Chapter 11
One day near
mid-November, I was online chatting with my cousin Jessica through Yahoo!
Messenger. This was the first time I had told her that Tony and I were
officially a couple. She didn’t believe me at first, but after some
bickering she finally did. We were having a nice chat when an instant message
popped up on the screen. It was a hello from somebody named
“jens_luv.” Now who on earth would—it couldn’t be! I
replied with “Who is this?” and they responded with
“Isn’t it obvious?” I sent a couple more messages but it turns
out that person had logged off. It couldn’t have been Tony because he
didn’t have a computer. I asked my cousin if she was playing a joke on me
but she wasn’t. I shrugged it off and didn’t worry about it. Twenty
minutes later I got another instant message, this time from a
“Tonys_Angelfer.” The message said, “Now are you convinced?
It’s me, luv.” Here’s our
conversation:
ferfrianela: how do I know you’re
who I think you are?
Tonys_Angelfer: you know
ferfrianela: how?
Tonys_Angelfer:
because, you just do. It’s me Jen.
ferfrianela:
You’re Jen?
ferfrianela:
lol
Tonys_Angelfer: what? what does lol
mean?
I smiled to myself. All right, I was convinced
it really was Tony.
ferfrianela: How did you find
me?
Tonys_Angelfer: I have my ways.
ferfrianela:
Whose computer are you using?
Tonys_Angelfer:
Mine.
ferfrianela: You have one now? From
where?
Tonys_Angelfer: The school gave it
to me. I had to get somebody to help me set it up and
everything.
ferfrianela: Of course. Otherwise you woulda
called me.
Tonys_Angelfer: I couldn’t do that either
because Nannette has been hanging around here again a lot more
lately.
ferfrianela: great.
So now
we had a new way of communicating besides using the phone because he knew that
Nannette would be standing at the door eavesdropping. Tony and I saw less of
each other during November, with him being at meetings and me doing schoolwork.
We hardly had time to call each other anymore. But the sweetest thing was that
Tony sent me an email everyday that only said “I love you,
darling.”
I was online one day checking my
messages when I received a message from a “DundeeWman” that read
“What’s going on with you and your boyfriend?” Dundee woman?
There was only one possibility of who it was: Nannette. That woman is really
bonkers I tell ya. Here’s what happened:
ferfrianela:
I know it’s you, Nannette. Don’t start any trouble
again.
DundeeWman: I just asked a simple
question.
ferfrianela: Why don’t you just leave us
alone? Is it really bothering you that much?
DundeeWman: Of
course it is! You don’t realize the time and money I’ve spent to get
here!
DundeeWman: Then YOU had to show
up.
ferfrianela: Oh, well I’m sorry that you
didn’t strike Tony’s fancy.
DundeeWman: Do you
realize what could happen if I told somebody about your
relationship?
ferfrianela: Do
YOU?
ferfrianela: That would be a stupid thing to do. Then
you’ll probably never see him again and there goes your wasted time and
money again.
DundeeWman: I’ll risk
it.
ferfrianela: You’re crazy. Then Tony will like you
even LESS, if at all.
DundeeWman: Do you really think your
relationship will last?
ferfrianela: Of
course.
DundeeWman: Relationships like yours don’t end
up well.
ferfrianela: And you know this
because…
DundeeWman: I just know. He might find a
real woman. Are you two having sex?
ferfrianela:
That’s none of your business.
Oh my God, the
nerve of that woman! I don’t even know why I bothered talking to her and I
don’t know why she’s even doing
this.
ferfrianela: Look there’s no problem with
that even if we were. I’m legally an adult now so you can’t accuse
him of statutory rape.
DundeeWman: Yes, but your family
would not approve of your relation with Tony.
ferfrianela:
Well that’s too bad, isn’t it? They’ll just have to accept
it.
Soon after I wrote that, she logged off and
disappeared. The next day I tried calling Tony at his office but he didn’t
pick up. I had no time to actually visit him in his office so for the next two
days I kept trying to call him, but still no response. One Monday morning, (the
last Monday of November), I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. I looked at
the clock as I sat up in bed. It was only 9 o’clock in the morning, way
too early for me. I picked up the phone and on the other end was an Authorized
Officer of Dundee.
“Good morning. Are you Jennifer F.?”
the man asked.
“Yes, I am. What’s this
about?”
“We’ve received a complaint of misconduct
regarding you and an alleged relationship with a Dundee school
official.”
I closed my eyes and ran my hand
through my hair. Nannette had told somebody about Tony and
I!
“Exactly what is the complaint?”
“Somebody
claimed that you were being sexually harassed.”
“Sexual
harassment?”
“Do you deny this
charge?”
“Yes! I’m not being sexually harassed! Just
harassed!”
“Hmm…well that’s another case then.
Well, this charge may still have to go to through a hearing. I will contact you
again soon once I talk to the President of Dundee. Thank
you.”
“Good bye.”
I hung up
the phone and fell back down on the bed. Great! Now it’s turned into a
legal matter! Later that day as I was checking my messages, there was a long
email from Tony saying that he was contacted by an Authorized Officer. He also
denied the allegations of sexual harassment. But he did say he was thinking of
accusing Nannette of harassment in general. Exactly what I was thinking! He
didn’t sound very angry about the situation and he told me not to worry
about it. We would get through it fine he said.