45. The end of the world and other things

It’s been a few weeks and I am adjusting to my new life in Georgia. I learn to love Silvia, Tim, and their entire family because deep down I know they are good people. 

They all come and gather on Sundays after church. We eat lunch, play games, their grandchildren run around outside, and then we all go back to church for the evening services. Sometimes their children stop by with just their individual families, especially their youngest son Henry, his girlfriend Sharon, and his two children from a previous marriage. Tim and Silvia don’t like Sharon because she is outspoken and loud. Often, I overhear them talking among themselves about how they wish Henry would break up with Sharon for good. They apparently have their ups and downs but Henry always keeps going back to her. Tim and Silvia don’t like that.

Other than Sundays, I spend most of my days with Silvia too. She takes me everywhere with her. We “run errands” together which consists of driving through fast food, getting lunches for the furniture store crew, driving through the pharmacy, and driving through the bank. I didn’t realize how much “driving through” Americans do. In Slovakia, we don’t have drive-throughs. The first time I see the canister at a bank drive through, flying up and down the tubes with Silvia’s check inside of it, I can’t keep my eyes off of it. I can’t figure out how this invention actually works. Silvia laughs at me for days about it, describing my shocked face to the entire family any chance she gets. 

When we don’t run errands, we often go to Home Depot or Lowes. We spend hours at both of these stores, picking up trees. You can say that picking up trees for the yard is also an errand for Silvia. Trees or bird houses. They are very important. She stands in the store nursery, contemplating which tree would look better in front of her house, this one or that one. “What do you think, Jarka? Which one should I get?”

I am bored out of my mind staring at the trees with her. I point at a random tree but that is no help. “Hmmmm,” she rubs her chin. “I am not so sure….let me think about it.” And so we think about the trees for another 20 minutes and then leave empty handed due to the lack of her decision making skills. Because the next day, we can come back and look at the trees some more. 

Another thing we like to do together is to stock up for the Y2K apocalypse, or the end of the world as we know it. In a few months, there will be a major blackout, which will undoubtedly result in chaos. 

“We need to prepare, Jarka. Jesus is coming back and he will only take the saved people with him to Heaven. All the rest of them will go to hell with the snakes and vermin.”

We stock up with non-perishables, cans of food, blankets, batteries, flashlights. Silvia and Tim have an entire room ready for the Second coming of Christ and for the End of Times. 

“Darling, we only have a few more months left before the Rapture. We need to be good and behave so Jesus will take us with him.” Silvia takes this subject seriously and there is a worry on her face. “I feel like I am ready for this. I usually don’t have any young girls in the house, not to tempt Tim with impure thoughts, but I really like you so I made an exception.” She scratches her chin.

“But I think it would be probably better if you lived in the guest house,” she decides. “I trust that you will tell Peter not to come see you there. I can see the house from my window after all. Girls and boys that are not married are not supposed to be alone together. You know that, right, Jarka?”

“Yes,” I nod. “I don’t ever see Peter around anyway.” 

I state this fact to her because it’s true. I barely see Peter anymore. When I do see him, there are chaperones around us at all times. We cannot even have a private conversation and when we happen to catch a few minutes together, I don’t recognize who this human being is anyway. We don’t have a dating relationship. I don’t know what we have at this point. Sitting together on Sundays in the same pew at church is not enough. I have never been head over heels in love with Peter. Now it feels that even the remaining feelings I still have towards him evaporate into the sweet Georgia air. I realize what I have to do and what is inevitable. I must break things off with him to free us both. I am sure of it, I made up my mind.

Silvia is reading my secret thoughts. “Things haven’t been going well with you and Peter?” She pauses but continues quickly. “I had a feeling about this! You need someone that pays you more attention,” she scratches her head, pondering. 

“Oh Jarka! You need someone like Henry!”

“What?” I look sharply at her. She can’t be serious? Henry is with Sharon.

“I never liked Sharon anyway. Tim also doesn’t like her. And that’s something to say. My Timmy loves everyone! Uhm, but not her!”

I am speechless. I can see Silvia’s brain spinning, cooking something up but I don’t know what it is just yet. All of a sudden, she turns to me and exclaims. “Jarka!”

I jump up in my seat.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were my daughter in law?” She is beaming with a huge smile on her face.

I nearly choke, and we are not even eating cat Chinese food right now. I don't know what to say. I actually like Henry. He is a good looking man in his mid 30s. About 14 years older than me. He is intelligent and kind. He is a gentle soul and very sweet. He is tall and has blue eyes. But I never thought about him as anything more than “Silvia and Tim’s” son. 

Ok, ok, ok.  I need to change the subject as fast as possible. 

“I have found this beautiful song that I want to play for you.” I announce, getting up from my chair and heading to the piano.

It works because Silvia is nodding enthusiastically now, ready to listen to my piano music. She never turns down the opportunity to listen and my willingness to play. 

I start stroking the keys, a beautiful melody winding around me, winding around her too, spreading throughout the house. This melody is supposed to take Silvia’s mind off Henry and me together. I want to pour my soul into the music but my mind is on alert. Who am I kidding? After knowing Silvia for just a few short weeks, I know she will not let the idea of me as her daughter in-law go.