CHAPTER 13 - THREE DIMENSIONAL CHESS
As Jennifer walked through the front door of the two bedroom cottage, the living room had a familiarity to it. "I know this place," she said to herself. "This was my home." It looked exactly the same as it did when she moved out at 18 years old. The stale odor of second-hand smoke was a sweet aroma to her nostrils, and she took it all in with a deep breath. She felt at peace in this house, but why was she here now? She heard the upstairs floor creak where she once shared a bedroom with her sister. "Nan?" she called out as she slowly walked up the staircase.
"Up here!" a voice replied.
When Jennifer reached the top of the stairs and opened the door, she saw a 13 year old Nancy sitting on her bed reading a novel. "Jen, where have you been?" Nan asked.
Just as Jennifer was about to answer, she felt something walk right through her. Suddenly standing in front of her was her 13 year old self.
"Look what I got," said the younger Jen enticingly, holding up a pack of Virginia Slims 120's Menthol cigarettes and shaking it.
"Oh my god!" Nancy exclaimed as she jumped off of the bed and accepted the pack which Jen handed to her. "Where did you get it?"
"It's a leftover pack Mom threw away in the wastebasket. But see, there are still 4 cigarettes inside."
Nan looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure this isn't a trap?"
"No way," Jen said as she reached deep into her dresser drawer and pulled out an old sock that contained two lighters and a cracked ashtray that had been glued back together. "I waited for several days before making a show of taking the trash out. It's legit."
Jennifer smiled. To this day she still wondered whether her mother had put that pack in the wastebasket for her and Nancy to find.
Jen took the pack back and pulled out one of the four long cigarettes. "God, it's so beautiful." She handed the 120 to Nan who was reluctant to take it.
"I don't know if we should, Jen."
"Nan, we've been waiting for this opportunity forever," Jen said gently but firmly. "Mom is always so careful about holding on to her Virginia Slims. Now we have our chance!"
Nan looked longingly at the cigarette but still didn't take it.
Jen shook her head in disappointment as she proceeded to put the 120 between her lips. "Well," she said with the cigarette between her teeth, "I guess then I'll be smoking these four cigarettes all alone."
"Okay, I'll take one," Nan said quickly.
Jennifer knew that she could always get her sister to comply. Besides, it was obvious that Nan really wanted to smoke, too. They had planned for this day for a long time.
Each sat on the edge of their own twin beds facing each other with the ashtray on the nightstand between the headboards. Jennifer forgot how much nervous excitement there was when she and Nan smoked their first cigarette.
"Now remember," Jen said, "we inhale together on the second puff."
"Uh-huh," Nan said, mesmerized by the unlit cigarette between her fingers.
They both placed their Virginia Slims in the center of their mouths, fingers holding them at the base, and together brought the flames from their individual lighters to the tips. Jen took a light puff as the end of her cigarette brightened, but Nan puffed hard and then inhaled with a snap in the style of her mother. Immediately she began coughing uncontrollably.
"Nan, what are you doing?!" Jen scolded after quickly exhaling the smoke in her mouth.
Once her coughing fit had ended, Nan replied, "I'm sorry, sis. I just couldn't help myself. I've wanted to smoke for so long."
"We promised we would inhale together," Jen complained.
"Well, since I coughed all of that out it doesn't really count, right?" Nan rationalized. "So let's do it together now."
Once again both brought their cigarettes up to the center of their mouths and puffed. Noticeably Nan took a much smaller puff while Jen drew on more smoke this time than before. Slowly they inhaled.
"Ohhhh, wow," Nan said with smoke pouring out of her mouth and nose.
"That feels incredible," Jen responded. "It's like both heavy and light at the same time in my chest."
"Mmmm-hmmm," Nan hummed as she took another puff and once again inhaled.
As Jennifer stood there watching the small room's airspace become hazy with smoke, she wished that she could join them. Suddenly she felt something between her fingers and looked down to find a freshly lit 120 which she happily brought up to her mouth.
"Jen," Nan said as she tapped her cigarette over the ashtray, "I can see myself doing this all the time, just like Mom. I always assumed smoking felt good, but I had no idea it felt
this
good."
"I'm with you, sis," Jen responded as she began to play with the smoke through different types of inhales and exhales. "The problem is, what are we going to do now that we're hooked?!"
"You guys ready?" Jennifer heard a voice say behind her.
"Mom?" she replied instantly and turned to find herself in the dining room watching Nan and her younger self sitting at the table while her dad stood by with a camera. "Baba," Jennifer whispered softly with sadness in her voice.
"Happy birthday to you," her Mom's voice began bellowing in a melody behind the kitchen door which then opened up.
"Happy birthday to you."
She was carrying a tray with a sheet cake that had 14 candles on each side.
"Happy birthday Jen and Nan...."
And in the center of the cake were two lit cigarettes placed into the icing.