The Chronicles of Mark and Jennifer Ch. 07

Monica's story

There was a knock on the door, and when I opened it, there was Jennifer's mother. "Hi, Mrs Matthews, Jennifer will be right back; she just went down to the bathroom is all." I'd never seen Jennifer's mom before, but I knew who she was the second I saw her; it was like looking at Jennifer at 45. She had the same long hair, the same honey blonde color, but with streaks of white in it, and the same blue eyes.

No, not the same: her eyes were even bluer than Jennifer's, more piercing. No wonder Jennifer couldn't hide anything from her mother: this woman must have Supergirl's X-Ray vision and Professor X's telepathic powers. Her hands were rough and calloused, the hands of a farmer. Her face was pretty, but severe, and she was definitely not smiling.

"You must be Monica. Tell me, before she gets back, how is my daughter doing?"

"Mrs Matthews, she happy! She's just gloriously happy. She has Mark, she loves Mark, and she has a whole floor full of friends here. She was so hard to get to know, but once we did, everybody just loved her."

"She told me that some girl named Rachel had told her to go get on birth control. Do you know if that has happened?" Mrs Matthews was right to the point.

"Yes, mom, it happened." Jennifer had just walked in the room. "We used condoms last night, and I can start birth control pills the Sunday after my period begins, and that should be this weekend." Jennifer wasn't smiling; she looked every bit as serious as her mother. I guess that Mrs Matthews saw that look, because she broke into a (forced?) smile, and went and hugged her daughter. "Oh, my sweet baby girl! Let me look at you!" She then stood back, at arms' length, and gave Jennifer the up-and-down. My gosh, you just look so different!"

And she did. Jennifer had on her old farm work Wranglers, and one of her old blouses, but she had polished her nails again, and had her hair back in a ponytail.

"You know, Jennifer, it was the nail polish on your toes that gave you away last Sunday, but I didn't need to spot that to realize that something was up."

Jennifer was trying to keep the serious look on, but couldn't, and threw herself at her mother, telling her that she loved her, and that she loved her father, and her brothers, and that she loved Mark. She had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes at the same time. It was as though she had kept so much bottled up so long that once the dam on her emotions broke, nothing could hold them back.

"Can I meet this Rachel?" Mrs Matthews asked.

"I'll go see if she's here," I said, and rushed down the hall. I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad one that Rachel was here, but I dragged her to our room; I think that Rache was dreading this.

"Are you the girl who got Jennifer on birth control?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, I am. I'm the one who made the appointment for her, and I'm the one who took her to the clinic."

Mrs Matthews stunned me: she stepped over and gave Rachel a big hug, and said, "God bless you, Rachel." Now Jennifer wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. Mine teared up, and Rachel just started bawling. "You're just so great, Mrs Matthews, and we all love Jennifer."

"I know that; I can tell. And what are these?" Oh, crap, Mrs Matthews had spotted the three Polaroids of Mark and Jennifer that Alice had taken last Thursday, and I had pinned up on the cork board. "Well, he certainly is a handsome young man. Even with the kiss, he looks respectful and kind. Where are we picking him up?"

"He's waiting for us at his apartment," Jennifer replied.

"Oh, well, grab your stuff, and let's head over to the Den of Iniquity!" Mrs Matthews was smiling at that, and I couldn't help myself, I had to start laughing. Jennifer broke into a huge smile; she knew things were going to be OK with her mother.

Mark's story

I knew that Mrs Matthews and Jennifer would be over soon, and I had packed a bag of clothes to take. I included church clothes, because the Matthews family was very religious, and I expected that they'd all go to church on Sunday. That certainly didn't bother me, though, as a Catholic, I couldn't take communion with them, if that's how things were done in their church; I hoped that they would understand. Actually, I thought that they would: if they saw that I was serious about my faith, they'd probably have more respect for me than otherwise. I was about to grab my tennis shoes, but changed my mind: they're a farm family, and my worn old work boots would look like I actually did manual labor when necessary.

Knock, knock, knock. Oh, my Lord, they're here.

"Come in, come in." Gosh, I knew where Jennifer got her looks: her mother was Jennifer, aged up 25 years or so. "My gosh, Mrs Matthews, I'd have known who you were anywhere."

