A Modern Love

by M. Glenn Aldridge

  Chapter 12

  About a week after David's last date with little Miss Helmer I was perched at my kitchen window watching the world go by when I noticed an intriguing young lady moving in. She had a walk of confidence but not arrogance and a way about her that said, I'm new here but I'm making this home.

  Appearance wise she did look like a Jennifer, to me anyways. That's what I was later to find out her name is, Jennifer Holmes. Not Jen or Jenny mind you; Jennifer. You know how Jen and Jenny's tend to look a certain way and have certain personality traits that Jennifer's don't. Jennifer's are different, more special I think. Oh, I'm rambling.

  Let me start again. Appearance wise she was brunette and average height I think. In her early twenties she did not appear to have put on what some refer to as the college pounds. She's very thin and fit looking, in fact Olive Oil came to mind at first, but she's more athletic looking than that really. I try not to stare as Elizabeth wouldn't appreciate that.

  Jennifer's a real "classic" beauty. Far different than Amy I think. Amy puts it out there for all to see. Now most pretty girls know they're pretty and I'm sure both Amy and Jennifer know they're both attractive. But ? it's one thing to know it and quite another to flaunt it. Amy does flaunt, Jennifer does not; simple as that. Jennifer seems more reserved and therefore, to me anyway, shows more class. I guess I'm comparing the two because they are close in age, beautiful and the most exciting tenants at The Villa. Don't tell Elizabeth I told you that though.

  Yes, Jennifer seems like a classy girl. She's more French than German say, in appearance, or maybe there's some Italian or Greek in there I really can't tell. Funny how simple beauty can make a man ponder these things. Elizabeth had me pondering these things when I first saw her. I now know the answers to her puzzles and love her even more. I rarely let her catch me having a wondering eye and there's no harm in looking ? right? Well moving on.

  Unlike David's move in, Jennifer's move in process seemed quite relaxed. While David chose, or maybe he had no choice I suppose, to do all the work himself; Jennifer had a moving crew. Three large men that looked like retired professional wrestlers or something. They were quite efficient from what I could tell. The big stuff looked like feathers to them. Jennifer was smart to go the moving crew route.

  While she had the movers move the big stuff she apparently still chose to keep the "important" things for herself. For her move she chose a modest pair of blue jeans, old looking running shoes and a white t-shirt. This getup immediately reminded me of David's casual attire. I also noticed that each time she made a trip back to her car she would politely smile and say hello or something to the movers. I even noticed her offer them something to drink. She's very polite.

  Anyway, her important items were fairly normal for a girly girl. Clothes, I couldn't actually tell what kind because they were all bagged up but there was a lot. Most girls have a lot of clothes, I know Elizabeth sure does. And shoes, holy shit, I stopped counting when I reached eleven boxes of shoes. Wow!

  There was a makeup case in her "important stuff", a huge bunch of hand bags or purses (not as many as the shoes but close). There were a couple of paintings, couldn't really tell from this distance what they were but they looked like landscapes and maybe one of a bird or eagle. On one trip, I think she carried in a jewelry box in one hand and a very small safe in the other.

  There were many other trips back and forth for Jennifer, almost as many as David did in his move, but hers didn't include any heavy lifting really. The rest of her trips included your normal girly stuff. I won't go into all the details 'cause I'm sure you know what girls have in their apartments. Two of everything right? No I'm only joking; Jennifer seemed fairly reserved in her purchases really; for a girl, except for those damn shoes and handbags. I suppose that's normal though. Boy I can be judgmental sometimes. Well, I digress.

  Jennifer took her time to set up her apartment. Everything had to be in the right place as well as be stylish. She's not overly picky in this way, but she figures she's going to be staying a while at The Villa so she might as well be comfortable.

  After getting the bedding set up and a few bathroom items situated it was on to the kitchen. The kitchen is the most important room in the apartment for Jennifer. She's not a big eater. How could she be and stay so thin, but she's a good eater. That is, she eats good food and enjoys spending time cooking healthy meals for herself and her friends. All of her pots and pans and such were in boxes but the movers placed them, appropriately, near their final resting place. So with ease she filled the cupboards and drawers with all her cookware. She tastefully hung several little knickknacks, wooden spoons, little knives and other things above the sink; topped off with a "Kiss the Cook" sign made out of wood scrap, news paper letters and varnish. Her little brother gave her this when she started cooking; he was just a five year old kindergarten tot. Jennifer smiles when she looks at that old piece of wood.

  After the kitchen it was on to the living room. Set up for company, Jennifer had all the chairs, as well as the sofa, facing inwards toward the center of the room. This, she thought, will allow visitors to converse in an appropriate manner. She often fancied little parties with tea and cookies like in the books she'd read. Parties with heady discussions and numerous misunderstandings, along with a few light arguments; Jennifer enjoyed the civility of such things.

  On to her bedroom where she did nothing but rest; no reading, no television, but a nice chest of drawers, vanity with extra large mirror, a small love seat, two night stands and lamps, etc. It was a tight fit but these expensive things all matched perfectly and showed good taste; she liked that.

  Jennifer moved to Owensboro from a slightly smaller town out in eastern Kentucky, I can't recall the name offhand. Well that was her hometown anyways; she went to college somewhere back east I believe. Library science was her major. She was to be the new Reference Librarian at Daviess County Public Library. Not the head Librarian, someone told me, but the one that helps you find things. She would be the "helpful" Librarian. It enters my mind that Jennifer kind of looks like a Librarian; well, a hot one anyway. But again, I think in a classy sort of way.

