JENNIFER and the prince were enjoying their soup when she noticed Marty.
Upon seeing this, the prince asked “Simonetta. What’s the matter?”
“That ex-boyfriend of mine.” said Jennifer, “He still trying to get me back.”
“I’ll see that he is dispatched at once.” said the prince as he reached for hilt of his sword ready to draw.
Jennifer put her hand on his saying “No. Leave him alone. Maybe he’ll leave.” What’s wrong with me all of a sudden. she asked herself, I feel like I’m protecting Marty after what he…he… Her thoughts stopped in mid speech after a flush of more guilt began to engulf her. The gospel reading and the sermon was beginning to hit home. Then she looked out the cuisine.
Marty was gone.
Jennifer clasped her hands together and put her head on them. The prince noticed this and asked “Maybe it’s best that we leave and return to the palace.”
“No, I’m alright.” said Jennifer as she continued to eat.
++++++
After lunch, the prince showed Jennifer to city that she could only see from the palace and on her way to the studio. With every step, every turn she saw the beauty of the city that she could only imagined. It was breathtaking.
She saw the Baptistery, the Santa Maria del Carmine, The Certosa del Galluzzo, the Church of Santa Maria Novella, the Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi, Santa Reparata, The Gallery of the Hospital of the Innocents, the Church of Santo Spirito, the Convent of San Marco, the Compagnia Maggiore di Santa Maria del Bigallo (the present day Museum of the Bigallo), the Church of Santa Croce (the present day Museum of the Opera di Santa Croce) which was adjoined by the Chapel of the Pazzi, the Davanzati Palace, the beautiful present day National Museum of the Bargello, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Piazza della Signoria, and the Pitti Palace.
While through all this, Jennifer was well received by her new people the Florentines. One mother gave her a child to hold.
Turning to the prince, she said “Aw look at this. Imagine this to be our future.”
She spotted Botticelli who had a sketchpad.
“Quick.” he said to someone, “Give Simonetta a veil and a blue cloak.”
Jennifer looked at him saying “Now wait a minute. What for?”
Botticelli ignored her when he gave a young boy some money saying “Go over to that fruit stand and buy me a pomegranate.” The boy complied.
Meanwhile, Jennifer was given a veil and blue cloak to wear and was given a seat on a bench. The boy came back with the pomegranate and gave it to Botticelli. Botticelli, in turn gave it to the baby that Jennifer was holding and had six boys pose with her.
“Mr. Bottecelli.” she asked, “What are you doing?”
“Thinking ahead to my next painting.” said Botticelli with the prince looking on with a big smile, “‘Madonna of the Pomegranate’.”
Immediately, Jennifer had a radiant smile on her face.
++++++
Marty looked at Jennifer from a distance. There’s got to be a way to get her back before Thursday, he said to himself, there’s just got to be a way.
He knew that there was not much time left. Doc could be back any day now in hopes that he and Jennifer would reconcile.
Monday, October 25, 1473
10:00 a.m.
Florence, Italy
“Ladies and Gentlemen.” said the Lord Mayor, “Today we have closed our schools and businesses to declare this day Simonetta Jennifer Vespucci Day for the City and Principality of Florence. We dedicate it to the future bride of Lorenzo de Medici, the Prince of Florence. May they have a long and happy life.”
At once, the prince and his future bride rose from their thrones to the applause of the crowd. Jennifer was give the keys to the city.
++++++
Marty didn’t attend. He was back at the Vespucci’s trying to write a message to Doc about Jennifer’s upcoming wedding with the prince. There was an envelope with the words “Don’t open until 1987.”
“Dear Doc Brown.” he wrote, “Your plan of sending me and Jennifer back here to 1473 in hopes to get us together is about the backfire. She’s gonna marry a prince…”
“Alexander, what are you writing?”
Marty turned around to see who it was?
“Simonetta?” he asked as he hid the note from her.
“Oh Alexander.” said Simonetta, “I didn’t mean to pry. I’m just curious.”
“I see.” said Marty.
“Alexander.” said Simonetta, “The Lord Mayor has dedicated today as
Simonetta Vespucci Day.”
“Hey, that’s good.” said Marty, “Congratulations!”
“Not me.” said Simonetta, “The other Simonetta.”
Jennifer! said Marty to himself. “You mean that Simonetta, Simonetta?”
