WHEN Jennifer came too, she found herself in bed. And then, she noticed someone else in the room.
“Mom?” she asked, “Mom? Is that you?”
“There, there. Relax.” It sounded like her mother. She went onto say “You’ve been asleep for a couple of hours now.”
“I just had the worst nightmare, Mom.” said Jennifer, “I dreamt that I was in the Dark Ages, and I was on a dirt road being splattered by passersby, and when I entered some town there was an old lady nagging me. And then I entered some house and discovered that we were descended from the Tannens. It was terrible.”
“Well you’re safe now.” said the woman, “Back in the House of the Earl of Mercia.”
“The House of the Earl of Mercia?” exclaimed Jennifer as her eyes bugged open.
A candle was lit and there, dressed in like a scullery maid was her mother.
“Mom?” she exclaimed.
“I beg your pardon.” said the maid.
Then, realizing that she had traveled back in time for her nerves, finally said “You’re not my mom.”
“No.” said the maid, “I’m not. And you’re not my lady either. But you sure fooled a lot of people didn’t you.”
“Well I’m sorry. “said Jennifer, “I came here for a little visit and didn’t know that I had a look-alike in town.” She threw off the covers and discovered that she was naked. So she covered herself saying “My clothes. Where are they?”
“Being cleaned.” said the maid.
“That’s very kind.” said Jennifer, “But what am I going to wear?”
Then a knock was heard.
“Prudence. Is she awake.”
“Oh my God.” exclaimed the maid, “It’s my lady.”
Meanwhile Jennifer was looking at the maid saying to herself So her name is Prudence too.
Then, someone else came in. It was Jennifer’s look-alike.
“That will be all, Prudence.” said the lady dismissing her, “You may leave.” At that, Prudence left.
Meanwhile Jennifer was looking at the woman resembling her. She looks so much like me. she said to herself. Then, she said “Listen, I would like to apologize for impersonating you. I didn’t know that there was someone else looking like.”
“That’s alright.” said the look-alike, “It’s not everyday that a stranger comes into town looking like someone important.”
“That’s for sure.”
“So what’s your name?”
“Jennifer. Jennifer Parker.”
The woman’s face lit up.
“Parker.” she said, “I’ve got relatives with that last name.”
“You do?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes. Ah, now I know why you look so much like me.”
“Why thank you.” said Jennifer.
“Thank you. Now tell me something: What is the reason why you have come to Coventry?”
“I came to see Lady Godiva. Do you know her?”
“Yes I do.”
“You do?” asked Jennifer with joy in her face, “Do you know where she lives?”
“You’re looking at her.”
Now Jennifer’s eyes bugged open.
“You’re kidding.” she said.
“No I’m not.”
“Well if I recall Lady Godiva…” Then her trailed off. Jennifer then recalled what the old lady said after she entered the city.
You must talk to your husband about those taxes that he’s raising.
Jennifer was in shock. Taxes she said to herself, The deal was if Lady Godiva would ride naked through Coventry, her husband would lower the taxes. And that woman had mistaken me for her. Looking at her look-alike, she said So it is true. That is Lady Godiva and the man looking like Biff has to be Earl Leofric of Mercia.
Turning to her look-alike she said “My lady, my apologies for doubting who you are. For you see I come from a faraway land and know very little about you and your hamlet.”
“That’s alright.” said Lady Godiva, “I know very little about your faraway land.” And they both laughed.
And then, someone else walked in.
“My lady.” he said.
Both sets a eyes turned to see him. Jennifer put more covers on herself. But Godiva got up and kissed him.
Jennifer got a good look at him. My God. she said to herself, He looks just like Biff.
The earl turned around to see the time traveler and said “Well, lookie what we got here. I see you’re awake now. Now what’s this thing about impersonating my wife?”
“If you please,” said Jennifer, “I didn’t know that I looked like your wife. In fact, when I saw her, I was shocked and passed out.”
“Well, what’s so shocking about that?”
Jennifer fought for an answer other than explaining the possibility that she could be a descendant of a Tannen even though that Biff look-alike was really Earl Leofric. So she said “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Leofric gave Jennifer a hard stare. But his wife put her hand on his shoulder and said “Leave her alone. Is it not enough that she has seen me and passed out that you have to interrogate her?”
The Earl turned to his wife and softly caressed her chin saying “As always, your requests is like a prayer. I shall leave her alone. In fact, let’s her a guest in our house. She shall spend the night here.”
“How about as long as she wants?” asked Godiva.
Leofric looked at both his wife and Jennifer and said “It’s a deal.”
“Cool.” said Jennifer.
Both husband and wife looked at each other and asked “Cool?”
Oops said Jennifer to herself, There I go again. Talking like I’m still in the 20th century. So she said “Oh, it’s just an expression.”
The earl and his lady laughed at this.
“I think I’ll tell the servants to get some lunch started.” said the earl, “You and your ladies give…what’s your name?”
“Jennifer.” she said, “Jennifer Parker.”
“Alright, Jennifer.” said Leofric, “My wife and her ladies will be giving you some clothes to wear. See you at lunch.”
“Alright.” said Jennifer, “Ciao.”
The earl mused at the statements that this newcomer was making. After he left, Prudence came back in with some more women who had brought some clothing with them. Jennifer was helped out of bed and was put before a mirror. She noticed that she was given some unusually large underwear.
So she said “Listen, I would like to have my own underwear.”
“You mean, undergarments?” asked Prudence, “I seen them. They look very suggestive.”
“It fits me fine.” said Jennifer as she was being outfitted.
