The Chronicles of Mark and Jennifer Ch. 08

Fred's story:

After Mark and I got back to the house, he asked Jennifer if she wanted to ride over to the old log cabin, and she said sure. It's pretty obvious that they wanted some time without old mom and dad hanging around, and I was confident enough of Mark that I knew I could trust him to do the right thing. Edna? She was clearly fretting over the situation, but I told her not to worry, that everything was going to work out just fine.

"Fred, you just don't know . . . "

"What, that they've already made love?"

"He told you that?"

"No, you did."

"I most certainly did not!"

"Sure you did, just not in so many words. I already knew that Jennifer must've been interested in a boy, from the way she had her hair fixed up last weekend, but I didn't say anything; I figgered that was her mother's place to ask, not mine. Then, when you didn't say anything to me about it this week, I knew it was serious, and I knew that you were worried. When you insisted that you were going to pick them up yesterday, I knew; you were afraid that I'd kill the boy, and wanted to get things squared away.

Then, finally, last night, when you got so frisky, that was just confirmation. Did you realize that Jennifer heard us?"

"What? No, she didn't."

"She was using the bathroom last night, when we were having fun. If she didn't hear us, then she needs her ears checked."

"My stars, Fred, that's embarrassing."

"Why? She's young and in love, really in love, with a pretty responsible boyfriend, and it doesn't hurt one bit for her to know that her parents are in still in love, and still make love. What would make a prospective bride happier?"

"Fred Matthews, don't you be talking about any 'prospective bride' stuff, that's just way too early."

"Edna, do you know why they went to see the old cabin? Mark and I were out there, and he asked about it. I told him that's where we lived before dad passed away, and we moved into the big house. I told him that we had our wedding night in that old cabin. He asked how long we'd known each other before we got married, and I could tell, right away, that marriage was on his mind. He was worried that things were moving too fast between him and Jennifer."

"They are moving too fast!"

"And they're moving faster than you might think. When I told him that I had asked your father for your hand in marriage, he just sat there, on the horse, looking a bit stunned. Yeah, I pushed him, and asked if there was anything he wanted to ask me, and he did: he asked me for my daughter's hand in marriage. If I'm any kind of judge of men, he proposing to her right now."

"Fred, no!"

"Why not? After all, they've already had their wedding night, so they might as well get on with the wedding!"

Jackie's story:

Ring! Ring!

There goes that dratted phone again. Why can't I ever get a Saturday alone in peace? "Hello?"

"Hello, favorite mother! Would you like to guess where your favorite son is right now?"

"Should I be hoping that this isn't your One Phone Call? I don't really have enough money for bail right now."

"Nope, nothing like that. I was wondering, would you like to have Saturday dinner with my fiancée's family?"

What? What did my son just say? "Uhhh, are you sure that I don't need to find bail money?"

"Nope! Do you remember Jennifer Matthews, from my graduating class?"

"Wasn't she the valedictorian, the girl with the really long hair?"

"Yup, and she's now your future daughter-in-law! We're having dinner at her parents' house, and Jen and the whole family would like to meet you."

"Ummm, OK. I'm just kind of stunned right now. May I speak with Mrs Matthews?"

"Sure, here she is." In the background I could hear Mark asking Mrs Matthews to the phone. Oh, good Lord, what has happened here?

"Hello, Mrs Stewart?"

"It's Jackie, please. What's going on?"

"It seems that your favorite son, as he called himself, has asked my daughter to marry him, and she said 'yes.' And before you ask, no, she's not pregnant!" Looks like Mrs Matthews anticipated my first question. "Mark rescued my daughter from losing a load of books last week, and things just sort of took off from there."

"Wait, last week? They've been seeing each other for a week, and they're engaged?"

"Jackie, I'm as flabbergasted at this as you are, but if it makes you feel any better, it's actually been nine, no ten, I guess, days." Hmmm, at least I like Mrs Matthews' sense of humor.

"Oh, ten days, well that makes all the difference in the world! And sure, I'd love to come. This has got to be the highlight of my week! How do I get there?"

"It's simple. Just take highway 11, make a left on Old Post Road, and you'll see a red barn about three miles down on the left hand side. Our driveway is just past the barn, and there's a sign which says 'Matthews Farm.' You'll see the house as soon as you turn in."

"Is there anything I need to bring?"

"No, we've got plenty here, just bring yourself, and Mark's sisters if they're at home."

"No, it's just me right now. I guess that I'll see you in a bit. Bye, now."

Oh, my God, what has my son gotten himself into? And where did I put the camera?

Oh, there's one more thing I need to take.

Mark's story:

I never thought that anything could beat the feeling of waking up with Jennifer in my arms, but when I asked her to marry me, and she said 'yes,' yup, that topped Friday morning, just left it in the dust. Now, holy crap, I've got to figure out how we're going to do this.

I knew that Mr Matthews was going to be fine with this, given that he was the one who told me that real men don't beat around the bush on these things. Heck, I was a lot more worried about meeting Mr Matthews than Jen's mom, but that all changed, and I had to worry about Mrs Matthews wanting to kill me. But I guess that Mr Matthews cleared the way for me, because when we got back to the big house, Jen just jumped in her mother's arms and they were both crying, while Mr Matthews just walked up and shook my hand. And I'm not even sure that we had told them we were officially engaged; I guess that they just knew.

Funny thing about the Matthews: they always seem to know things that they haven't really been told. How does that work?

