Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Alison!”, said the voice on the other end of the line. How are you, honey?”

“Just fine, Helen. Sorry I missed your call. How are you?”

“I’m great. I wanted to touch base to see how your last day went, to make sure you’re all right and to take you to lunch.”

“Honestly, I’m fine. It was a beautiful ending to a horrible couple years but I think we’ll both be fine. Let’s go to the Water Wheel and sit in the alcove. I like it there.”

“Wonderful. Is 11:30 alright? We’ll beat the crowd and have the place all to ourselves.”

“O.K., Helen. Eleven thirty it is.”

Helen found Alison ensconced in a comfortable leather chair, ice water in hand. “She hailed the waitress and said, “Help us please. My friend is going to overdose on water. Please bring us two glasses of merlot.”

“Right away,”

Helen reached for Alison’s hands and cupped them in her own. “You’re sure you’re alright? Was I presumptuous to order wine this early?”

“Yes, I’m fine. We really did part in the most memorable way. Though that’s all I’m going to say about that. It was beautiful, and it is private.”

“Got it.” Helen responded emphatically. “So, now what?”

“Well, it’s not like we didn’t know it was coming. It was about as spontaneous as the space shuttle. I am ready to move on but to what, I can’t tell you yet. I’ve looked everywhere for some direction but nothing is clear.”

“Then I know just what you need. You need Henry.”

“Your coach?”

“Absolutely. Henry is perfect for you. He’s done wonders for me. And, it’s not like you have to do anything immediately. This is the perfect time for the two of you to meet.”

“Helen, I’m not looking to start another rela,,,,”

“Of course not, Helen interjected, Henry is not a date. He’s a coach, a life and business coach. When Marv and I split, it was Henry who helped me pick up the pieces and create my new life. He’ll do the same for you. And, he’ll do it at the right pace. Please say I can call him.”

“Let me think about it. Can we order, please?”

“Yes. Of course. I didn’t mean to be so pushy.”

They spent the next couple hours together in quiet conversations of lighter subjects. Alison was relieved when it was time to leave. “Look,” she said softly, “Why don’t you arrange for Henry to call me in a couple days. I want to get reacquainted with my surroundings. I want to be alone with me.”

“I understand, Alison, I really do. Let me take care of it. Thursday then?”

“No. Let’s make it Monday.”

“Fine.”

As her car exited the parking lot, tears began to flow in earnest. “Six days may not be enough,”

In the ensuing days, Alison’s emotions stabilized and she found that contemplation helped greatly. By Sunday evening, she had weeded the garden, both literally and figuratively. She found that digging in the soil, pruning the roses and repositioning the stones to create a new look helped her realize that change was alright, that a new look could be nurturing. By the time she drifted to sleep that night she was prepared to meet Helen’s friend.

The phone rang just as she was sitting down with her morning coffee. She noted that the area code was not local and wondered for a moment whether or not to answer.

“Hell-o?”

“Good morning. My name is Henry Lampert. I am calling for Alison Greer. Is this she?”

“Yes, it is Henry. It’s nice to meet you. Are you calling locally?”

“Actually, no. I am in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the airport. I am flying back in about half an hour. I was calling to see if you had time to meet around 3:00 this afternoon.”

“Three o’clock is fine, Henry. Do you know the area?”

“Yes, I do. I understand that you like the Water Wheel. That would be a great place to meet. I imagine it will be quiet at that time of day, so we can get to know one another.”

“That would be fine, Henry. Do I have to bring anything?”
“Not at all. We can talk for a while and see how things go. I’ll have a number of questions and I imagine you will as well. So we start slowly to see if there is a match.”

“That sounds just fine. I look forward to meeting you there. I don’t know what you look like.”

“Well, I’m a little over six feet tall and I’ll be wearing a brown leather jacket and. My hair is very short. I don’t think you’ll have a problem picking me out.”

“Yes, especially on a Monday afternoon in a quiet restaurant.,” she said with a smile. “I look forward to it.”

“Ciao.”

“Ciao,”

Alison smiled as she entered the restaurant. There, in an empty dining room, stood Henry, tall and lanky, and quite appealing.

She smiled as she approached him. “Alison?”

“Yes, Henry. It’s nice to meet you. Helen has told me a lot about you, though to tell you the truth she has never gone into much detail. So, while I know she speaks highly of you and she’s very happy for all you’ve done for her, I really cannot say what that is.”

“Great. So we start as strangers on a clean slate. Shall we sit?”

“Yes, of course. I really like the alcove. It overlooks the water wheel and it’s quite relaxing.”

The hostess showed them to their seats and poured ice water in their glasses. They ordered light snacks and then a quiet fell over them. “Who goes first?” she asked.

“It’s your choice,” he said, a soft smile on his lips.

