A Stitch in Time

Another day of not going into work, not going shopping and not meeting friends for coffee or dinner.  What it was, was another day of quarantine. When was this ever going to end? When was life going to get back to some type of normal?

Jenn Halsey stood in front of her kitchen window, staring off into her drab back yard.  

“By now I should have a yard blooming with color.  My flower beds should be full of freshly planted annuals.  Instead, all I have are a few little Johnny-jump-ups.”

 Flowers are not considered essential so going out and buying plants was out of the question.  This year, drab was the new spring flower.

Jenn knew that there were more important things than flowers. She was very thankful that she wasn’t one of the people who had been unlucky and gotten sick with the virus that had brought on this quarantine, but knowing that didn’t keep her from missing the things from more normal times.

There were some things though that even the virus couldn’t change.  Even though she couldn’t go into the office, she still had projects that needed to be done.  Taking one last look out her kitchen window, she headed to the living room to get down to work. Since the quarantine, Jenn had converted her living room into her office.  It was the one room in her house where she could go and be least likely to find things that would distract her. 

Sitting down at her desk, Jenn turned on her computer. Immediately the emails and notifications from work started pouring in.  As she waited for everything to download, the picture that hung over her fireplace captured her attention. It was a picture that Jenn’s grandmother had stitched for her many years ago.  The scene was from sometime in the eighteen hundreds. The women were dressed in beautiful ankle length dresses with layers and layers of petticoats underneath to make the dresses flare out around them  The men were debonair in their knee breeches, tail coats and tricorn hats. The scene presented such a happier time. Couples getting together to picnic, chat and play yard games. Jenn let out a big sigh as she gazed upon the picture.  Oh how she longed to be a part of that happier time. As she rested her head on the back of her chair, she continued to daydream. If she closed her eyes she could imagine herself there. She was wearing a dress made of the finest burgundy silk. Her hair flowing in ringlets down her back with lovely burgundy ribbons looped through the curls.  Beside her stood the man of her dreams. Tall, dark hair, strong chin and he had eyes only for her.

Jenn started to rouse as she felt a gentle breeze blow across her face.  “I must have left the window open in the kitchen, she thought, but then there was something else. A sound.  Someone clearing their throat and then, a touch. Someone touching her shoulder. Jenn gasped, as she reached for something to use as a weapon but her fingers only found air.  Now that she was fully aware of her surroundings, she realized that she was no longer in her own living room. She was in a beautiful garden, full of brightly colored flowers, budding trees and strangers.

“Jennifer, dear, are you all right? I didn’t mean to startle you, but I called your name several times and you didn't answer,” said the tall dark-haired man beside her.

“What happened?” she asked, “Who are you and how did I get here?”

“What do you mean, who am I? I am your husband, of course, and we came here in our carriage.”

“My husband, our carriage but…” Jenn looked around, slower this time. Carefully, taking in the scenery around her.  Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her. She knew that she had somehow traveled into her grandmother’s stitchery. She looked up at the man that stood beside her. His brown eyes roaming her face and his head tilted as he tried to understand what was wrong with his wife.

“Jennifer, my sweet, are you sure that you are all right? Should I fetch you a cool lemonade? Perhaps I should call for Dr. Todd to come and take a look at you. I’m worried about you,” he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and brushed back a stray curl.

Jenn smiled back, “Thank you. I'm fine, really, but a lemonade would be lovely.  I think that I just got a little overheated. I’m sure that I will be fine after I’ve had something cool to drink.”

“I’ll get it right away, my dear. Here is your parasol. Perhaps you should use it.  I know how you hate it but the sun is sweltering today and you don’t want to burn that beautiful lily white skin.”

Jenn watched as her stranger walked over to the shady oak tree where the food and drink had been set up.  He was talking and laughing with everyone along the way. At the table, she watched as some gentleman approached him with croquet mallets in hand.  She could tell that they wanted him to go and play a round with them. He shook his head, nodding in her direction and started back across the lawn with her cool drink.  Whoever, this man was that called himself her husband was certainly no one turn her nose up at. Any man who put a glass of lemonade for his wife over a game of croquet with his buddies got stars in her book.

“Here, my dear, is your lemonade.  I was even able to snag a couple of your favorite lemon shortbread cookies.”

“Thank you. They look scrumptious. I don’t mean to be so much trouble.”

“My darling wife, you are never any trouble. Besides, it gave me an excuse to turn down a rowdy game of croquet.”  Then he sat down beside her and held her parasol while she enjoyed her refreshments.

 She knew that wherever she was that she couldn’t stay forever.  Eventually, she would have to figure out how to get back to the present, but for now, she just wanted to take delight in her new surroundings.