Life on Another Planet Ch. 14-18

"Thank you, Gregor. I want to say how grateful I am to you and Sabina for being as kind and generous to me as you have been. You didn't know me and yet you treat me like a family member. That, and Eve's belief in me has been the only thing to keep me sane."

Gregor nodded, showing a slight smile. He liked Jesse, almost from the moment they first met. Eve, of course, had already explained Jesse's presence in her home, but meeting him confirmed her trust in him. He knew Sabina felt the same for the young man. But what to do about his incredible situation ... assuming it was true ... was well beyond anything he had ever dealt with. It would take some thinking before convincing himself that it happened just as Jesse described it.

Nothing more was said about their conversation. Jesse could only wait until Gregor decided to reopen the subject.

In the meantime, Jesse looked forward to the Gustafson family joining them for Christmas Dinner. They were due at four o'clock and they arrived right on time. It was a friendly greeting among the five adults as well as Kirsten and Jesse. The Gustafsons had celebrated their Christmas the previous evening, as was their tradition. Gregor served a round of drinks as the group began to trade stories about their gifts. Mica had almost immediately tired of the conversation and asked to be excused. He had his own entertainment to keep him occupied.

Kirsten and Jesse exchanged small gifts. Eve had helped Jesse pick out a nice pair of dress gloves for her, while Kirsten gave him a very elegant scarf. He surprised her with a brief kiss on the cheek in thanks. She blushed, but didn't appear to be upset with his somewhat bold move. In fact, surprisingly, she felt quite warm in the aftermath.

The two young people discussed where and when they might ski the next day, knowing it would be crowded on the slopes. For his part, Jesse didn't care. As much as he enjoyed skiing, he was happy simply to be in Kirsten's company. What he couldn't know was that Kirsten felt the same. They were paying attention only to their own conversation, oblivious to the others.

Their conversation and closeness wasn't missed by either her parents or the Mikeskas. Knowing glances flicked between her parents and the Mikeskas. Anika felt particularly heartened that the barriers that her daughter had erected were slowly coming down. Eve was happy as well. All those sessions with the young woman now appeared to be showing progress. She was coming out of her protective shell and Eve was sure in part it was Jesse's influence on her.

The two talked about her hockey career and the pleasure she was getting out of playing with a group of young women in a very competitive environment. The team was doing well, but Kirsten was grateful for the break. The pressure of playing as well as keeping her grades up where they needed to be was tiring. For Jesse, his life had levelled off this fall and early winter. He was still studying, attempting to qualify for university the following September, working at the book store, and either working out in the exercise room or riding the bike when he had some free time.

Sue Chen would soon move to Victoria, so his dating would come to an abrupt halt. While he and Sue were close, it was strictly a "friends with benefits" relationship. He was happy that they had some time together before she left. There were no tears, but he would miss her and she confessed she would miss him as well. They exchanged simple gifts before she left and he had dinner with the Chen family the day before she moved. Jesse promised the Chen family that he would keep in touch, and with Skype on his laptop, Sue knew she could contact him at any time.

He had no immediate plans to replace Sue. There was no other young woman on the horizon. He was oblivious to the interested looks from various female customers in the book store. Kirsten would be back in school, then away for several days at a time on road trips with the team. In fact, they had one such trip in early January when they travelled to Ontario and Quebec, gone almost two weeks. He wondered if they could become closer when hockey season ended and only her studies would occupy her time.

In the meantime, Jesse waited patiently to hear from Gregor. He wasn't anticipating any magical solution to his problem, but removing the weight of his secret from his shoulders, even slightly, was noticeable.

Chapter 15 Knight of the DiDC

Sunday, January 15, 2012 9:30am

The weather had been dreary for the past two weeks since returning from Whistler. Rain off and on, with a cold wind from the North, the temperature never getting above 10ºC (50ºF). Kirsten had left on her road trip to Eastern Canada, Sue was now established in her Victoria apartment, and in general, life had become somewhat solitary for Jesse Peterson. Gregor and Sabina had returned to San Diego, anxious to see some warm sunshine once again, although not anxious to leave their daughter and grandson.

