We parted, and I finished my chores and exited the market, looking for and waving goodbye to Jennifer. I stopped at the local Walmart since the local market didn’t have any tomatoes yet and bought some frozen juices that Desmond enjoyed and a few more odds and ends and then headed home. Desmond’s truck was gone, and I found the house empty.
I brought in my shopping and put the bag containing the dragonfly painting on the kitchen counter. I put away the produce and then looked for a suitable place to hang the dragonfly art. I immediately knew it had to go in the sunroom. The sun would highlight the beautiful pearlescent painting.
I reached into the bag to remove the painting when my hand closed on something I recognised it at once. I pulled out one of the Takoyaki’s. It was the one I had held. I smiled and then wondered what to make for dinner before remembering I had at least three pounds of roast beef in the fridge.
I busied myself around the house for a few hours. Mostly cleaning. My house was always clean. Desmond and I were fanatical about it. He had helped me since he was old enough to help and never complained and never waited to be told to help. We always worked that way. A team. A pair.
I stopped sweeping the floor as a thought struck me. Desmond was more of a best friend in many ways. We did everything together. Always as a team. Laughing at the same jokes. Finishing each other’s sentences. I resumed sweeping. Probably just like every other mother and son team, I surmised. For a moment there it had meant something more to me, but I didn’t know what.
As always, I cleaned the bedrooms. Mostly dusting and sweeping the hardwood floors. I entered Desmond’s room and swept barely glancing around. I knew his room like my own. I always respected his privacy and when I cleaned here I never, ever, snooped. I had read horror stories about mother’s finding crusty socks and what not. I was afraid to look under his mattress and find magazines with naked women. Nope. Nope. Nope. No need to see that.
As I was leaving, I noticed the teddy bear on his bookshelf. It contained a nanny camera. My husband had bought it so we could go out with a babysitter. I had refused to leave my son in the care of a stranger. Perhaps that had led to him leaving. I would never know. Desmond had liked it simply as a teddy bear and over the years it ended up on his shelf. A memory of his father attached to it, I supposed.
I took it down and checked it out. It ran off batteries and it was empty now. I think part of my brain was well ahead of the rest of me. The next thing I knew I had replaced the batteries, checked it still worked, and sat it back on the shelf. I hummed as I completed my cleaning routine.
Just then I heard a knock at my door, startling me.
I should mention that Desmond had done a wonderful job over the years insulating the house. His effort greatly reduced the cost of heating and cooling the house. As a side benefit, the house was quiet. Nothing creaked or moaned. I looked at the clock on the microwave and saw it was a little past four thirty in the afternoon. The market closed at four and I knew who it was. Suddenly, I was nervous and excited. I wasn’t sure what my interest in Jennifer was. I just knew I had to go down that road and see where it led.
I opened the door to find Jennifer standing there smiling up at me. I hadn’t noticed at the market, but she could only be a little over five feet tall. She had a bottle of wine in her hand.
“Jennifer! I’m so glad you came! Come in! Come in! Leave your shoes on!”
Jennifer handed me the bottle of wine. “For you. Thank you for inviting me over. Your house looks so beautiful from the outside. All that stonework! It’s like mine!”
“Come in, and thanks. It was my parent’s house. My son has really fixed it up though. He’s quite handy. You’ll see. I said leave your shoes on!”
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I have to remove them.”
“Is this some cultural thing?” I asked, not knowing.
She laughed. “No. My feet are killing me after standing on them all day!”
I laughed then. “I’m sorry. I’ll be honest. You’re probably the first oriental woman I’ve ever spoken to. I’m probably going to say all sorts of horrible things.”
Jennifer placed a hand on my arm. I could feel it there. I was completely aware of it. “Stop apologizing. It happens all the time. Ask away. Ask anything no matter how dumb it might sound. Better to clear the air right away, don’t you agree?”
“I do,” I said and warmed to her even more. She removed her hand, and I looked at the bottle to distract myself. “Oh, this looks nice. I don’t think I’ve ever had this one…”
“It’s good. I have a few cases at home.”
“Levy and McClellan, Cabernet Sauvignon. Yum, I like Cab Sauvs.”
“You’ll like this one, I promise. So?”
“Follow me! I have a beautiful sunroom my son made for me. Come this way. Or would you rather have a tour of my house? It takes about one minute to see the whole place.”
Jennifer laughed. “Another time. Let’s sit and get to know each other. I do love the inside. So tasteful.”
I grinned at her. “A girl after my own heart!”
Jennifer blinked rapidly and then smiled. “Cool.”
She gushed at the sunroom and stared out past the large windows. “Oh my God! It’s so perfect! You can see all around! And the couches, they’re perfect! I could sit and read here all day! I am so jealous!”
“All my son’s doing. I swear I only like mentioned in passing one day how much I would love a sunroom. I came home the next day, and he was tearing everything apart. I was so mad at him! And then look at this. He has a gift for this.”
Jennifer was really admiring the work. “Have you heard of Feng Shui?” she asked me suddenly.
“No? What’s that?”
“It’s Chinese. It’s the practice of arranging the pieces in a living space to create balance with the natural world. It is said to give people harmony between where you live and the world around you. This place just reeks of Feng Shui. You can feel it in the air!”
I had no idea what she was talking about. “I suppose. All I know is that I spend a lot of time out in this room.” I rummaged through the utensil drawer and found the corkscrew thing. Normally my wine comes with twist tops. I started to use it, fumbling, and Jennifer took it from me.
“Let me,” she said, and I happily gave it over to her.
She opened it with practiced precision, and I remarked on it.
“Lots of practice. Glasses?”
“Of course. I’m an idiot.” I quickly grabbed two glasses and Jennifer poured a little into each glass.
“First we taste,” she said and lifted her glass. I did the same and followed what she did. We smelled it, let the wine slide down the inside of the glass and watched what little clung to the glass, and then sipped it. I felt very special.
It tasted pretty good and said so.
“I hope so,” she smiled and then filled our glasses.
I grabbed the board with meat and cheeses from the fridge, and we retired to the sunroom, stretched out on the large couches, our feet almost touching. I raised my glass.
“Here’s to new friendships!” I toasted and Jennifer raised her glass.