Anyway, after Jen and her mom stopped crying and laughing and dancing around, Mrs Matthews got right back into her serious mode; she could get serious really quickly. "We're going to have a big dinner to celebrate, and Mark, the phone's in there; you need to call your mother and invite her over for dinner. Is there anything in particular that she can't eat?"

"No, everything's good as far as that goes."

So, I made the phone call, and I'm glad that mom didn't just have a heart attack. Jen was going to help her mom in the kitchen, but Mrs Matthews just shooed her out, just to give us more time together. The farmhouse has a full length front porch, facing southeast, so it gets some afternoon light but is still relatively cool for the summer. That porch has the quintessential Southern requirement, a porch swing, and that's where Jen and I wound up, sitting in the swing, hand-in-hand, with her head on my shoulder, not saying a word. It was quiet out here, with almost no traffic on the road. I could hear the cows lowing every once in a while, and the leaves in the trees when the breeze moved them, the slight creak of the porch swing chains, and Jennifer's soft breathing.

God was out here, too. I haven't been very good about attending Mass ecently, and haven't been nearly as good a Catholic as I should be, but the Lord must've forgiven me, because I know he was here, right here on this farm, watching my beautiful Jennifer and me.

And then mom turned in the driveway. I don't know how long Jen and I just sat on the porch like this; it could have been five minutes, it could have been hours. Sometimes, time just seems to stand still. Mom had this mid-sixties Oldsmobile, in kind of a washed-out metallic blue, a used car which was all that she said she could afford, but a dependable, serviceable vehicle. Jennifer and I got up to walk down to greet my mom, and about half way there, Jen just ran up to my mother and hugged her.

"Oh, Mrs Stewart, how are you? You've got the most wonderful son! I just love him to pieces!"

"It's just Jackie, and thank you. Oh, my goodness, let me look at you!" Mom held Jen out at arms' length, giving her the quick up-and-down. "Gosh, no wonder Mark was smitten, you are so pretty!"

"And how are you doing, favorite son? Well, maybe I shouldn't ask, since you seem to be doing pretty darned good."

"Favorite son?" Jen asked quizzically?

"It's been a family joke, that I could be the favorite son, but since I have two sisters, neither of them could be the favorite daughter."

"You two stand over there, because the light is really pretty good right now, and I need to get some pictures." My mom had this Kodak 35-mm camera, an old one but a very good camera, which she'd had since before I had been born. Mom took a few pictures, and then told me to get lost, that she wanted to talk to Jennifer alone. I went in the house, while Jen and mom walked down the fence line.

"What's up" Mr Matthews asked me.

"My mom's out there, subjecting Jen to the Inquisition."

"I suppose that's fair enough, since I did the same to you, and I'll bet that I was a lot easier on you than Edna was."

"You know, you were, sir, and I wondered about that. Jen told me that I wouldn't have any problems with her mother, and made it sound like you'd be the one with the machete."

"I didn't need to be. As soon as I saw that Edna liked you, I knew you were OK. I had a few things I wanted to get straight, but I knew that Edna had gotten the hard stuff out of the way."

"You know, sir, I was really surprised that you told me the story about you asking Mrs Matthews' father for her hand in marriage. One thing that she made definitely clear was that she didn't want any talk of marriage this weekend."

"Edna's the worry wart in this family. I project the stern image, because I can, but I knew what was on both of your minds within seconds of meeting you, and I was pretty sure that you were the right man for my daughter. Edna might want to think of Jennifer as her little girl forever, but I'm a man, and I'm man enough to know that all of our little girls grow up and want to get married. That's the way of the world, son."

Jen and mom were out walking on the farm for a while, and Fred and I just sat around, talking about nothing, until Jennifer and my mom returned. Then mom indicated that she wanted to talk to me for a while. "Everything OK?" I whispered to Jen as I was leaving.

"Your mom's a tough lady, but she's OK. I'm pretty sure that she likes me." Jen gave me a winsome smile with that one.

Mom and I headed out on the lawn, outside the fence keeping the cows away from the house itself. "You know, Mark, I remembered Jennifer from high school, but I don't remember her being that pretty."

"Well, mom, it's not that she wasn't pretty, but that she always wore those shapeless long skirts and kept to herself so much. And she was still dressing like that when I asked her out for the first time. Her friends in the dorm insisted that she gussy herself up for our first date, and I'm pretty sure that they pushed her hard, but while I really like the way she looks now, I'm not marrying her for her clothes."

"So, why are you marrying her, and how did this happen all so quickly?"

"Didn't Jen tell you?"

"She told me her side of the story, but I want to hear your version."

"Well, mom, it's like this. I spotted her walking up these awkward steps at UK, with an armload of books and stuff, and all of a sudden she was struggling and about to lose them. I moved in and caught the load she was about to drop, and walked her to her class, and it just hit me. If I could explain it, I would, but at that moment I just saw her in an entirely different light, and I was a complete wreck just working up the nerve to ask her out."

"She said she knew, at least subconsciously, from the moment you called her 'Jenny.' But this sure was a whirlwind courtship."

"So, what do you think of her?"

"She's the nicest, sweetest girl I've ever met, and don't you dare treat her wrong."

"I won't, I never, ever will."

"Well, I brought something special for you. I know that you have to save your inheritance, to get school paid for and, now, I guess, set up housekeeping, but that you'll be wanting to get Jennifer an engagement ring." Mom started to get something out of her purse, and I thought it was going to be money, and I was ready to stop her, when, instead, she pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. "This was my mother's engagement ring, and I think that you should give this to Jennifer. Your Nana would be very proud to give that to her."