As she was being girdled, Godiva picked up some dresses and showed them to Jennifer.
“If these don’t suit you,” said Godiva, “There are some more dresses for you to select.”
“I think these will do.” said Jennifer as she went over there to pick up one of them.
However, the maids were still girdling her as she went over there. So Godiva said “You’ll have to wait till they’re done.”
Realizing that she wasn’t in her own time she said “Alright.”
++++++
Lunch was ready when Jennifer was escorted to the dining hall.
“Tell me.” asked one of the servant girls, “Where did you come from?”
“From Hill Valley…” said Jennifer before she could stop herself and say, “A faraway land.”
“How far?”
“Very.”
“And then how did you get here?”
“Believe me. You don’t want to know. You wouldn’t believe me.”
Then, she thought to herself Oh no. The sleep inducer and the car keys. They were in the other dress they wore. I better find those before they do.
“Here’s the dining hall.” said the servant girl.
Jennifer whistled.
“Wow!” she said, “Far out.”
“Far out?” asked the servant girl.
“It’s an expression.” said Jennifer, “And it hasn’t been used yet.”
The servant girl looked at Jennifer very strangely. Meanwhile Jennifer herself looked around at the dining hall. Even though she dined in supped in the dining hall at the Medici palace in 1473, she has never seen such beauty that this ancient hall had to offer.
Then the earl and his lady came in with the earl saying “There you are. Please be seated for the blessing.”
“You’ve got a quaint castle.” said Jennifer.
“Why thank you.” said Leofric.
“You’re welcome.” said Jennifer.
After that, husband and wife said grace with Jennifer joining in. Afterwards soup was brought in with crackers. It was hot so Jennifer had to let it simmer a bit.
She also had drummed up a conversation.
“You seem to be rich folk here.” she said, “Have you thought of giving some of your wealth to charity?”
“We had.” said Godiva, “Have you seen the Coventry Cathedral?”
“Yes I have.” said Jennifer, “It’s too bad that it got…”
“My husband financed it for it’s construction.”
“But that was a long time ago.” said Leofric, “You were trying to say Jennifer, what was too bad about it?”
“Oh.” said Jennifer, “Uh, nothing. Just nothing, Oh, the soup’s cooling off. I think it’s easier for me to eat now.” She took a small bite and said “Mmm..good.”
Both husband and wife looked at each other.
“I should tell this to Lord Campbell.” said Leofric.
“Lord Campbell?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes.” said Godiva, “He’s the one who made the recipe for this soup.”
“Campbell soup.” said Jennifer.
Leofric said to his wife “He’s gonna like the sound if that.”
After soup, bowls of fruit were brought in as Jennifer said “I haven’t been this hungry in a long time.” Be careful Jennifer, don’t start overeating now. There’s no therapy sessions here in 1057.
As they were eating, Jennifer asked Leofric “What do you do now?”
“Collect taxes.” said Earl, “How else do I make money?”
At that, Jennifer began to remember her encounter with that old lady when she first entered the city.
“Doesn’t have anyone have a say on it?” she asked.
“No they don’t.” said the earl.
“Where I come from, we have voting power on how far taxes should go. It’s called Proposition 13.”
“Proposition 13?” asked Godiva.
“It’s an initiative to lower property tax.” said Jennifer, “When I was a girl, the price on a house was high because taxes were so high. Then one day, a couple of men decided to do something about it. So they rallied some voters to vote this proposition to lower taxes and it passed.”
“You’re talking about democracy.” said Leofric, “The Ancient Greeks tried that.”
“Actually, it’s a representative democracy.” said Jennifer, “And it’s in a country that tolerates no taxation without representation.”
“What kind of country is that?” asked the earl.
“A country with a flourishing economy.” said Jennifer.
Leofric looked at Jennifer with skepticism. “Listen.” he said, “It might work with your country but it doesn’t work here.”
“How do you know?” asked Jennifer, “Had you ever tried it that way before?”
“He had.” said Godiva, “But somehow he’s seemed to give up on it.”
“My lady.” said Leofric, “I didn’t ask you to give her your input.”
“Now wait a minute.” said Jennifer. Turning to Godiva, she asked “You mean he didn’t collect taxes before?”
“No.” said Godiva, “In fact the wealth we have now he earned every cent through hard labor the same way his father did and his father’s father before that.”
“What did he do?”
“He was into construction.” said Godiva.
“He was?” asked Jennifer.
“Yes.” said Godiva, “He was responsible for the design and construction of King Harold’s castle.”
“But that was a long time ago.” said Leofric.
“And then, what happened?” asked Jennifer.
“What do you mean what happened?” asked the earl.
“According to your wife here, it seems that you started off as a good man.” said Jennifer, “What happened?”
“What happened?” exclaimed Leofric, “Nothing happened.”
“About a year ago he started to raise taxes.” said Godiva, “And he started to mistreat the serfs.”
“It’s like he became another human being.” said Jennifer, “There’s a name for that where I come from: Schizophrenia. As in split personality.”
“You are a curious sort.” said Leofric, “I am beginning to regret letting you stay in this castle as long as…”
“Oh please, husband.” said Godiva, “Let her stay. There is nothing wrong about curiosity.”
“Very well.” said Leofric. After that, he left.
Godiva turned to her husband and said “You must forgive my husband. He’s in to one of his moods.”
“I see.” said Jennifer.
“You’ll still stay as long as you want.” said Godiva
“Thank you.” said Jennifer.
After words, Godiva left.
One week here in 1057 Coventry, said Jennifer to herself, And I now know what to do during that time.
Jennifer Jane Parker was about to play detective.