Time is the Ultimate Revenge

The drive home was quiet for quite a while, but then Darla turned to me and asked, "Who crapped in your crispy critters this morning?"

I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. Darla always had a way of making me laugh.             

When Brad's will became made public, I was surprised. Oh, he left the bulk of his estate to charity and his alma mater. But he also left two million dollars to Jenny. Having windfalls from two rich husbands plus this latest inheritance, Jenny was well set. She bought a condo near the ranch and tried to reestablish a relationship with her children. However, the kids really didn't want to go to their mother's condo. Since it catered to middle-aged singles, they complained that there was nothing for them to do. But I told them that their mother was making an effort and they should too. In the end, there was too much distance to bridge. Jenny finally gave up and found a new boyfriend.

From then on, Jenny went through boyfriends like some people change their socks. The kids seemed happy not having to hang out at their mother's place. And if they were happy, I was happy.

I was exceedingly proud of our kids. Mark graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree. He works and lives in Austin. He got married to a lovely girl from Ohio, Cindy Stubbins, whom he met at GT. She's an engineer also, and they work for the same firm. They have two beautiful little girls, and Cindy works from home.

Glenda went to Texas A&M to become a veterinarian. When she graduated, Glenda moved home and worked for the local vet, Sam Turner, for a couple of years. Then she split off and opened her own practice. About a year later, a young vet, Todd Amberson, bought out Sam's practice. I guess it was inevitable, but Glenda and Todd eventually merged the two practices and merged their lives when they got married. They have two boys and a little girl, and I swear my grandkids spend more time on the ranch than at their own home. Not only do Darla and I love having them around, but Jenny's father probably spends more time with the kids than anyone. They absolutely adore him.

My daughter Alma graduated from the University of Texas with a teaching degree. She now teaches the third grade at Chesterton Elementary. She married her boyfriend from college, Jerry, who teaches at Marion High School. He's a chemistry teacher. And they're expecting their first child in three months, give or take a few days. I couldn't be happier because I love grandkids; they're better than your own children. I'm just kidding, but there's a lot to be said for grandkids. You can spoil them to your heart's content, and when they get cranky and fussy, you give them back.

Mark married a lovely girl he met on vacation in England. No, she's not British; she was just another American on vacation. Her name is Sally, and she's five feet tall with long dark black hair and violet eyes. I tease her about being a mini-Elizabeth Taylor. They have three children, two boys, and a girl, and we just learned that she's pregnant with number four. It amazes me that Sally as no trouble pushing out those babies as small as she is.

The years continued to rush by, and before I knew it, Darla and I celebrated our thirtieth wedding anniversary. I haven't seen much of Jenny in the last several years. The kids talk to their mother occasionally but rarely get together with her. From what they tell me, time has begun to catch up with their mom as it does for all of us. She is no longer the hot commodity she once was, and apparently, hasn't had a boyfriend in a couple of years.

Jenny did call her father once every other month or so. He was approaching ninety but was still getting around fine and was as sharp as a tack. The conversations between father and daughter were always fairly short, and they always left John a little depressed. When I asked him once why he didn't talk to Jenny longer, he admitted that he just didn't know what to say to her. That made me sad for John.

Another Christmas was fast approaching, so I headed to the mall for some Christmas shopping. I have long ago admitted that I am the absolute worst at picking out presents, so I just find out which stores my family likes to shop in. Then I go in and buy gift cards. I know that it sounds so lame, but by doing that, I can never get the wrong thing, size, or color. And so far, I have yet to receive one complaint.

Anyway, I had just purchased my last card and was hungry. So, I headed to the food court to order a Chick-fil-a sandwich and a lemonade. I was just about to take my first bite when I recognized the woman sitting two tables over. It was Jenny.