"So, this is the Den of Iniquity," she said, looking serious for just a second, and then a big smile spread across her face. I knew, once I saw that smile, that I was going to be OK with Jennifer's mother. Now, all that I had to worry about was her father.

"Well, . . . ." I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing, and Jennifer rushed over and hugged and me. I kissed her, but very lightly, enough to let her mother know how much I loved her, without it being too much. Mrs Matthews glanced around the apartment, and I could tell that she was satisfied that it was clean. I had deliberately left the bedroom door open, since having it closed would make it look like I was trying to hide something - like I said, I have a tendency to overthink things! - but Mrs Matthews didn't take any effort to look into that room.

"OK, last things first," I said. "Jen told me that you wanted to take me down with you, so that you could talk to me on the way down, and that's fine, but I have a job up here, and I absolutely have to be back here by 4:30 on Sunday." If that's too soon, I can take my own car down, you can ride with me, and Jen can drive your car home." I had spent some time thinking this one out.

"'Jen,' huh?"

"Mom, he's the only who's ever called me that, and I love it."

"I have to respect a responsible young man, and don't you worry one bit: your trust in me makes your responsibility mine, and I will get you back here on time."

I grabbed my bags, and we headed down to the car. "You know, I'm going to want to talk to both of you on the way down, and with both of you in the car, it might seem a bit awkward sometimes, but you'll just have to handle that. Jennifer can tell you that I can be very direct."

We put my bags in the trunk of this old Plymouth Valiant, and Jen directed her mom how to get back to the streets that she knew.

"So, Jennifer, why do you 'love it' that he calls you 'Jen?'"

"It's simple, and sweet, like a special nickname that only Mark uses for me." Then she continued, "You know, my very first clue was the day that Mark rescued me from an overload of books. I was walking up these awkward steps and starting to lose the stuff I was carrying, and Mark swooped in and caught them, and carried them to my class,and he called me 'Jenny.' No one had ever called me that, either, and that made it special."

"So, Mark here swept you off your feet with his charm?"

"Mrs Matthews, I don't have any 'charm,' and I was so clumsy around girls that I've never had a girlfriend before, but somehow, everything seemed right when I was with Jen. Everything came naturally to me, and I think to her as well."

"So, you've never had a girlfriend before? Does that mean that my daughter is the first girl you've slept with?"

"Oh, man, when you said that you were direct, you weren't kidding! Yes, Jen is the first woman with whom I've slept, and I'm praying that she's the last woman I'll ever sleep with."

Jennifer was already half way turned around in her seat, and she just stared at me for a second, and started crying, "Oh, Mark! I love you so much!"

"Mr Stewart, do you realize what you've just said?"

"Yeah, I do. I know that it's way, way too soon to talk about marriage, but yes, I know exactly what I said." Jennifer was reaching over the seat, back for me, and crying her eyes out.

"OK, you two, you guys are just way ahead of yourselves on this. There will be no talk of getting married right now, and absolutely no talk of this at home. I had to tell my husband that I was bringing Jennifer's boyfriend home for the weekend, which shocked him, but he will absolutely flip out if you two are talking marriage this early.

"And here are the rules: no matter what my husband says, you will not lie to him. I do not think that he'll come out and ask, directly, if you have slept together, but if he does, you will tell the truth. Mark, you're Catholic, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And how often do you go to church?"

"I wish that I could say that I went all the time, but that wouldn't be true. I did go to Mass last Sunday."

"Yes, Jennifer told me that, and she told me what you prayed for. It seems that your prayer was granted." Her tone was a bit icier than previously.

"If my prayer to the Lord was granted, then it means that God wants us to be together."

"Let's not put that out there once we get home. As a Catholic, will you be able to attend church with us on Sunday?"

"Yes, ma'am. I will not be able to take communion with you, if y'all have communion in your denomination, but other than that, there should be no problems."

I guess that Mrs Matthews got the serious part of her talk with us done, because the rest of the drive was lighter in tone, and actually rather pleasant. Kentucky is the prettiest state in the union, and the brilliant green of spring was on the land. We got off at the Flemingsburg exit, but still had a ways to go up highway 11, and then some country roads, to get to the Matthews farm. It was well after five when we got here.

