Jack & Jill - Jael

Hello again readers, this is a continuation of an earlier piece titled Jack & Jill - The Move. This time it is narrated by Jill.

The US Airways flight 415 touched down in Phoenix at exactly six thirty-nine in the evening. The temperature was 75 F and the time on the huge digital clock mounted in the baggage claim lounge read 19:20. I located a trolley and moved to position myself near the origin of the conveyer belt. This airport is so ultramodern. On my way to get my bags I had passed the WELCOME TO PHOENIX sign overhead and a beautiful large eagle crest etched into the flooring, enclosed within a circle meant to be a compass pointing out North, South, East and West. It looked real nice. There are lots of other cool digital displays and the signs had enabled me to navigate the airport easily. Lots of new construction had been undertaken over the last few years and I contemplated checking out the new car rental terminal. A lovely older gentleman who'd sat next to me on the plane had told me about it; the biggest of its kind in Arizona (and maybe in the whole country). He had said it was close by and I needed a car anyway to get to Avondale which was less than a half hour away. Spying some neat shops, I realized that I had eaten very little all day. I walked over to one and bought a snack- a packaged tuna sandwich and a bottle of vitamin water. It would do for the moment. As I got back to the conveyer belt, I noticed my bags had been pulled off to the side. Without a thought as to why, I loaded my trolley and moved toward the seats to gather myself and eat.

Jael, honey, I've missed you. I nearly jumped out of my skin and my water was knocked off its precarious perch on my suitcase. Jack quickly reached for it and spared my denim skirt from getting as soaked as it might have been otherwise. Hi. What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were having a late meeting out of town? Jack embraced me in a tight bear hug and kissed my face. You look gorgeous and that silk green blouse is perfect on you. The colour makes your eyes sparkle. Sandwich still in hand, I managed to hug him back with my one free hand. He looked good too. He had on a striped mauve and white jumper over a pair of new blue jeans. He looked like a magazine model and I often wondered why he had never considered modeling. He was smiling and right then I felt in my spirit that all my fears were unfounded. He was a good man. This was a good decision. I loved him. I excused myself from the meeting to surprise you, Jack finally answered. You sure did, you scared the daylights out of me, I retorted; you'd have missed me if I hadn't decided to eat before heading over to the car rental. He chuckled and got my things together. I hope you don't mind eating and walking at the same time? he asked politely. Not at all, I replied. His arm around my shoulders, the other pushing the trolley, we made for the nearest exit. By now it was almost eight thirty-five and I was pleasantly exhausted.

We arrived at Jack's home in Avondale just after nine. The house was gorgeous and I bet he used an interior decorator. You like?, he had one eyebrow raised and his dimples became more prominent. I love it, I said dramatically. This was an absolutely gorgeous single family home with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. It was a duplex, had a double garage and lots of space all around. All this for the unbeatable price of $50000, thanks to foreclosure. There was a huge tree at the front of the house, so close that one could actually climb it to enter one of the rooms on the top floor. The building was cream coloured with a soft pink hue. Jack took me on a quick tour of the house. I could tell that he was also tired. Built in the 1980s, the entire interior had been further modernized. I admired the huge French windows in the living room that opened out on a small quaint veranda. The white wicker furniture with plush cushions were perfect here. The big kitchen window gave the most amazing view ... like a picture frame. Jack said that in the daytime one could see the park against a background of the mountain peaks. I saw the window seat in the dining area and decided that that would be my reading spot. It must have been awful for the previous owners to give it up. Jack went downstairs to heat up dinner while I took a shower and changed. Feeling so refreshed I joined him in the living room.

He had set up our meal in front of the television. Soft rock music played in the background and huge candles in the corner of the room had been lit. I was asked to have a seat while he brought out a bottle of vin blanc. Taking his seat opposite me, he said the grace and we began to eat. Jack was a great cook. He had spent a year working in Paris as a chef's apprentice, either after high school or after college. While he was expert at cooking and creating hotel-style cuisines, I stuck to perfecting my skills with home-cooked meals. We ate and talked. Hours later we called it a night and turned in. My first night in my new home with Jack. This was the beginning of our life together. Still, the anxieties remained and I was not sure why. However, somewhere in the back of my head I think I knew the answer and was simply afraid to admit it. Ah, all in God's time. I would try not to worry. Already I could hear Jack's even breathing which meant that he was fast asleep. I let my mind drift to thoughts of the future and the trip to Montgomery to see my host family- that was going to be fun because Missy and Carla would meet me there. Then I thought of all the things I needed to do the next day, making a mental list that seemed to grow longer and longer ... call grandpa and Missy; search for flights to Alabama; call Mr. Jameson to check on the status of my shipment; prepare for grad school and find out if Missy would also be at La Jolla; I certainly had enough to occupy my mind these first few days. All would be well.