Why did I wait so long to clean the house? Nikki could be arriving at any time. At least the dirty clothes were out of the dryer, folded, hangered, and out of the way. When you work full-time, with a part-time job, there never seems to be enough time to get caught up on the stuff that a woman will immediately notice. Fortunately, Nikki understands and forgives my controlled messiness. She never fails to mention that I am too old to properly keep a house and should hire a maid. But, I would have to seriously clean before allowing a stranger to see my clutter.
Before you get the wrong idea, Nikki is not my girlfriend. She is one of the most beautiful, intelligent, young women....24 years old.....to ever cross my life. She happens to be the next best thing to a daughter. We met four years ago at her college graduation. I was taking some pictures of a friends son, you know, the whole Cap-and-Gown thing. Her parents were standing close to my group, trying to get everyone together, when their camera died. That is a problem with small digitals. They use too much battery power to keep the LED screen lit. Most never consider having back-up batteries. While the parental units fussed, Nikki waltzed over and asked if there was any possibility of me taking a few pictures.
The smile was so sweet. Ok, I am a sucker for young women. Any older male.....I am 47......who says otherwise will lie about other things. She calmed her family and they all patiently waited for me to finish the first task. After the introductions it was simple to herd them all into the necessary poses and groups. We exchanged emails and I promised to send the photos speedily. Later that evening the emailed photos were sent, with a note asking for a mailing address. The email pics were small files. I wanted her to have a disc with full-sized files so decent prints and enlargements could be made. When the return popped up I found that she lived in my city. I shouldn't have been too surprised. There are many young people in my city attending the same college because of its proximity to home and friends.
After a little corresponding we decided that it was acceptable to bring a disc to her parent's house. They loved the pictures. Several times her dad mentioned payment but that was not happening. I love photography. While making money always helps pay for new equipment or vacations it is always a pleasure to give them for free. I am not a professional and feel uncomfortable charging as one. A home-cooked dinner by Nikki's mom was much better than cash. I love to cook. And, happen to be a good cook. But, great food, prepared while I relax, will never be refused. By the time I left that evening Nikki's mom and dad were new-found friends. Their daughter had, for lack of a better term, adopted me into her life. That was a most welcome intrusion into my world.
Nikki called often. I became a confidant, an ear for listening, and a shoulder to cry on. She picked my brain for opinions. I think she just wanted someone other than parents to know her business. That was ok with me. I never had children of my own and she was my foray into fatherhood. Rarely did a day pass without talking. She would call and ask if she could visit as her car pulled into the driveway. When she took a job 200 miles away it felt like part of me disappeared. But, thank goodness for cell phones with free nights and weekends. That shrank the distance considerably. Now she was back to visit family.....and me. I made a point to ask if her mom and dad would mind her spending time visiting me. She made it clear that mom and dad were very important, but they were leaving on vacation before Nikki had to return home. That gave us two days to catch up on all the things we had been talking about every week. Somehow it is better when you can see someone face-to-face.
The vacuum cleaner had just been placed behind the closet door when the doorbell chimed. She almost knocked me off my feet when the door opened. Between the squealing and bouncing, my balance was in jeopardy. Finally Nikki calmed enough to have normal conversation. Have you ever known someone who touched your life beyond description? That is Nikki. At that moment I realized how wonderful it was to hear her voice, watch the expressions, and laugh at the hand movements. To Nikki, talking was a "whole-body" experience. When I reached to close the door Nikki immediately stopped me. That was the moment when I learned she was staying with me until time to leave for home. She quickly mentioned that it seemed stupid to stay alone in her parents' house when we had so much stuff to catch up on. Nikki then asked if she could stay here instead of alone at her mom and dads house. What was I going to say? I hold my privacy dear but, she was "family". It wasn't like there was no room. The guest room had been used so seldom. I almost considered making it a large walk-in closet/storage area. I looked at the big, questioning eyes, smiled and said yes.
Nikki launched herself onto the porch and called over her shoulder to come help with the luggage. How much can one person use in a week? As we emptied the car I asked if there was a preference for dinner. What restaurant did she like the most? We had tried almost every good place this city had to offer. Fortunately, Nikki's like of good food mimicked my own. But, she surprised me. She wanted to know if I would cook. She said her taste buds had been craving a pasta dish I often prepared. It had grilled shrimp and scallops in a white wine, parmesan cream-sauce. The thought made my stomach churn with hunger. Unfortunately, shrimp and scallops aren't something you keep in the refrigerator unless it will be soon used. I told Nikki to grab her purse so we could head to the nearest grocery. There was a great local store about 15 minutes away. It was the place to shop when fresh seafood and meats were needed. Nikki asked if I minded going alone. Helping her mom clean and pack all morning had left her feeling a bit gritty and tired. She wanted a hot shower and my trip for groceries would be the perfect amount of time. She promised to be fresh and awake before I got back.