Seems Like Old Times

“Jill Montfort, if you don’t come to this reunion, I’ll never speak to you again as long as I live. I’m flying in on Thursday and we can have a day to visit before the reunion. It is our twenty-fifth and if I’m making a point to fly all the way there the least you can do is attend when you live in the same town.”

Jill gave a reluctant agreement but the thought of Penny Latimer never speaking again to anyone brought a smile to her lips. She had always been a dynamo and the years hadn’t changed her much. Jill remembered the first time they had met- she was just unpacking her few things in the double dorm room, a little frightened and shy when her assigned room-mate came flying in. Jill could only sit and stare as the bundle of energy who introduced herself as Penny began to arrange their room, their schedules and a great deal of their college life. Without Penny as roommate and friend, Jill would have probably got better marks but wouldn’t have had nearly so much fun.

Jill sighed and picked up the yearbook from their final year. She skimmed over the candid shots – lots of Penny of course who was into everything, but also one that made her catch her breath even after twenty-five years. Seated together at the cutting table where the college paper had been assembled was one of Jill with Ted Bainsworth. Ted was in Science and she had majored in English so they hadn’t shared classes but they had worked together on the paper and dated all that final year.

Jill had been blissfully in love for the first time. Then suddenly Ted’s mother became ill and he moved back home. Their correspondence became more and more infrequent and suddenly they were worlds apart. She still heard of him from time to time – had sent letters of condolence when his mother died and in later years when he lost his wife to cancer. He had reciprocated when Barry died. She closed the book with a sudden force. The past was best left in the past.

Now Penny was back in charge again, shopping for new dresses and lifting her spirits as she always had.

“You have to start going out Jill,” she urged. “It’s not healthy to hibernate the way you do.”

“I don’t hibernate,” Jill protested, “I work long hours and need time alone when I’m off.”

“I don’t want to push painful buttons, but you are a single woman, you know. Barry’s been gone for two years. You should be dating again.”

Then she snapped her fingers. “I know - I bet Ted will be at the reunion- I always did think you two made the perfect couple. He never re-married, you know”

Jill groaned inwardly. Penny with a bee in her bonnet was an unstoppable force. She began to hope for a severe toothache or a passing touch of Bubonic Plague – anything to get her out of this reunion. Reunions weren’t her style – she had always been the quiet one in her group and making small talk to people she had largely forgotten was not going to be easy. Now with Penny looking to match make, it could turn out to be painfully embarrassing too, especially since a part of her really wanted to see Ted again.

The reunion started out better than she had hoped. She met a few old friends that she discovered she had really missed and enjoyed catching up with their news.

When she signed the register and picked up her name tag she took a surreptitious look at the B’s and Ted’s name wasn’t there – so it looked as if she didn’t need to worry about Penny’s plans for trying to get them together. Somehow she found the thought more disappointing than reassuring.

She began to mingle and discovered it wasn’t all that bad- over the years her social skills had definitely improved. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be a disaster after all.

Then she realized someone was addressing her. “Jill, remember me? Deanna? From the paper?”

“Of course, Deanna. It’s wonderful to see you again. It’s hard to imagine our little paper led to your career in journalism. I’ve read your work; I’m impressed.”

“Speaking of the paper, I just ran into Ted.”

“Oh, I didn’t see his name; I thought he hadn’t come.”

“He said he’s en route to a convention somewhere and decided to make a detour along the way. He asked if I’d seen you.”

With that one sentence, Jill’s new-found aplomb vanished; she could feel her cheeks reddening and hoped no-one noticed.

As the evening wore on Jill tried consciously to not look for Ted. She decided his query had been one of nothing more than politeness, because if he had wanted to see her, she wasn’t that difficult to find. He’d probably left by now anyhow.

“Come on Jill! Class cheer time!” Penny was dragging her by the arm towards a corner where a photo session seemed to be in the making. There was no sign of Ted, so presumably he had left long ago.

By the time they had sung class songs, done the cheers and posed for pictures, Jill was tired and ready to call it a night. If she slipped away while Penny wasn’t looking- She began to skirt the room on the way to the cloakroom.

“It’s about time I found you.” She didn’t need to turn. After all these years, his voice was as familiar to her as if she heard it every day.

“I thought you’d left,” she faltered. “You weren’t there for the class photos.”

“Without seeing you?” he sounded shocked. “.I’ve been tracking you all night, but you’ve always stayed just ahead of me. I deliberately missed the photo session,” he grinned, “I never was very photogenic.”

He began to steer her towards the dance floor.

“I’ve thought about calling you so many times.” He started. “but I never knew how to begin, or if you even wanted me back in your life again.”

Jill leaned against him as an old familiar song began to play. Somehow she had the feeling he already was back in her life. As she looked over Ted’s shoulder, she caught Penny grinning at her, making a “thumbs up” gesture.

“Auld Lang Syne”, thought Jill as she rested her head on Ted’s shoulder.