Fred's story

Well, Edna sure stunned me with that bolt out of the blue! Jennifer's boyfriend? I never thought that I'd see the day, but I suppose that every young lady is going to be courted these days.

Still, Jennifer had big plans, that meant four years of college and then four years of medical school. Even with financial aid and her scholarships, college alone is expensive enough, and only the Lord knows how we'll pay for medical school. If some young man is courting her, that might change everything.

Edna must have known about this; I wonder why she didn't tell me earlier? She probably figgered that I'd lose my temper or something, but she ought to know I wouldn't, not unless the boy was worthless. Ahhh, women, I'll never figger 'em out.

I'm glad that Robert and Ernie and me were able to get all of the plowing done, and the tobacco bed put in. It had to get done, 'cause it's supposed to rain tomorrow, and a long day's work kept my mind off of Jennifer and her new boyfriend. Well, there they are, pulling in now. Hmmm, he's a tall boy, kind of raw boned. I guess that I can see why Jennifer fancied him.

"Good afternoon, son, I'm Fred Matthews." He's got a good, firm handshake. "I can't say that I've heard anything about you. It seems that my wife has been keeping this a secret."

"Good afternoon, sir, I'm Mark Stewart. Jen and I were in the same class in high school, and we ran into each other again at UK."

"Oh, so you're from around here, then? The Stewarts who have that farm on the north end of the county?"

"No, sir, my mom's Jackie Stewart, who lives in town. My father is gone."

"I see. Are you going to want to see your mother this weekend?"

"No, sir, this weekend is to meet all of you."

"That's mighty honorable of you, son. Come on and walk with me, and let me show you around."

Jennifer's story

Oh, my God, daddy's taking Mark out to talk to him alone! Oh, please, dear God, make everything go OK.

"Jennifer, will you help me get the bags in? You can put Mark's stuff in your brothers' room."

"What, mom, you're not going to let him sleep with me?" I teased my mom, but she was not amused.

"Jennifer Marie, that's not the right joke to make around here, even if your father is out of earshot. Get those bags in, and then help me with dinner; it's late getting started."

"What are we having?"

"Simple stuff, fried chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans." I smiled. "That's what I fixed Mark last night."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh, Lord in heaven, yes! I love Mark, and you two got along so well, at least after the inquisition, that I'm as happy as I can be. You know that he's going to be a great son-in-law, don't you?"

"Jennifer, stop that, stop that right now!"

Dinner was wonderful; mom's cooking is just so good, and everybody was talking really nicely. When dad led grace, Mark took mom's hand and my hand, and it was just like any family dinner. Dad seemed genuinely pleased with Mark, so I guess that he didn't ask him the Big Question. Mom said that he probably wouldn't.

We don't have a television. We're too far from the Lexington and Cincinnati stations to get good reception here, and while there's a local cable company getting started, dad doesn't want to pay the high rates. We get The Lexington Leader afternoon paper, and that's our news source. Anyway, we couldn't sit down and watch television this evening, and that meant more time for conversation. Mom and dad sat on the sofa, while Mark and I were each in the single chairs. I noticed that mom had taken dad's hand, something I don't see a lot. We talked about Mark's major - chemistry - and his future plans. A stern look from my mother kept Mark from saying much more than he wanted to keep courting me, but he thought that we could have a future together. Around nine, mom and dad headed upstairs for bed, leaving Mark and me some alone time together. We took a walk outside, across the fields, hand in hand, and the stars were out, so much more brilliantly than can be seen in the city. Our walk in Lexington after our first date had been so wonderful, but out here, in the country, under the stars, and without the noise of the city, everything was just so beautiful and peaceful and calm. Mark put his arms around me and kissed me, kissed me sweetly and kissed me urgently.

"You know, Jen, out here in the country, under the stars, this is the nicest place I've ever seen, and I'm out here with the most wonderful woman in the world. I could stay here with you forever."

"Hush, Mark, you know that mom doesn't want us talking about marriage here."

"She can stop us from talking about it here, but she can't stop me from thinking about it. I saw your parents, Jen, and they're great people. Your mother is just an amazing woman, and I can see where everything about you comes from. Did you notice your parents holding hands this evening."