She sat all by herself watching the people passing by. She seemed especially interested in the families that had filled the mall. Jenny was no longer the beautiful woman I had married. She had gained about fifteen pounds, and she had a few wrinkles. Even from where I sat, I could see the age spots on her hands. Still, for her age, she was attractive. But it was the loneliness in her eyes that really caught my attention. I decided I'd bite the bullet and go sit with her.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" I asked as I plunked my sandwich and drink on the table.

"What do you want?" Jenny snarled.

I was surprised by the hostility. It took me a moment to process it, but then I picked up my sandwich and drink. "I don't want anything. I was just going to say hi. Look, I'm sorry I bothered you. I'm not looking to start a fight, so I'll just find another table."

A look of pain seemed to pass across Jenny's face, and she sagged a little. "No, I'm sorry. The holidays seem to bring out the worst in me. Please, have a seat. I'd like to have some company."

"What brings you to the mall? Christmas shopping?" I asked and then took a bite of my chicken sandwich.

"Mike, I haven't done Christmas shopping since Brad and I divorced. I just send checks now."

"And the kids really do appreciate them, especially the ones for the grandkids. They put that money into college funds."

"I know," Jenny answered as she watched a young couple push their baby stroller past. "They tell me in the thank you notes."

"So, back to the original question, what brings you to the mall? As I recall, you didn't really care about shopping in general. If you wanted something, you'd go to the store, buy it and come home."

"I just wanted to be around people," Jenny said absently as she watched another young couple trying to herd their three kids along. "Everyone in my building has scattered for the holidays."

"So, what are you going to do for Christmas? You're not going to sit in your condo alone, are you?"

"Of course not," Jenny shot back. "I have reservations at Chez Francesca, and then I plan to see the new Tom Hanks movie."

"Nah, you're not going to do that," I said as I finished my sandwich. "You're coming to the ranch for Christmas. The kids and the grandkids will all be there. Also, your dad will be there. It'll be fun."

"I couldn't do that," Jenny protested. "I'd make everyone uncomfortable."

"Nonsense," I said as I grabbed my garbage, "it's settled you're coming." Then as I started away, I glanced back and said, "If you want to see the grandkids open their presents, you'll want to be there by 7 am. But come whenever you want. Dinner will be served at three."

Darla was less than pleased when I told her that Jenny might come for Christmas.

"Why did you invite her?" she asked with jealousy and uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

I quickly pulled my wife into an embrace and kissed her. "Is this my wife being jealous?"

"Stop it, Mike. I'm serious," Darla's eyes were flaring now. "She's going to make everyone uncomfortable."

"That's what Jenny said when she tried to beg off. But I couldn't let her spend the day alone in her condo."

"What's this about Jenny?" John asked as he walked into the room.

"I invited Jenny to join us for Christmas," I told the man I considered to be my second father.

"And she said that she'd come?" John's eyes lit up, and I could see that Darla saw that also.

"Not exactly," I explained. "Jenny tried to beg off because she felt she'd make everyone uncomfortable, but I wouldn't take no for an answer. Whether she'll come or not is still up to her."

The light of happiness in John's eyes faltered, but it was quickly replaced by a look of hope.

On Christmas day, Jenny didn't show up to watch the grandkids open their presents and didn't show up for dinner at three. By then, I figured she wasn't coming, and apparently, John thought the same thing. He had a hang-dogged look, and he went and sat quietly by himself. I felt bad for him and finally sent my youngest grandchild, Christy, who was four, over to get him to play her game. As I knew he would, he was soon on the floor playing Candyland.

About five-thirty, I was surprised to hear the front doorbell ring. When I opened the door, I was surprised to find Jenny. She was dressed like someone planning to go out to dinner.

"Hey," I said kindly, "I was beginning to give up hope on you."

"I still think this might be a mistake," she said with uncertainty in her eyes.

"Nah, not at all," I assured her. "You missed dinner, but we're going to serve dessert pretty soon; but if you would like something to eat, I can heat up a plate of leftovers for you."

"No, the dessert sounds lovely," Jenny said as I guided her inside.

