Boswell, LaVenia (25 page)

            The women giggled and laughed a lot together as they looked over sketches Martha made and as they stared at all the photos of each room, that the men sometimes felt like outsiders.  “It’s a woman’s world, son,” Jason’s dad said with a roll of his eyes.   

            When it came to the great room and their bedroom suite, Jenny took some of Martha’s sketches, a notebook of pictures, a satchel full of fabric swatches and another notebook of furniture advertisements and plopped them down on the coffee table in front of Jason on Friday night.     

            “Okay, big guy, I need your help,” she announced.  Jason smiled knowingly at his dad as Edward turned off the ballgame they’d been watching and quietly left the room, apparently fearing he might be asked his opinion as well.     

            Jennifer called out loudly, “Mister Zonelli, I never took you for a coward!  Jason might need your thoughts on this!”   

            They heard him respond from the hallway, “My son will have to learn to fend for himself, like all husbands must do when you ladies take it into your heads that we actually care what style a chair is.  As long as it’s big and comfy, we usually don’t mind.  Bye kids.”  

            “This is the most important room for any of your clients or associates when visiting,” Jenny explained as she showed him the great room photograph.   

            They were not going to start classes until the Fall, giving them time to enjoy each other and get used to sharing their lives together, so her mentioning ‘his clients’ had him puzzled with amusement.    

            “Hmmm, let me see, darlin’,” he remarked as he took the sheets of photos she offered and one of the notebooks with furniture pictures.  He cocked his head this was and that, like he was considering the room layout.  Turning to look into her anxious eyes he asked, “Dear heart, what clients are you referring to?”    

            Snorting she rolled her eyes.  “Jas, my beloved, almost husband, my betroved, you’ll have folks visiting you.  You’ll also be ministering to people at times, we both know that.  And, you will be meeting with investors and money men and one day you’ll in all probability have a passel of law clients.”   

            “Ohhh, one day?” he said with a smile on his face.  “Like, we won’t be able to redesign it when the time comes?”    

            “And waste all that money?” she retorted acting incensed.  “If we get it right the first time, then it’ll always be what you need.”   

            “Sweetheart,” Jason began, using calmness and patience.  “I plan to use that room off the foyer to the right as an office.  Remember?  There’s no need in having people go beyond the foyer and my office.  The rest of the house is ours.  Children can have their toys all over the place and it won’t matter because no one will see that but us.”    

            “Oh,” Jenny replied like a load was lifted.  She just as suddenly seemed to be angry.  “Oh, I understand what you want now!”  Slapping him on the shoulder she said, “Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place, Mister Zonelli!  You could have saved me a ton of aggravation.  You do remember that the foyer is
open
to the great room?  And that office you just mentioned doesn’t exit – yet.  It is open to the foyer as well.  Huh, huh?”   

            That was right!  He had, in his blurred mind another floor plan pictured as he spoke.  What was wrong with him?  Tired, plain tiredness.   

            Pulling her up next to him he admitted, “You’re right, my heart.  I wasn’t thinking clear.  I’m tired, and I know you must be running on thin air.  We’ve been trying to do too much too soon.  Rather, I’ve been rushing you too fast to get everything done with the house.  Whatever hasn’t been done, we’ll leave it undone until we get back from our honeymoon.  Who knows, we might see designs or styles we hadn’t thought of for our home while over there.”  He saw the worry lines ease on her forehead and hated himself for having put them there.   

            “Tomorrow’s a big day!  I’m gonna drive you home and you go right to bed and get some rest.  It won’t do for you to have dark rings under your eyes on the day of your baptism,” Jason said.

17 – DEATH BY WATER

Saturday was a hot, overcast day.  Jenny’s parents had invited Jason’s family out for breakfast.  They enjoyed each other’s company and she was thankful for it.  

            Edward Zonelli mentioned a small stock that was on the rise and Martin seemed quite interested.  

            Jenny was relieved to see her dad look so happy today.  He’d been a little down of late and she was sure it wasn’t just her pending wedding but their finances that had him so worried.   

            Her mom enjoyed the church she’d attended, but only talked about it with her when Jenny’s dad wasn’t in listening range.  Julian also shared her joy over it with Martha who was happy for her as well.  They were becoming the best of friends and that was a good thing for their two children.  

            Martin bowed his head in respect when Edward gave the blessing over their meal.  Raising his head he winked at his daughter and she smiled back.   

            Later that evening after they all arrived at the church with Jenny’s parents, her brother Thomas and his fiancée Celeste, she began to be extra nervous again.  What if she slips and falls in the water?  What if she forgets to say the right words?  What if this and what if that?  

            Before she got dressed for her baptism, Jason grabbed her hands, which were clammy and said, “We’re gonna pray that Father will bring you calmness and great peace.”  They prayed together and as others heard their soft prayer they too joined in.   

            Edward and Martha were to be her God Parents.  Jason’s elder brother Jacob and Susan his wife were her sponsors for entering the Church.  

             Jennifer got dressed in the Social Hall ladies room with her mom and Martha assisting her.  The women helped fix her hair up in a tight French twist, to help keep a lot of her long hair dry.  They secured it with a comb that had real gardenias woven in it and placed a new Venetian lace short mantilla over that.  She was beautiful.

