Pasadena, California September 17, 1946
I arrived at the women's dorm about fifteen minutes late. Gwen was chatting with a girl at the front desk that looked to be about fifteen. Gwen's face lit up when she saw me come through the door. She quickly said goodbye to the girl and gave me a sisterly hug before locking her arm in mine and leading me back through the front door. I don't think I was in the lobby a minute.
We walked aimlessly for a bit and talked about our first weeks at Cal Tech. Before long we found ourselves off campus in a mixed-use neighborhood. The area had a number of two-story buildings with small shops on the street level and apartments on the second floor.
We were hungry and settled on a little family-owned Italian restaurant. Despite having spent several weeks in Italy, I didn't recognize anything on the menu. Gwen suggested we share a pizza and I agreed, not really knowing what to expect. I didn't find it particularly appealing and Gwen wasn't impressed either. We washed it down with bottles of Coca-Cola. Gwen assured me that pizza was much better in Massachusetts.
We held hands as we walked back to campus. That was as hot as our 'first' date got. Despite the chaste evening, I was still walking on air. I was with Gwen. I couldn't think of better company. Gwen seemed nearly as happy but definitely had her sex drive under control. At least it seemed that way. When we got to her dorm, we stopped outside. Men weren't allowed into the lobby after 8:00. I was surprised how fast the evening had gone. Gwen gave me a kiss on the cheek, and, much to my chagrin, another sisterly hug.
With her chin on my shoulder as she squeezed gently, she whispered. 'It won't always be like tonight.' Then she released the hug and ran through the door into the dorm.
Our schedules kept us from seeing each other for nearly two weeks. Between my class schedule, teaching responsibilities, and Dr. Evans research tasks, I often didn't get to bed much before midnight and was up in the morning before 6:00AM. Nearly every minute of my day was filled with responsibilities of some sort. I rarely saw my roommates. Gwen and I did talk every night. While I had privacy during our calls because I was in an apartment, Gwen had to use a phone in a hallway. Weekends were not much of a break. Dr. Evans scheduled lab time for both Saturdays and my first Sunday was spent grading exams, organizing my research for a paper, and preparing lesson plans. Gwen found her course load grueling and spent as much time hitting the books as I did. Her work on Dr. Evans' project wasn't difficult technically she told me, just time-consuming.
I met Gwen at 7:30 AM on the second Sunday. I had made time to shop on Saturday and had assembled a picnic lunch for a hike we planned in a nearby canyon. I also bought a couple of canteens and a canvas backpack. A Geology grad I knew had an old Dodge pick-up and was giving us a ride. He planned to do field work while we went on our hike.
As Gwen and I made our way across campus to meet our ride, I spotted my father walking parallel to us in the opposite direction. When he saw me, he cut across the lawn between us. He was smiling widely but hadn't said a word when he took me in his arms for a hug.
My father was a bit shorter than my six feet but more heavily muscled. He kept himself in good shape, running every morning before starting his day. Where I had the lean physique of a distance runner, he was built like a gymnast. His curly, dark brown hair now had some gray peppering the sides of his head. The war really showed in his face. He looked older than he was but remained energetic and active. To be honest, I had mixed feelings. I was glad to see him, but also didn't want to change my plans with Gwen.
After releasing me, still smiling widely, he turned to Gwen and offered his hand. 'Hello, I'm Harold Taylor, Jonas' father.'
Gwen smiled back at him, took his hand and moved in to give him a hug with her free arm. 'I'm Gwen Kenrick. It's nice to meet you, sir.'
'Jonas hasn't mentioned you, but I'm not surprised. If I were him, I'd keep a pretty girl like you a secret, too.' He said with a big smile. 'Kenrick? Your accent is unmistakably Boston. I did post-doctoral work at Tufts and Northeastern before Jonas was born. I loved living in Boston.'
'Yes, sir. Kenrick. I am from Massachusetts. My family lives in a small town about thirty miles west of Boston.'
'Hi, Dad. It's good to see you. But what are you doing here? Come to see me?' I asked curiously.
'No, no, Jonas. I'd have called and arranged something first. I know how busy you are. I'm here to visit a friend on the faculty here. Someone I've known for many years. We're going to spend the day together and go to a football game. It looks like you two have plans for the day as well.'
'Yes, we're meeting a friend and going for a hike and picnic in a nearby canyon.' I told him.
'Well, don't let me keep you. Why don't we get together in two weeks? Gwen is welcome, too, if she'd like to come.'
'Sounds good, Dad. I'll call one night this week and we can plan something.'
'Enjoy your picnic. I'm sure you can use a break and this is certainly looking like a nice day to be outdoors. I'll see you in two weeks, Jonas.' he said as he walked away.
Gwen was quiet for a bit, lost in thought. "Your dad is quite handsome.' she finally said. 'He's older than I thought he'd be. I guessed he'd be about my Dad's age because I'm only a year older than you. And he looks familiar for some reason.'
'Well, he's not really old.' I answered. 'He's forty-six. But, yes he looks older. I think what he did in the war was hard on him. I know he's still struggling with losing my mother. But I doubt you've met him. We moved to Switzerland from Washington, DC when I was nine. I don't remember living anywhere else.'