora Ray (Ray Trilogy) (18 page)

“
Go on,” Donald laughed, “I’m still listening. I think I would have picked gym for a blow off class, though.”

“
Centuries ago people began creating hybrid plants to modify the plants to become what they wanted. For instance, tomatoes at one time were tiny little fruit, not the plump juicy things we eat now. Corn grew tall but produced very few kernels on the ears. I could list them on and on. Back in the early part of this century, scientists had a break through with hybrid plants until now in the late nineteen fifties, the produce from these plants have multiplied dramatically.”

“
During the first part of this decade, molecular biology came to the forefront explaining some things about the two helical strands that compose the DNA. What these guys discovered was that by using the data from cytokinesis of this DNA, the linear sequence of nucleic acid based there gave them information. The order of amino acids in proteins provided coded information that they could use to direct how the plant might grow, how it would produce fruit, etc. These are the building blocks of proteins!”

“
Fascinating isn’t it!” Jeremy beamed.

“
When you study biochemistry, it tells you about structures of living things, their functions, how they interact in the cellular components, like proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, etc. Biochemistry deals mostly with the processes rather than the individual molecules. Interesting stuff!”

Donald shook his head, “
That’s a lot of information that I don’t even understand, but what does this have to do with what you are doing?”

“
I’m getting too that,” Jeremy laughed, “Dad, you asked.”

“
There is another study going called plant breeding. This is all part of horticulture. Plant breeders help to understand how to choose better specimens to create either new plants or superior plants to produce better crops. This goes back to creating hybrid plants.”

Donald sat there scratching his head, “
Okay.”

“
As I said earlier hybrid plants have greatly increased our crop productivity. This is a wonderful thing.”

He stopped for emphasis, “
Except it has also created a problem.” He stood up and reached over for a stapled set of papers and held them up. “Right here is a study done not long ago that proves that hybrid plants which were so revolutionary in providing the nations with food significantly has less nutrients in the fruit or vegetable.”

Donald walked over to look into the microscope. He looked over at Jeremy still not sure what he saw.

Jeremy grinned, “You’re still not sure what I’m doing here, are you?”

With a slight furrow in his brow, Donald shook his head.

“Considering all the information I have given you, now I think you will understand what I am doing here. I know you will keep it confidential. My hypothesis is to study the DNA of a plant, say maybe hybrid corn for instance, single out the genes and manipulate them in a way that will not only retain the improved quality of the hybrid, but return and improve the nutrition of the original fruit of the plant.”

“
I believe that if I can unravel the clues for one plant, it would open the door for the rest of them.”

“
Wow, that’s ambitious of you, Son.” Donald said somewhat surprised. “Is this some kind of assignment or something?”

Jeremy shook his head, “
No, Dad. This is something I’m doing on my own.”

“
What do you hope to gain by working so hard this summer? What’s in it for you?”

“
If I can accomplish this to my satisfaction this summer, I want to present it to the University. I hope I can earn a scholarship or a grant or something. I need to become financially independent.”

“
Why, Jeremy?” Donald questioned his son. “With your grades, when you graduate you will have your pick of job opportunities.”

“
Two reasons, Dad.” Jeremy walked to the other side of the room and turned to look at his father, “I hope you understand me and don’t get angry.”

Jeremy raised both hands and ran them through his hair on each side of his head. “
Have you ever had to live away from the ones you love, especially Mom? Have you been required to study an occupation that you have no interest in doing?”

Donald stood still studying his son. After a moment he turned away and looked at all the research Jeremy had done. He spoke in a subdued voice, “
Yes, Son, when I was in college, I didn’t get to be with Sam for a whole semester. I thought I would die before I got back to her. I packed her up and took her with me for the rest of the time we were in college.”

“
My father was an attorney and I never considered doing anything else.”

“
I plan to marry Nora as soon as I can financially do so. I have never wanted anyone else. She is my heart, my love.”

“
I promise, Son, I will think about this. Jeffrey is doing so well at the office, he can handle the research. You are free to work on this science project.” He started to step out the door, when he turned to say, “I am impressed with your project, and I could not be any more proud of a son.”

“
Thank you, Dad.” Jeremy walked over and gave his Dad a hug.

“
By the way, I have never heard a case presented more eloquently inside or outside of the court room.”

Donald returned home. He found Samantha leaning against a pile of pillows on the bed watching television. He explained to her where he had been and what Jeremy was doing.

She nodded and smiled.

“
You knew all about this all the time, didn’t you?”

She nodded again.

“You built that building just for him, didn’t you?”

“
Pretty much,” she agreed.

He stood looking at his lovely wife, thinking how much she manipulated all of them. “
How much did you have to do with Jeffrey coming to the law office?”

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “
I simply mentioned to him that he was the age that Jeremy was when he started at the law office. He did the rest of whatever he did on his own,” she said innocently.

“
He said that he came because he wanted to do research and learn anything that Jeremy could teach him.”

“
Uh-hum,” she nodded. “Jeffrey has always wanted to be an attorney.”

