A life of Love (revised)

A Life of Love
Chapter one
November, 2027

It is a beautiful fall morning. Jeff and Jacqi are on the back porch together, standing against the rail, against each other. Holding hands and admiring the view from the back of their home. The oaks have grown to be strong and majestic. He remembers when they planted them. Some things he joys in doing just for the pleasure of knowing it’s what pleases Jacqi, or because he knows it’s her dream.
“Aren’t the trees beautiful Jacqi? I sure am glad we planted them.”
The oaks were a part of the joint dream. He has always enjoyed planting and watching trees grow. Actually most of their dreams and plans for this future that they were now living were joint.
He remembers all the emails they had sent each other, so many years ago. Letters of love, hopes and dreams. They would frequently tell each other stories of the future. Jacqi was an expert story teller. Her stories always gave him hope and inspiration.
He diverts his gaze from the trees and pond and looks upon Jacqi. At first she doesn’t notice his gaze has moved to her. He has always gotten pleasure from looking at her. Admiring her figure, shape and curves. The beauty that she had done well to take care of all these years. He loves to look at her while she is unknowing, but also never has gotten tired of the expression on her face when she first realizes that he has been looking her over. He knows she likes that. She has always let him know what pleases her, what turns her on. She also has always made sure she knows what he wants and needs.
They’ve always agreed that this is one of the most precious aspects of there wonderful relationship. It is the same today, completely open, as when they first began. They have never had any boundaries, nothing they couldn’t say or ask of the other. Not only daily decisions but also romantic pleasures. He’s never wondered just how much she loves him. She has always shown it and made sure he knows how much. They’ve never played games with each other’s emotions or feelings. This is a true love they have known for the last 20 years and were still experiencing.
Suddenly she catches him in the corner of her eye, her peaceful smile changes slightly to a light smile of pleasure.
Then she asks, “Are you looking at me again?”
He replies, “I just can’t help it, you look lovely this morning, my lovely Jacqi.”
She reaches over and touches his cheek. He takes this opportunity to pull her close, even against him. Then as he’s always done, he places his cheek against hers, he loves that feel and so does she.
He gives her a peck and tells her again, “I love you Jacqi and I want you to know I appreciate you. Thank you for all you’ve been for me. You’ve given me love, happiness, joy. So very much my love.”
Silently he relishes. He is as amazed with her now as he was then. Now he finds it hard to believe this reality. The reality that he is nearly 65yrs old and loves her touch and can’t wait till the next time they’re behind closed doors and she touches him again. Still loves to touch her, feel her shape. As he always has, he enjoys kissing and loving her, feeling her love and passion.
He remembers before he had met her, thinking true love had passed him by or just wasn’t meant for him. But Jacqi had proven to be the one he had missed. He had missed the chance to at least try to get to know her in High school. But 20 years ago he had another opportunity to grab her and he did! And now he is just as happy that he did as he has always been.
His attention is directed back to the landscape. The grass is normally lush and green but is now changing colors with the cooler temperatures.
Barroo, barroo!!!
What the….? Oh yeah he had forgotten, he had let Copper and his 6 month old pup run loose early this morning.
“Those two sure make a good pair. Man they love to run those rabbits! I think I’ll have Carter and Billy go with those dogs and shoot a couple rabbits. We haven’t eaten rabbit for some time and right now it kind of sounds good. Don’t you think Jacqi?”
He’ll miss running the beagles. But, little Billy will surely enjoy being here, where he can run em any time he wants. Besides being an excellent rabbit hunter Copper was a perfect pet and a picture perfect Beagle.
He notices the garden area. This year it is only a memory, although its' outline can still be seen. Jacqi has always kept a garden. He always gave her some help but it has really always been hers. She really loved it and kept it productive, all those years. He had finally successfully talked her out of it this year; only because they have been so busy preparing for their new adventure and move.
He has always loved this time of year, the changing colors and more livable temperatures. He especially loves the Oak trees; their leaves always change before any other tree and fall off last of all. Oak leaves stay on almost all winter. He remembers noticing this when he was a coon hunter in his twenties. You can look at the timber along a creek from a distance and spot the oak trees during early fall and then most all winter. When it comes to coon hunting, good oak filled timber is nearly as good as a pecan grove. Well, persimmon trees are hard to beat, as well.
He looks at her again. Not to admire her beauty but waits for her eye contact. Moments later she looks his way, their eyes connect. He gives her a smile and look that no one will recognize as more than a pleasant look. But Jacqi knows the look; she’s been getting this look from him for 20 years now. It means the same it always has, “I can’t wait to get you alone tonight!” She reciprocated her look with the same meaning. As they went on with the day.
They had built a pond that now holds huge channel catfish! He’d always wanted a pond full of catfish, like his father had. This causes him to recall the days when he was about 12 years old. His dad had built a pond below the existing old pond in the pasture he had recently purchase.