"Yes, I saw it. They've been married for thirty six years; they got married right after they both got back from the War. This was my grandfather's farm, and my parents have lived together, here, since the day they got married. They lived in an old log cabin just over that rise there until grampa died, and then they moved into the big house. Both of my brothers were born in that log cabin."

"Can I go see the cabin?"

"Tomorrow, after it gets light. We need to head back to the house now, before mom starts wondering just what we're doing out here."

We went back into the house, and I showed Mark my brothers' room, where he was bunking; my brothers were both married and living elsewhere. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and thought I could hear a noise. I listened closely, and then I could hear it: my parents were making love!

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Mark's story: Saturday morning

It was an early morning at the Matthews' farm. I normally wake up, automatically, at 6:14, but the noise from a house already abuzz awakened me earlier than that. I could smell sausage cooking in the kitchen. The bathroom was empty, so I used the commode and brushed my teeth quickly before going downstairs. Jennifer and her mom were dancing around each other, making breakfast, something Jen called a "farmer's breakfast," with sausage and peppers and onions and potatoes and apparently anything else they could find to throw in, all cooked together and then having eggs scrambled into it. Jen's dad wasn't in the kitchen, so I gave my girlfriend a quick hug and a kiss. Mrs Matthews saw us, but she wasn't glaring in disapproval. In fact, she smiled about the whole thing.

The whole iron skillet was full of the breakfast concoction, and I had to push myself away from the table or I'd have eaten until I burst. There was a pitcher of orange juice on the table, and a pot of pretty good coffee on the stove. I don't know if the Matthews ate like this every Saturday morning or whether it was somehow in my honor, but it was just amazing.

"Well, son, you get to help me with the chores today. You up to it?" Mr Matthews was awfully friendly, but he was also not-so-subtly testing me. Still, I thought that we were on pretty good terms.

"Yes, sir, I sure am. What do we have to do this morning?"

"Not too much. We have to feed the animals - the women will milk the cows later - and check on the fences. Do you ride?"

"Horses? Yes, sir, I can ride."

"Good. We'll ride the fences, and if anything needs fixin', we'll come back here for the wagon and the stuff we need."

"That will be fine, sir. You've got a beautiful piece of property here. Jennifer was telling me about an old log cabin out there, and I'd love to see it. I really do love those things."

"You do, huh? Well, that was Edna's and my first home together, but it's kind of fallen on hard times. You'll see."

I went back upstairs, and took a bath, and got ready for work. It was supposed to rain today, but so far, it was just cloudy. Wearing my work boots turned out to be the right decision. Jen sneaked in the room I was using, though after I was dressed, except for my boots, and gave me a quick kiss. "Oh, Mark, this is going so wonderfully! I heard my parents making love last night," she half whispered to me. "They like you, they really like you!" Then she took off.

Just like Mr Matthews said, it was feeding the animals, which meant dropping a couple of bales of hay from the loft of the barn, and spreading out whatever kind of seed was given to the chickens. The barn looked well-kept, and then I remember Jen telling me that she had mucked out the stables last weekend. Someone had obviously done it since then. The Matthews were well organized, and clearly not afraid of hard work.

Mr Matthews and I rode the fence line, and there were no problems; the horses were solid and dependable, even if they weren't the thoroughbreds people think about when they think of Kentucky. There was a creek running through the property, which Jen's father told me became fairly substantial further downstream, before it emptied into the Licking River. "Edna and I used to come down here of an evening, when we were first married, and sit by the creek. In the summertime, we could take off our shoes and walk in it, and it made everything else seem cooler. There's not much in the way of fish in that creek, but it's nice, and not too many mosquitoes, either."

"I saw you holding hands last night. You and your wife really do love each other, don't you?"

"Son, we've been married for 36 years now. Edna had been an Army nurse in Germany, and we met there. I found out that she was from Kentucky, too, from up near Ashland, and I told her that we were going to get married as soon as we got back to the states. And we did, too. I got back in September of '45, and Edna was coming back the next month. I came home, fixed up the cabin as quick as I could, and met her when she got off the train in Ashland. I met her parents on a Wednesday, and we were married on Saturday, the 20th of October. We took a bus to Flemingsburg, and my father picked us up there, and brought us home. We had our wedding night in the cabin up there, and we've lived on this land ever since. The Lord never blessed a man with a better wife."