"Hey, guys and gals," I called out to everyone in the family room, "look who I found. Jenny's come for dessert."

The grandkids descended on her in a pack. They had been picking teams for some game, and they all wanted Jenny on their team. Mark and Glenda came over and hugged and kissed their mother, wishing her a Merry Christmas. In fact, all the kids gave her a hug. However, to my surprise, Darla also gave Jenny a hug and kiss.

The evening was very pleasant. Jenny was very nervous at first and seemed to weigh everything that was said to her. But when she finally realized that she was the only one who was uncomfortable, she began to relax. It was touching to see Jenny and her father sitting together, talking and laughing.

All in all, it was a very satisfying Christmas. Even though Jenny had calmed down from when she first arrived, it was clear that she still was unsure about her being here in Darla and my home. And I have to admit, I found myself studying Jenny from time to time. She was still an attractive woman, but I was amazed that I had no feelings for her other than she was the mother of two of my children.

After the grandkids were down, their parents decided to use the hot tub. Since it was thirty-four degrees outside, that held no interest for Darla or Jenny or for me. John decided he'd give the hot tub a try but was back after a few minutes, claiming that you have to be crazy to sit in a tub even if it was heated with the temperature in the low 30s. So, I got us all drinks, and we sat around the fireplace with the Christmas tree blinking off to the side.

We sat for fifteen minutes quietly, watching the flames dancing around the logs. At some point, I noticed tears sliding down Jenny's face.

"Are you alright?" I asked with confusion as I couldn't understand the tears.

"I'll be alright," Jenny said in a small voice as she wiped the tears away.

Neither Darla nor I said anything about the tears and let the silence surround us again. After another five minutes, Jenny began to talk.

"I almost didn't come," Jenny said while staring at the fire. "I was afraid that I'd find out what I pretty much knew already. I screwed up my life big time."

"Oh, I think you're being too hard on yourself," I was surprised to hear Darla say. "I've seen pictures with you and Brad, and it was clear that you loved him. And I'd say the same thing about Tad. Neither marriage worked out, but fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce anyway."

"Oh, I did love Brad at first, even though I still loved you, Mike. But I loved his money and power more. We were good together for many years, but I let him separate me from my kids. And since he was fifteen years older than me, his age began to catch up to him. He started to have health problems that affected his abilities in bed. He became frustrated and angry. I started cheating on Brad about six months before I took up with Tad. I saw the same look of pain and hate in Brad's eyes that I saw in yours, Mike. Almost from the beginning of our marriage, I suspected Tad of cheating on me. And then when I caught him, he just laughed at me. He told me that he hated Brad because of some business deal, and he only married me to piss him off. I was devastated, and I suddenly realized what you and Brad must have felt. After I was free of Tad, I decided to hell with marriage; I'd just enjoy myself. I had more than enough money to do whatever I wanted, so I engaged in one loveless affair after another. I was so selfish that I put my desires ahead of my kids. I'm amazed that they don't hate me."

That was about as close to an apology as Jenny could give. After another few minutes of silence, Jenny drained her glass and stood. "I have to go."

Darla, John, and I tried to convince Jenny to spend the night, but she refused. So, John and I walked her out to her car. Her father hugged her tight and told her he loved her. That started Jenny's tears again. She wiped them away, and just before Jenny got in, she pulled me into a tight hug and said, "Thank you." Then Jenny was gone.

I don't know what the years ahead will hold. I do believe that Jenny sincerely regrets many of the choices she's made in her life. Whether she will choose to reconnect with her family is her choice.

The house is quiet now except for the occasional pop or crackle from the fireplace. I couldn't help but think about how sad my ex-wife was, and yes, I did feel sorry for her. As for me, I wanted to kick myself for all the time I wasted trying to find some way to get revenge against Jenny and Brad.

As I sat watching the fire dance, I thought again of the bible verse, "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned, but time and chance happen to them all."

As it turned out, time was the ultimate revenge.