As expected, Gregor had no explanation or insight into what had happened to Jesse and the missing fifty years. However, he had accepted that the situation was as Jesse had described it and promised to keep the confidence. Eve had explained the lengths to which she had gone in establishing who the young man actually was. Gregor had not shared the information with his wife. She would have had a great deal more difficulty in understanding it.

Gregor did not envy Jesse's future. He would always have to be on guard against a slip of the tongue or an unanswerable question that might lead to more difficulty. He was very surprised and concerned that his daughter had forged documents to obtain Jesse's citizenship and other vital papers, but understood it was an act of necessity. She had surprised him with her commitment to Jesse's future.

Jesse returned to his life of morning exercise and study, afternoons at Norwood Books, and evenings either at night school or at the apartment doing homework assignments. He hadn't even thought about dating and there was no one on the horizon. With a six-day work week, his days were fully occupied.

That Sunday morning dawned bright, with a cloudless sky and near freezing temperature. He was up at his usual hour of six and sat at the computer in his room, "surfing the web" as Mica called it. He was continually fascinated at the incredible amount of information that was available to him within a few keystrokes. He began each day with at least a paragraph in his journal/diary, keeping it current even if there was little to report. Next, he would scan the news on the various stations to see what had happened in the past day. Finally, he would shower, shave, and head for the kitchen and his normal breakfast of cereal, juice, a banana, and his one mug of coffee. He was a creature of habit and that had not changed in whichever century he lived.

He was always the first to rise, just as Mica was always the last. Somewhere along the way, Eve had begun to give him a "good morning" kiss on the cheek. There was nothing sexual about it, merely the comfortable feeling the two of them had developed with each other. It had started during their week at Whistler. He was surprised and somewhat embarrassed at first, but then remembered his mother would do the same in his previous life.

"Is it alright if I go for a drive in the new car?" he asked. The Toyota had been delivered the Friday before Gregor and Sabina had left for San Diego. It was an impressive vehicle in Jesse's opinion. Gregor had purchased a top-of-the-line model in a metallic red colour and Jesse marvelled at all the features at his disposal. The display screen and satellite navigation system were concepts he could only shake his head in wonder at. He was still learning all the various controls and accessories, trying to become familiar with them.

"Yes ... of course," Eve smiled. She was pretty sure he really wanted to get out and spend some time in the new SUV. She had to admit, it was easily the equal of her Subaru, but the colour and shape were totally different. Jesse was drawn to it almost immediately. It was the kind and style of vehicle a young man would be attracted to ... and perhaps a young woman.

Jesse drove out to the university district, returning along SW Marine Drive, carefully staying within the speed limit. There was no hurry and it was a lovely bright morning. As he rode eastward along the two lane road he saw an older import car parked on the verge ahead. As he neared it, he saw the driver's side door open and a young-looking woman get out, slam the door closed, and pound her fist on the hood. As Jesse absorbed the little drama, he made a decision that he wouldn't otherwise have considered. He pulled over a few car lengths in front of the parked vehicle and stopped.

As Jesse climbed out of the Toyota, he saw the young woman with her hands on her hips and heard her cursing something or someone. He began to walk back toward her and see if he could assist her.

"I can see there's a problem," he said as he got closer to her. "Can I help?"

She looked up at him with a scowl. She looked like she was about to explode but must have caught herself before she did.

"My asshole soon-to-be ex-boyfriend has taken my car and returned it with no gas. It was over half-full yesterday afternoon. Now it's out! On top of that, he stole $50 from my wallet! That's the last straw! He's history!"

Jesse was tempted to chuckle at her anger and frustration, but managed to refrain from making her even angrier.

"I can take you to a gas station and bring you back. There's bound to be an open station nearby."

"I guess," she said, sizing him up. "I can trust you, I hope." Her voice sounded wary of the unsolicited assistance Jesse offered.

"Yeah ... I'm harmless," he grinned. "My name's Jesse Peterson. What's yours?"

"Joanna ... Joanna English," she said, still sounding a bit wary.

"Well, Joanna, I'm the President of the DiDC here in Vancouver, so you're in good hands," he grinned.

"What the hell is the DiDC?"