He stocked the pond with catfish. In the following years he had sold fish to locals wanting to stock their own ponds and even some eating size fish. The pond was only four feet deep. He and his dad would sain the pond with a hundred foot net. It was awfully hard work but he loved it. It was the first time his dad had called upon him to help with something that really was a man’s job. He’d even given him 5 bucks after the first saining.
The pond always leaked some and after a few years Dad quit the fish farming and put all the fish in the original pond. When he was in high school his cousin’s husband had caught a fifteen pound catfish. He himself had caught hundreds of pounds of fish from the pond through his child hood. These were some of his best memories from his early years.
The Austrees provide lovely shade for the pond. All the kids and grand kids enjoy the fishing, but Carter and his son the most. He can see them sitting on the dam now. Carter is a great fisherman and has now proven to be a great father. He smiles as he realizes that this is one of his greatest accomplishments; his boys know how to show love to their wives and children. And Carter knows that taking your son fishing is a great thing to do; for his son and for himself. He feels his chest fill with pride for Carter.
Carter has done so well. He is obviously a good spouse, family provider and father. He is now one of the top engineers at the best Company Tulsa has to offer. Yes he is proud of Carter and so pleased that he brings his family so frequently to visit.
Soon he and Jacqi will begin they’re next adventure. They are nearly ready for the big move. The Arizona sun will be a long way from Tulsa, but thanks to God, they will be able to afford traveling back & forth to visit. In Arizona they can golf, fish, trap shoot do about anything year round. He believed in having fun, living life to the fullest and so did Jacqi.
They love this place and will miss it. In some ways it was a relief when Carter announced that he and Amanda were excited and had decided they wanted to buy the place. They’ll take good care of it. It will be a joy to come here to visit them and see what all they do for the place.
As she enters his vision, Amanda walks across the yard. She is just lovely, a vision of beauty. Nearly as tall as Carter, slender with a lovely figure. Although her own person, (a successful attorney in a local law firm). She also is surely part of Carter. She is his support, encouragement and his best friend. It is apparent she is all these things to him and him to her. In many ways she reminds him of his own wife, Jacqi. She’s so open, always making eye contact with a warm and loving smile. Even now she sees him watching her and looks up with a smile and gives a big wave.
Of all of Carter’s accomplishments, this was the most important. He had found an absolute gem and made her his wife. She is positive and obviously a great motivator for him. You can always see his love for her in his eyes whenever they’re near each other. Perhaps one of his favorite things in life, at this point is when Carter and Amanda come to him and Jacqi for advice. Sometimes on important decisions, other times advice on their relationship. He can see their relationship has developed into something similar to his and Jacqi’s. So few people ever get to experience such a love, it’s a precious thing.
“Isn’t this beautiful Jacqi? We’re living the good life we’ve planned aren’t we? Remember all those emails and texts? Many of the future descriptions we gave each other came true didn’t they Jacqi? Thanks for teaching me, I love you for it” He said lovingly.
“Me teaching you?” She says, “You taught me.”
He laughs and says, “Yeah right. It was a lot of fun though wasn’t it? Hey did I tell you that Maggie and her family might be coming by later today? I sure hope they can, you know after all these years, Maggie is still one of my favorite people of all time.”
Jacqi looks him strait in his eyes, “I know you have always loved her so much haven’t you dear.”
“Yeah, and I swear, Bob still makes me laugh so hard I can’t hardly stand it. He missed his calling; he should have been an entertainer of some sort, great guy. She said she doesn’t think Sarah and her family will be able to come, they’ve got something going on. I think they are a wonderful young family.”
With a smile she replies, “Indeed, doesn’t Sarah remind you so much of Maggie?”
He chuckles, “Yeah, but she has a lot of Bob’s mannerisms as well. Hey there’s little Jerry! I didn’t know Jack’s clan was here already. Hey Jerry! Come ‘ere. Have I ever told you the story about when your dad was about your age and we went to Indianapolis to watch him play baseball? Your Uncle Carter and Great Grammy went also. Boy that was a fun trip. You’ll have to have him tell you all about it. Course he’d probably rather talk about his days in the Major league, but heck the whole world knows about that!”
Isn’t Jerry a good looking kid Jacqi?” Jeff asks. “He reminds me of Jack so much, he seems to have the same talent and love for baseball too. Hey, I just can’t wait to get moved to Arizona! Can you?”
“No, I can’t.” She says, “we’re really gonna have fun aren’t we? I think we should get the old SCUBA gear out and give it another try. Don’t you Babe?”
She was like that, here she was 65 years old and still wants to do exciting things, it wouldn’t even surprise him if she would say she wants to go skydiving again.
“What ever you say honey.” He smiles silently, after all these years he still thinks from time to time how much his sister Patty would have loved this woman. They weren’t just alike, but they had the same love for life, family, and adventures!
Awe yes, he loves those baseball memories. Jerry runs off to play and Jeff begins to reminisce, silently.