Word Count: 12,334
Summary of Events:
Charlie and her fellow students were training when one took a fall and got the wind knocked out of himself, but he was okay otherwise. Oakley had to wake Sabrina up for breakfast because he was getting hungry; they then talked over breakfast. Charlie laid down a good run at her competition which assured her a good place in the next competition. Oakley was invited to a gathering of Sabrina's dad's side of the family, who came from Greece, where Sabrina introduced him to everyone before enlightening him as to their names . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
""Her name is what?" Oakley asked.
"Eleftheria," Sabrina replied. "It's Greek for something."
"Why would you name your kid Something?" Oakley asked.
"Oh, no that's not what I meant Oakley," Sabrina said, laughing. "I meant that I don't know what it's Greek for, that's not what it means."
"Oh," Oakley said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.
"That's the most adorable thing you've ever done!" Sabrina exclaimed.
Considering how embarrassing it was to him, Oakley was inclined to disagree.
"Come here Sabrina," Eleftheria said, beckoning with a knobby finger. "Bring your friend with you."
Sabrina grabbed Oakley's arm and hauled him through the family room to where the matriarch of the Dimitriou family sat. Oakley looked at her warily.
She was shorter as well as more wrinkled and hunched than his grandparents were, even though her hair was still jet black — although Oakley wondered if that wasn't because of hair dye — and her black-coffee-brown eyes were fixed on him critically.
"What kind of name is that you have?" Eleftheria asked almost demandingly, her voice strongly accented. "Oakley. What does that mean?"
"I think it means something like an oak valley," Oakley replied. "I looked it up a long time ago."
"You don't even dress up for a gathering," Eleftheria said, waving dismissively at him, her contemptuous facial expression accentuated by her wrinkles.
"I don't go to many formal-type gatherings," Oakley replied.
"What do you see in a boy like him Sabrina?" Eleftheria demanded.
"Well, he's strong, and handsome, and smart," Sabrina replied.
"What sort of job do you have?" Eleftheria asked, turning her attention back to Oakley. "To provide for my granddaughter and my great grandchildren?"
Oakley looked at Sabrina. He thought there wasn't going to be any talk of kids.
"I snowboard," he replied.
"What is this snowboard?" Eleftheria asked.
"It's like a skateboard without wheels that you use on snow," Oakley replied, praying she'd seen a skateboard before.
"But what do you get paid to do?" Eleftheria demanded.
"I get paid to snowboard," Oakley replied.
"Who would pay you for that?" Eleftheria demanded.
"People who think it's cool," Oakley replied.
"That is not a real job," Eleftheria said. "What you want for a real job?"
"I want to snowboard," Oakley replied.
"You make my granddaughter live on that pittance?" Eleftheria demanded.
"It's actually pretty good money," Oakley replied. "And because my gear is sponsored I don't even have to pay for that so most of it's take-home pay."
"How much do you make in a year?" Eleftheria demanded.
"Well within the range of what her dad makes," Oakley replied, indicating Sabrina.
"You are lying to me," Eleftheria said. "You are a lazy slob. Sabrina, you find another boy. He is no good."
"I like him Grandma," Sabrina said.
"You need a man who can provide for you!" Eleftheria exclaimed. "And for your children! He does none of that!"
Speech Oakley couldn't understand sounded behind him. He startled violently and saw the man identified as Uncle Filippos was talking, but he was most certainly not speaking English; Oakley guessed he was speaking in Greek."
Pronunciations:
Eleftheria: ellefftheereeah
Dimitriou: deemeetreeoo
Filippos: fihlihpos
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