The Wanderer – Jenny 41

[For back story go here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and this one.]

[For other back story click in-links] 

The video screen showed the shadowy outline of a young woman in her bedroom. The walls also mainly dark but possibly covered with rock and Emo posters.

“Hold on,” came the voice, “I’ll just…”

There was some rustling and movement around the surface the computer was resting on and a desk lamp switched on, shedding light across the rest of the room and casting a few mean looking shadows over the dark posters. There was also a fairly heavy sounding thud and the voice swore before saying something like “Stuff it, it’ll just have to stay there…” under its breath and then the face came into view, now lit up.

There she is, thought Jenny. Jude, looking a little concerned and worried but generally in good health. The lighting wasn’t doing her any favours of course, nor was the heavy black eye shadow, so Jenny would make allowances and wouldn’t by any means question her health, which by all reports was fine and no reason for concern.

“Sorry,” Jude apologised, “I’m not much good at this. They’ve been trying to get me to do it at work and stuff, but like I say I’m no good at it and I think they’ve given up on me. Which isn’t that surprising.”

“You look good to me,” said Jenny, perhaps over compensating and trying to mediate her voice levels between being heard and not being too loud and disturbing everyone in her own home. That said Izzy was out of the house on a recreational walk and the kids probably had their heads buried in work or videos so there wasn’t that much to worry about.

“How are you feeling?” She added, politely, and breaking her promise over health enquiries.

“Not too bad,” said Jude. “Mobility is the main problem. Just getting around the house and stuff. Dad helps every now and then but he’s not the best.”

“But you’re feeling OK?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine, really fine.”

Gradually the two warmed to each other. Jude had been doing basic office work for a children’s nursery and while the setting was still open she now did everything from where she was. It didn’t make it any less stressful, she said. Making sure the paperwork, online though it was, stayed up to date was a bit of a challenge given the distance she was from the site. 

“I miss the kids,” said Jude, “But then that’s hardly surprising, right? And I’ll soon have one of my own to take care of so I’m guessing that will satisfy me on that count. And I’ll be too busy to think about it anyway.”

“Yeah, bit different when they’re you’re own, hey? It’ll be so exciting to have a new one around.”

It seemed almost the wrong thing to talk about but Jenny raised the wedding anyway, asking Jude if she had had any thoughts about it. Jude hadn’t really, just thinking it would be a good thing to do and since she and Peter were happy together – when they were together – it seemed like a good idea. For a moment Jenny wondered if they had thought this through, it wasn’t like she was jumping up and down with enthusiasm. Was this just a convenient thing that they thought they should do rather than something they both actively wanted to do and would make work?

“I was trying to think of how we can make the wedding special,” said Jenny. “You know, once we’re able to have the wedding and everything. I wondered if there was, I don’t know, some sort of theme we could build it around.”

“A theme?” echoed Jude, “Like what?”

“Well, what kind of things do you like – I can see you like music of some sort behind you? All those posters?”

Jude grimaced a smile. “Yeah, well, don’t think you’d really want a wedding full of people dressed in black with studs and stuff…”

“I don’t know,” said Jenny. “It would be different. And like I say if it’s something that would mean something to you…”

“It’s a nice thought,” said Jude. “I sort of like it. But would Peter go for it?”

“I know what his bedroom’s like,” said Jenny. “The darker the better I think.”

Jude smiled. “It’s not like I’d get dressed in white. And my mates would probably prefer to be in their usual stuff too. Could we do that in a church?”

Jenny couldn’t help the blank look she projected back at Jude.

“A crypt then?” asked Jude.

A black, gothic wedding would certainly be different. And Peter often wore black – jeans, T shirt, a jacket – it would work she thought. They signed off and Jenny felt progress had been made, even if it was in a slightly surprising direction.

There was a knock at the door and Jenny went to answer it. Her heart fell as she found Izzy outside with two police officers a little way behind her.

“What?” She said. “What now?”

“Apparently,” said Izzy, “I walked too far. I’ve been fined for breaking lockdown rules.”