            Martha had the Baptismal dress made for Jennifer as a gift, as well as her First Communion dress.  The baptismal dress was white, of course, but a simple sheath made of parachute type fabric that dried almost instantly, with a wide a-line flared skirt.  The dress body was triple lined in the same fabric but medium cream colored, with long snug sleeves and a high neck with no collar that zippered up the back.  It was much like the long dresses dancers use in religious ballets and musicals.  It would remain completely modest when wet and would not cling over much to her body. 

            Martha handed her a pair of white ballet slippers and a one piece white under garment.   

            Jennifer’s mother handed her a simple silver crucifix necklace to wear. 

            Jenny was instructed to remove the headcovering before she stepped in the Baptismal pool and one of them would take it from her.            Jennifer hugged her mom and Martha both, for a long time.               The Zonelli’s had a number of gifts for her but they were to wait until she dressed for her Confirmation and First Holy Communion before she saw them.  They were sealed in a white garment bag that  Martha brought.   

            Everyone participating in the ritual of Baptism had to line up outside the Sanctuary door to await the questions Father Jose would ask of this new creature in Christ before she entered in a procession the Church this day.  The Alter Servers held large candles on either side of the priest.    

            Soon the questions and answers were accomplished and she was walking down the isle in formal procession with Jason’s parents, her God Parents behind her, then Jason and her parents following.   

            The difference this evening is they always attended Sunday Mass at
eleven o’clock
, and this was the Saturday
five thirty
Mass so there were many new faces for Jennifer.  A number of their
eleven o’clock
parishioners were here as well, which surprised Jenny tremendously.  They came to celebrate with her this once in a lifetime event and she loved them so dearly for it.   

            Since this was a special Mass, there were reserved pews for their parents and family members.  Jason’s family took four pews alone.  Her parents sat beside Martha and Edward on the first pew with her and Jason and her brother and his wife-to-be.    

            When the time came for her to come forward and be asked the questions of her desire for baptism, she was trembling with joy, not fear.  She was about to be buried with Christ, her sins washed away, gone, a completely new person in Christ, with a clean soul.   

            Jennifer and her God parents came forward, after Father Jose called them up, his eyes flickered to an anxious Jason and he wiggled his little finger for Jason to join them as well.  The questions of Baptism were asked.  Her God Parents spoke when asked and before she knew it she was headed for the Baptismal pool.  Just before entering she handed Jason her mantilla.  He held her hand and assisted her in, trying to help her not slip as Father Jose walked into the water as well.     

            Father Jose said, “I baptize you, Jennifer Franks, in the name of the Father, (one dip) and of the Son, (a second dip) and of the Holy Spirit (a third dip).  And the Church said . . .”  

            The entire assembly yelled out, “AMEN!”   

            Jennifer came out of the pool smiling broadly with jubilant tears quietly rushing down her face.  Before she even knew what was happening her mother and Martha were helping her arms into the warmest, fluffiest, whitest robe. 

            They were moved away from the pool a short distance as Jason replaced the mantilla on her head, and her Godparents received the Baptismal Candle and pledged to help guide her in the ways of Christ and the Church for her entire life.  Anointing Chrism oil was placed on her as Father Jose completed the rest of the Baptismal ritual.     

            Jenny handed her lit candle to Jason to carry for her as he and the women left the church to help her change for the Confirmation and Holy Communion.    

            As soon as the church doors closed behind them Jason asked them to stop so he could hug her.  Jenny knew by the shaking of his shoulders and back he was crying and trying to hide it in the collar of her robe.    

            “I love you so much, my Jenny,” he managed to say as he let the women hurry her to the Community Center for dressing.   

            She called back to him, “I love you too, my Jason.”     

            He followed but slower, knowing they would need him to carry the wet clothing satchel to the car and whatever else the ladies needed him to do.  He was to lock up the building as soon as they were out.    

            They really had to rush with the clothes changes since the whole congregation was waiting for their service to continue.   

            Inside the social hall he heard laughter, giggling and his mom exclaim, “Oh, Jenny, sweetheart, you are so breath-taking.”  Her mom added similar sentiments and he was anxious to see the dress his mom had designed for Jenny’s First Communion, she’d refused to show him.    

            His mother came out of the bathroom first, loaded down with the wet garments in a leather bag, along with another bag that had things like brushes and stuff.  She said to him, “Run these to the car and go on into the church, I’ll lock up.  Now hurry on into the church and make sure the cameras are rolling!”  

            He started to protest, wanting to say he would wait until he saw her, but he could tell by her expression that she wasn’t going to let that happen.  So he carried the bags and took them to his parent’s SUV.  He already knew his mom would dry the items and have them preserved and boxed for Jenny.    

            Jason had finished genuflecting after checking with two discreet camera men and returned to his seat when the church doors behind him came open and Jenny with her mom and his mom came inside.  He heard tiny gasps of admiration all around and turned to see how she looked.  He had to remember to breathe.  Jason heard her dad gasp and then began clearing his throat, repeatedly.  Mass was still in progress, so everyone settled down swiftly.  The Music Ministry had simply prolonged their singing while Jenny dressed and returned.