“Let’s start with you. Helen told me we should meet, and that you might help me get back into the world of work. It’s been years since I had an actual job. I have done a lot of volunteer work for the ACS and a few local charities over the years. And, of course, when our boys were young, I was a soccer mom.”

“I see. So you actually have had a number of jobs, just not salaried. What did you do for the ACS?”

“I was a gopher the first year. After I learned the ropes, I chaired some committees and wrote some articles for the local media.”

“So, you were a manager, and a copy writer.”

“Yes, I guess I was.”

“And before that?”

“We’re really going back a long time, now.”

“Before we go back that far, tell me about marriage, children, et cetra.”

“Until recently, I was married to a wonderful man. He is still wonderful; just not mine. We had two children, both boys. The elder, Seth, is in London, where he works as an investment advisor. His brother, Neville, is an American sign language interpreter and photographer. He works out of Boston, but he takes assignments around the country so he can pursue his avocation.”

“Were you a soccer mom, a volunteer, then, too?”

“Well, yes, I was. Though it didn’t seem like a job.”

“My dear, everything we do is a job of sorts, and they all carry challenges.”

“ I see what you mean.”

“And, before this. College, high school. Tell me about those years.”

“In high school, I was into home economics. I learned to cook, which I love, and to design and make fashions, from dresses to scarves and the like. I made my own prom dress. It was quite a hit. I majored in that in college in hopes of being a dress designer.”

“Fine. I think we’ve covered a lot of ground. You’re telling me that you have been an active participant in your own life, and that you were more than a stay at home mom. You were involved in your community, had a lot of responsible roles, and a pretty full and happy marriage for many of your years.”

“Yes, I guess that’s all true. So, what does it mean?”

“It means,” Henry said, smiling, “*that you have a strong sense of self and a commitment to the things that are important to you. You did not marry and retire. Our meeting now tells me that you are fully engaged in creating the next phase of your life and there is no remediation required. So, do you have any firm direction and time frame?”

“Honestly, no. I have only been a ‘free woman’ for a week or so, and I have the resources to sustain myself for a while, so I can investigate my options without the pressure of having to find a job.”

“Are you a reader?”

“Yes, I am an avid reader of a variety of books and magazines. Even on our vacations we included time to lounge around and read.”

“Then let me offer the following. I will suggest a number of books, from self discovery to specific books in the areas you find yourself leaning. We will talk for forty minutes, once a week, three weeks a month. The other week gives you a chance to catch up on things that fall through the cracks.

“I will call you at our appointed time but I may be calling from anywhere in the world, as my clients span the globe. Don’t worry about the time changes. It may be the middle of the night where I am but it will always be during working hours or early evening for you. If you find a need to contact me at other times, just leave a voicemail and I will return your call as soon as I can.

“We can try this for three months. At that point, we may find that we are a match and continue; or, you may find that you want to pursue other avenues. You have the express right to cancel at any time.”

“Henry paused at this point to let things sink in. Alison took full advantage of the quiet to absorb his words. Finally, she spoke. “I think it’s a fair plan. When do we start?”

“Now.”

Alison was deep in thought as she left the restaurant. Her first session with Henry had been more than she bargained for. His questions were direct, to the point and he was more than willing to give her all the time she needed to answer. The most compelling question was, “What do you want?” She had a hard time answering it. He told her the answer was important but it was not necessary at this moment. “It is something you’ll need to come to grips with before you can go forward in any meaningful way.”

“I want,” she replied, “to be taken seriously, to find a career opportunity that permits me to utilize my strengths and that provides me with challenges for personal growth. I realize from your assessment of me that I have, indeed, faced a wide variety of challenges successfully. I have strong interpersonal and communications skills. I am not as internet savvy as I might be but I can master that in short order.”

As she approached a stop sign, she thought. “I answered his questions pretty well.” Then her thoughts turned to other things. She felt a powerful surge of emotional energy, dare she say sexual. Henry was a commanding presence, quiet, yet magnetic; soft yet deeply masculine. She found herself getting lost in his eyes, and in his smell.

The blast from a horn brought her to her senses, and she waved to the driver behind her as she pulled away from the stop sign. No matter. She would not see him for a while. Their next meeting was a week away. They would be talking by phone and he would be calling from Japan. No need to worry about getting too involved. He’s a gypsy and, anyway, it’s too soon.

She went to her computer as soon as she arrived home to check out some books he had recommended. Some of them were older books, he had said, available for just a dollar or two. It’s not the age of the book, he reminded her, it’s the content. She had never heard of the authors: Bolles, Senge, Wheatley, Barker. She remembered Henry quoting Barker, saying "problems that are impossible to solve with one paradigm may be easily solved with a different one." Soon enough, these authors would all become her friends.