Attic, part 91

Josh looked at Jenny blankly. “What do you mean, ‘exactly’, exactly?”

“You said ‘it’s about time'” Jenny explained, “And yes, it’s exactly about time.”

“Why do I feel like I’m in an old comedy sketch here?” Josh said, “Oh, wait. You mean what we’re talking about. Time is what we’re talking about.”

“Yes, time” Jenny said, “and I must say this conversation just went through a lot of it. Anyway, I learned from my grandmother Amelia that time isn’t a line. It’s more like a sculpture in a room. You can walk around and look at it any way you please.”

Suddenly Josh’s eyes went wide. “You’re talking about seeing into the future, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and the past and the present, all of it.” Jenny shrugged. “It doesn’t make any difference.”

Josh looked at Charlie. “And I suppose you can see into the future too.”

“I wish,” Charlie said, “Unfortunately I’m stuck in the line view just like you. It’s only Jenny here who can step out of it. And then only since she got to know her grandmother.”

“You mean her dead grandmother?” Josh asked.

“I mean her neither alive nor dead grandmother. You should probably listen to what she’s saying.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jenny told Charlie, “I can just as well show him. I can give people glimpses now and then. That’ll do it.”

“Glimpses?” Josh said. “You mean, into the future? How does that work?”

“Like this,” Jenny said. And then she leaned forward and kissed him. It was a long, slow, passionate kiss, and Josh quickly went from startled to very attentive. As she kissed him, he saw the years ahead, all at once, like looking through a telescope. He saw that this was only the first of many kisses to come, and he saw many other things besides.

When at last the kiss was done, it took Josh a moment to stir from his dreamy reverie. He looked into Jenny’s eyes, and saw that she was looking back into his. After a long pause, he said, “It looks like the future is going to be really great.”

“Yes,” she said, “and the best part is that we get to share it.”

“I saw that,” Josh said. Then he took her hand. “Just one thing, Jenny.”

“Yes Josh?”

“The next time you talk to your grandmother, wherever — or whenever — she is, tell her I said hello.”