The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Fourteen

"OK. OK. I'm sorry. I'll calm down. Let me just clean up the mess." Jay Jordan tried to dampen his excitement.

"Breakfast for dinner?" Binny remarked.

"That's what he always does," Sammy complained jokingly.

"Do they not cook regular meals in your universe?" Joe asked.

"Hey, I ate your mother's prune meatloaf didn't I?" Jay responded from his crouch.

"Breakfast is his favorite meal," Binny said.

"I like breakfast too, but you don't see me eating it during dinner time," Sammy said more seriously.

"Well, I can't create any new recipes here, so you're just gonna have to be okay with what I already know how to make." Jay changed the subject, turning to his daughter. "Binny, I'm dying to know. How did you find me?" Jay asked as he started the dinner preparation over again.

"Well, I went to Krypton first."

"Oh no. You didn't," Jay fretted.

"It's okay, I hurried out of there before things came apart. I first thought you'd be there."

"I thought so too, but this is really the birthplace. Not Krypton. I've long thought that the Kents were really where Superman learns his values."

"It's both you know. The fathers' different influences make for some interesting parallels," Joe insisted.

"I think I agree with Jay here. I don't see how a baby Kal-El could have gotten any significant influence from his Kryptonian parents," Sammy said.

"You sure did find your people here, Dad." Binny interrupted the flow before it turned into a full-fledged academic debate.

"Yeah. I did. Joe here is an illustrator too."

"And when are you gonna start drawing comics, my friend?" Sammy said. And then added quickly, "In your book I mean. Not here of course."

Binny felt a pang thinking of her recent 'transgression' and decided not to mention it. She didn't want to disappoint her father. Did he even count as her father?

"Well, it's not really up to me is it. And besides, unlike you gentlemen, I'm not the star of my book. Binny is."

"She's a superhero eh?" Sammy examined Binny. "Where's her costume?"

"I never said whether she was or wasn't a superhero. I keep telling you, you're gonna have to read the book," Jay said.

"Yeah yeah." Joe said. I will. I promise. "Are you the one that turns invisible?"

"No. That's my sister Cassie," Binny answered.

"What's your power then?" Joe asked.

Binny paused, reading her father's expression, "You'll have to read it to find out. Maybe I don't even get one." Binny felt good having earned her father's approving gaze.

"I'm not sure about this whole superheroes in actual books thing. What good is it without the drawings?" Joe complained.

"You can read comics here in the Library." Sammy sounded like he'd made the argument many times before.

"Oh yeh, and what they've done to comics these days. If I drew people in so few clothes I'd be arrested," Joe said. "But that's not the problem. I want to go inside the comic books."

"Yeah, that would be fantastic," Jay chimed in.

All three men looked dreamy for a moment fantasizing about entering the worlds of the comic books they so loved.