  This reminded me of David; the bookworm. Books might be yet another thing Jennifer and David would have in common, well beyond their idea of what makes up casual attire anyway. If they didn't run into each other here at The Villa then they are bound to acquaint themselves down at Daviess. As much as David frequents that library it's a safe bet I'd say. Well, but then again, maybe not. David is such a library rat that he probably knows where everything is and will have no need for reference help. He could use some help in the opposite sex department but he's got that library thing pinned down. Well, The Villa is not a large place so I'm sure they'll see each other around here.

  I can just picture their first meeting. They're not exactly alike but I'd say they are pretty similar and would think they would notice it. However, young men don't often notice the subtle personality traits upon first meetings. They tend to stick to the physical. And "classy" young ladies tend to keep a healthy skepticism about the intent of young men upon first meetings. So unless someone or something brings them together they may never have a shot. Goodness, why am I rambling about this, I'm not the matchmaker in my household; that's Elizabeth's job. But something still tells me that Jennifer and David would make a far better couple than Amy and David. Remember, I'm good at deducing these things from afar. I'm modest too.

  Now is a good a time as any to let you know about some of the things I later came to discover about Jennifer. She's more of a puppy person than a cat person, but still likes cats. She always meets a frown with a smile. She believes in being true to all not just herself. She has this saying she sort of lives by: "I love because. I hate no one but dislike some." Pretty heady stuff huh?

  Jennifer is a Christian and attends church occasionally but not regularly as she finds hypocrisy especially diff
icult to understand and completely uncivilized. She can still recall her first day in church. While sitting near the back the only conversations she could make out were this rude back and forth between the women about the tattered dresses of the several poor ladies that passed by. Jennifer was awestruck at how coarse these "church goers" could be. She felt it took a bit of her youth away to know this about church people. Before that day she had always seen them as dedicated and against sin; but after she saw them as social climbers and politicians more than dedicated people to the Lord and fellow man. Perhaps she was judging too harshly ? she didn't think so.

  Jennifer, being young and never married, of course has no children. However, she certainly adores them and would like her future family to include two to four kids, hopefully at least one of each gender but will be happy with what she gets. She's in no particular hurry as she will wait until she finds that special someone. Clocks not ticking too loudly yet but the hourly chime can be heard, that's for sure.

  Jennifer drinks socially sometimes, but never to excess; she just doesn't care for it. A party is nice to Jennifer but not a rowdy one, a more civilized get together is her cup of tea. In fact tea and cookies is her dream party, she even sets up her front room for this as I mentioned before.

  Jennifer is very positive, because she chooses to believe in herself and others. She's been able to compartmentalize her feelings towards "church goers" over the years, but I think she hasn't completely moved past it. Now she's not deluded about reality. She knows there are negatives in this world. She just chooses to focus on the positives. Goes back to one of her mottos, she loves just because. She's good at not hating people and she forgives and forgets easily. This is a rare trait for a young lady ? in my experience, very rare indeed.

  Jennifer is not completely, but fairly typical for a small town Kentucky girl. That is one of well above average intelligence anyway. A pinch of country a tad of city, make that small town, she's quite eclectic in most things. Two parent non-divorced family with one older brother. She was active in band and school groups, even the science club. Her high intelligence was nurtured from an early age by her caring parents. She was a lucky child with a protective mentor type older brother, rather than the bully type some of us wind up with.

  Just as a side note isn't it sad that in this day and age we have to refer to families as two parent, divorced, or non-divorced and such? It's just not a given anymore when you say family what it means. Kind of makes me sad. Do you think this is a sign of the breakdown of our society? Rhetorical question, as Frank would say. Oh well, life goes on.

  As I mentioned before Jennifer's major was Library Science, so she's got that Bachelor's degree. Someday she hopes to go back for a Masters and who knows maybe even a Ph.D. She certainly has the brains for it. Family may come first though she thinks; that's more important than getting a bunch of letters after your name.

  Small town life can be a bit tedious for the easily bored. This is not Jennifer as she could always find something to spark her interest. Usually in a book, as she was far more brainiac than jock growing up. Jennifer is all girl; a real girly girl. If there is actually such a thing as a man's man then Jennifer is a girl's girl, if you know what I mean. Even though she loves to jog, been doing so since about fourteen, she's not at all a tomboy.

  Something I really find interesting about Jennifer is the way she watches her worst of the seven deadly sins. She doesn't attend church much, as I've mentioned, but she's still focused on her spirituality. She tries to live right, as God would want her to. What she does is assess her worst sin, in her own opinion, of the seven deadly sins. By the way hers is gluttony. You wouldn't know it by seeing how thin she is, but actually what she does is cover it up sort of. That's not really the right way to put it, she more compensates for it by making sure she eats healthy, and with proper portions, as well as jogs. Such a focus isn't that common in any young person, male or female. Also, I think we all cover up our sins in a way. It's just that most people only cover them up in their minds, not through actions. What I don't know won't hurt me, oh here I am rambling again.

  Early on, even from the little things, I could tell David and Jennifer had a lot in common. Not to gloat again but ? well as I've mentioned I'm good at these observations from a distance. I wouldn't say I was necessarily impressed with these commonalities as they are both laid back and appear to lead an utterly civilized, if almost regimented existence. Boring is the word that comes to mind. But as you get older boring and predictable can become calm and dependable, pretty good traits for an adult in a long-term relationship. Maturity at even a young age has its merits. It's too bad most people don't recognize this and reward it early on so it will grow. God knows there are folks that never mature.