"The Damsels in Distress Club. We rescue young and older ladies when they are in need," he said, maintaining a straight face.

"Oh sure," she said, not believing a word of it, but giving the faintest hint of a smile at the time.

"Your chariot awaits, M'lady," he grinned, bowing and sweeping an imaginary hat from his head.

She took a moment or two to make up her mind, then realizing she had few options at 9:30 on a Sunday morning, she nodded.

"Let me lock the car," she said, pulling out her keys.

The car was an import, a Mazda that had seen better days several years earlier.

Jesse used the key fob for the Toyota to unlock his car and walked slowly back to it, waiting for the young woman to join him.

"This your car?" she asked. "It looks new."

"It is new, but it's not mine," he explained. "It belongs to my guardian's parents, but I'm allowed to use it when they are away. I'm just getting used to it. It's full of electronic stuff that I haven't learned how to use yet. I've been studying the manual and learning all I can."

"Oh ... it is nice. It's got a new car smell," she said, looking around the interior.

"Yeah, it's got four wheel drive for when we go to Whistler."

"Are you rich or something?" she wondered.

He laughed. "No, but my guardian and her parents are quite well off. I get the benefit of that. My guardian is a doctor at Coast General Hospital. I live with her and her son in their apartment."

"What about your parents?"

"They're dead," he said simply.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy. What did you say your name was?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Jesse Peterson. And yours is Joanna English? That's a nice name."

"Thanks. My friends call me Jo."

"Oh," Jesse said with a nod, but choosing not to get too familiar with her yet. "It's a good thing I found you when I did. It's longer than I thought to the first open gas station," he said, turning up Granville Street. "There's one now."

Jesse pulled into the station and got out of the vehicle with Joanna following him.

The station attendant didn't have a "loaner" gas canister but was quite happy to sell him a new plastic one for $10. Jesse didn't flinch, handed the man the ten, then another five dollars for the gas to fill it. When they were done, he put the canister in the rear of the SUV and the two of them headed back to her car.

"I haven't got enough money to pay you for the gas and the container," she said. "I'll have to owe you."

"Don't worry about it. It's all part of the DiDC service," Jesse grinned.

"Yeah ... okay ... so you're my white knight, huh?" she smirked.

"Sort of. It makes it a lot easier to ask you for a date, don't you think?"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I can give you references," he said with a genuine smile. "I bet your other boyfriend couldn't do that. You can check with my guardian, Dr. Mikeska, you can check with my employer, Grant Norwood of Norwood Books, or you can even talk to my former girlfriend, Sue Chen. I can give you their numbers."

She looked at him in surprise. "You're kidding. You'd let me talk to your ex?"

"Sure, why not. I've got nothing to hide."

She looked dubious and sat staring out the windshield for a few moments before she turned to him. "Okay. Write it down for me when we get to my car."

"So ... assuming I get a good report, will you allow me to date you?" he asked.

"I guess so. I can't do any worse than that loser Eric."

"Well, let's talk about it after you've talked to Sue. Then we can discuss what you'd like to do. You can think about what kind of date you would enjoy."

"Alright ... let's do that," she said, showing a bit more enthusiasm.

Jesse made a U-turn just past her parked car and pulled up behind it. It took only a couple of minutes to empty the canister into her gas tank and stow it in her trunk.

"Turn the key and let's see how much gas is in your tank now," he said.

"No point," she shrugged. "The gas gauge doesn't work."

"Oh ... that's unusual. Does everything else work?" he asked.

"No ... the lights on the dash only partly work. The glove box light doesn't work."

It took a minute or so for the starter to move enough gas from the tank to the engine, but finally it sputtered to life before smoothing out and running properly.

Jesse thought for a moment. "Don't go yet. I want to check something out."

He reached into his glove box and took out a small LED flashlight that Eve had given him at Christmas as a stocking-stuffer. Jesse crouched down and looked under the dash for a small, plastic covered box like the one he noticed on the Land Cruiser. Sure enough, it was mounted above the wheel well on the passenger side. With a little effort, he popped the cover open and shone the flashlight on the contents. Two rows of fuses were easy to see and it didn't take him long to spot one of the fuses with discoloured glass and burn marks.