He frowned and held out his hands, “
How did you know that?”

She shrugged and shook her head,
“A mother knows things about her children.”

Donald stood there looking at her and asked, “
Why didn’t Jeremy talk to me earlier? Why didn’t Jeffrey tell me up front that he wanted to work in the law office instead of the back handed way that he did?”

Samantha patted the bed beside her, “
Come here and sit down beside me.”

She moved some pillows to make room for him. She reached over and kissed his hand. “
You are a wonderful man, and I love you dearly.”

“
I hear a ‘but’” Donald said.

“
But I know you care very much for your sons and you want the best for them. Sometimes what you think is best for them, may not be what they desire. You don’t always hear what they are telling you, because you have already made up your mind.”

“
I can’t believe I’ve made such a mess of things,” Donald muttered and hung his head.

“
Not such a mess, nothing irreparable, anyway.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. One thing you could rectify right now is I’ve been waiting patiently in this bed for you.”

Donald grinned, “
That is one thing I’ll be happy to rectify immediately.”

Nora stopped by Jeremy
’s lab on her way home. She was later than usual because they were short handed and had asked her to work late.

As soon as she walked through the door, J
eremy turned and caught her up in a bear hug. She leaned back to look at the excitement in his face. “Okay, what happened?”

Jeremy released her and said, “
I’ve been liberated.”

“
What?”

“
Dad came by.” Jeremy grinned at the recollection, “I don’t know what he expected, but boy! Was he surprised when he saw me in here working and alone, too! Anyway, he wanted to know what my project was here. I explained everything to him, pretty much in the long version.”

Jeremy grinned, “
I thought he deserved that, since he kept asking.”

Nora laughed appreciating Jeremy
’s lightheartedness.

He grabbed her hands and whirled her around, “
After all was said and little done, he,” Jeremy emphasized with quotations in the air, “said, without my prompting or asking, that Jeffrey could handle the work at the law office. I could work here.”

He motioned for her to come to him,
“Come here, baby, I need a hug.”

“
I can’t work on these plants anymore tonight.” He breathed in deeply, and slowly let it out triumphantly, “I feel like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Nora, my love, would you like to go dancing.”

Nora spread the skirt of her uniform
and said, “Not in this. I would be happy with a hamburger.”

“
Your wish is my command. Let’s go eat.” Walking out the door and locking it, he told Nora, “I really want to celebrate tonight, after the hamburger I think we should get an ice cream cone. Yep! I think an ice cream cone would do it nicely.”

Chapter Sixteen

Nora went to the library to check out books concerning heart problems, available treatments, or symptoms to look for leading up to the heart attack. It was time to know if her dad could have been saved had she been more aware and more knowledgeable.

She brought two arm loads full of books and spread them out
on the table to read. She read and cross referenced them, comparing one against the other until she felt that she had a reasonable understanding of what was being presented in the books. The history of heart surgery fascinated her.
It’s a shame people haven’t written more books on the subject
she thought.

Day after day she read and studied on her days off or after work. She tried to relate the symptoms that she read to what she remembered of her dad.

Laura came in after her day at work and saw Nora sitting at the table again with her library books stacked all around her. She had put her hair in the braid she liked to wear but it looked like she had pulled at it so many times strands of blond hair stood out in all directions. Her bare feet were tucked around the legs of the chair with her old baggy jeans rolled up to her knees. She had tied her blouse into knot up high over her stomach to cool herself from the summer heat.

Laura asked, “
Would you like another glass of iced tea?”

Nora looked at her empty glass
absentmindedly, “Yeah, I think I would. Thank you, Mom.”

Laura filled both of them a glass and sat down at the end of the table.

“Mom, I have studied these books so much, but I’m still not sure about what caused Daddy’s heart attack.

“
So that’s what’s bothering you,” Laura shook her head, affirming to herself what she thought was true.

“
Yes, I was so young at the time, I don’t remember his symptoms, or even that he was sick really until that day he told me he had a bad heart.”

Laura nodded. “
He tried so hard to not trouble you and Danny,” she said over the lump in her throat.”

“
Same as you, I have thought about this, too.” Laura took a drink of her tea. “It seemed to come on him so slowly that it seemed something like a cold that wouldn’t go away, a cold without the runny nose and cough.”

“
Did he have a spell sort of like the flu that landed him in bed for a day or two?” Nora asked thinking maybe he had a mild heart attack but they didn’t know what it was.

Laura studied for a minute looking around the room
. “There was one winter when you were fifteen that he was sick most of the winter. It was strange because he didn’t have a head cold with it. Of course, he wouldn’t go to the doctor. He thought in a few days he would be okay again. By Spring, he was almost back to normal again.”

“
Did he ever get his full strength back?” Nora asked.

“
It didn’t seem like it to me,” Laura said thoughtfully, “He could be a stubborn one when he wanted to be.”

“
When did he finally break down and go to the doctor?” Nora waved her hand, “I mean he had to have gone to get the diagnosis, because he told me had a bad heart. I suppose a doctor told him that.”