"I think I've found the problem," he said after pulling the questionable item out of the box, holding it out for Joanna to see.

"This is a fuse. If they fail, they stop allowing electricity to the various items they service. They are pretty cheap and easy to replace. If you follow me, we can get these replaced this morning and your car will be in proper condition."

She looked at him and shook her head. "Who are you? Do you always come along just to save hopeless cases like me?"

"Nope ... this just happens to be your lucky day," he grinned.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I can see that."

She followed him to the big auto parts store further along the road and within five minutes they had a new fuse of the correct size. He inserted it into the proper slot and asked Joanna to turn the key on.

"Hey ... the gas gauge is working. I haven't got much, but it is working. Thank you." It was the second hint of enthusiasm from the girl.

Jesse opened the glove box and the light came on as expected. "I think that should put an end to your problems. When was the last time you had this car serviced?"

"I don't know," she said. "I don't remember."

"How long have you owned the car?"

"About three years. It was used, but it was all I could afford," she explained.

"Okay. While we're here let's have a look at the oil in the engine."

Joanna popped the hood latch and with a bit of fumbling, Jesse found the latch and opened the lid. There was a prop fastened to the side that he used to hold the hood in place while he went to find some paper or a rag to use on the dipstick.

"Oh, wow, this doesn't look good, Joanna. This oil is very low and very dirty. You really need an oil change soon. You don't want to ruin this engine."

"How much will that cost?" she wondered, the return of a look of worry on her face.

"Have a look at that," he said, pointing to a sign on the side of the building. Oil changes were being offered at $24.95 during the month of January.

"I really don't want to spend any more money this month if I can help it," she moaned. "I'm still paying for Christmas."

"Don't worry about it. Let's get it done now and I'll lend you the money for it. It isn't much and I'm in no rush to get it back. Hell, I would probably spend more than that on a date with you," he grinned.

She looked at him and shook her head. "I don't know what to make of you, Jesse."

"Talk to Sue, she'll probably give you the unvarnished version. In the meantime, let's get this oil change done. While we're waiting, there's a coffee shop across the road. You can buy me a coffee and we can kill some time there."

"Okay. I can afford a coffee," she smiled.

Jesse liked the look of the smile she gave him. She was a very attractive young woman when she smiled. She was a very attractive woman period. She was about five and-a-half feet tall with beautiful dark curly hair cascading down to her shoulders. When she smiled, she showed a nice, friendly face with hazel eyes, a little nub nose, and slim lips hiding nice even teeth. She was wearing a winter parka, so he couldn't see much of her upper body, but her lovely legs were on display in a tight pair of jeans. Jesse was definitely interested.

The service department told them the car would be ready at 11am, about forty minutes from when they took it into the shop. While Joanna was out of hearing range, Jesse told the counter clerk to change the oil and air filters and put it on his credit card. He could only guess at the condition of the two filters, but it wouldn't be good.

They walked across the wide road in the crosswalk and entered the diner. It wasn't very busy, so service was quick. Jesse ordered a couple of fresh baked cranberry muffins and passed one to Joanna. He paid the bill before she had a chance to intercept the cashier.

"You're not going to let me pay anything, are you," she said, her face showing a look of annoyance.

"Naw ... I wouldn't let you pay on our first date."

"This isn't a date."

"Sure it is. We've been together for over an hour, we're sharing information about each other, and we're having food together. That pretty much describes a date, doesn't it?"

"You really are stretching the facts here, Jesse," she said, once again a smile creeping over her face.

"Well, I'm enjoying being able to help you and show you that not all guys our age are like your former boyfriend."

"You've convinced me," she said as she finished the last of the muffin."

"Let's go get your car," he said as they slipped out of the booth.

"Thanks, Jesse," she smiled. "Thanks for everything. I'm going to call Sue Chen and talk to her. I'd like to know if you're like this all the time. Maybe I can learn more about you while I'm at it," she giggled.

"Go ahead. I have nothing to hide," he lied.

They walked back to the service department and the counter clerk handed her the keys and the sheet with the work done on the car. Jesse plucked it out of her hand before she had a chance to read it.