“Yes.” said Simonetta.
“Why the hell for?” asked Marty.
“It’s in honor of the upcoming nuptials between her and Prince Lorenzo de Medici.” said Simonetta. Marty got up to leave. “Alexander.” she asked “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to put a stop to this.” said Marty, “Where’s the celebration?”
“Alexander.” said Simonetta, “You can’t. You’ve caused enough trouble already.” She put her arms around him saying “It’s about time you give her up.”
“I can’t.” said Marty.
“You must.” insisted Simonetta.
“You don’t understand.” said Marty, “I have to have her back. I have no choice.”
“What do you mean ‘no choice’?” asked Simonetta.
How can I explain this to her without mentioning something about time travel. asked Marty to himself.
“Alexander.” insisted Simonetta, “I’m waiting for an answer.”
“Alright.” said Marty, “You’re right. It’s time for me to give her up.” It’s the only thing I’ll have to explain to Doc when he shows up Thursday. he said to himself.
He sat back down and put his head into his hands. Now there were only three days left before Doc returns and he was no where near having Jennifer back.
Tuesday, October 26, 1473
3:30 p.m.
Florence, Italy.
After a day at the studio, Jennifer came home and joined her future husband in archery.
As she pulled back an arrow and took an aim at one of the bulls-eye targets saying to herself Ever since the prince I have felt as much love from him as Marty will ever give me.
Pretending that Marty was the bull’s eye, Jennifer let fly a shot. It was a bull’s eye. And then another shot. And so on.
The prince was impressed. “Simonetta.” he asked, “Where did you learn archery?”
“From…from…” said Jennifer, “A 7-eleven.”
I still haven’t forgotten the fact that it was Marty who inspired into this kind of practice by watching him play those video games at that convenience store. she continued to say to herself, But ever since he betrayed me by flirting with Jan, I don’t like who I have to thank for this. But now I’m beginning to feel that every time I tried to distance myself from him, something is telling me that it will be a big mistake unless I get back with him. But I don’t want to do that.
“Seven-eleven?” asked the prince, “Never heard of it.”
“And I wish I never did.” said Jennifer.
After archery, the prince took off his shirt and chased Jennifer around through the woods.
“You can’t catch me.” she said.
“I’ll be the judge of that.” said the prince.
After making a turn through the thicket, Jennifer gave the prince the slip.
“Simonetta.” he said, “Where are you?”
He was looking around but she was nowhere to be found.
And then, someone jumped him from behind. It was Jennifer. Immediately, the prince grabbed her and they both went down. Rolling over each other, they were kissing.
“Oh, my prince.” she said, “With every kiss you make me happy.”
“That’s I want to be.” said the prince, “Happy.”
Both lovers laughed. Then, the prince said “I need to rest.”
“Alright.” said Jennifer as the prince as he reclined on a stump.
She herself recline opposite the prince to admire him fast asleep. Then, something caught her eye. It was Botticelli. He had a sketchpad with him. He singled her to keep looking at the prince while he was drawing.
Wednesday, October 27, 1473
8:00 a.m.
Florence, Italy
When Jennifer arrived at the studio, she first went over to Botticelli’s sketchpad to look what he drew yesterday.
“Looking for this?”
Turning around, Jennifer saw Botticelli, holding a drawing of her and the prince lying around. She noticed three pointed eared boys with goat’s leg carrying a lance in the background.
“I call it ‘Venus and Mars’.” he said.
Jennifer laughed saying “Perfect.”
When her day of posing was over, she got dressed and left for the day. On her way back to the palace, she passed the square where there was some commotion going on. Approaching it, she noticed a group of soldiers holding a man. A crowd of people were there so was the prince who was addressing this man.
“Jandicio.” he said, “Do you not know the penalty for wife beating is in Florence?”
Jennifer took one look at the man that the prince was addressing. He looked like Jim Jandick.
“Your Majesty.” he said, “Let me explain. I caught my wife in adultery…”
“And that justified your actions?” demanded the prince, “And since when does a friendly chat with another man in the tavern constitute adultery? They might’ve been planning a surprise party for you.”
“And she might be going over to his place after drinks.” insisted Jandicio.
The prince heard no more of this. “Tear off his shirt and tie him to the post.” he said and his men did. Then, he said “Stricklandio, I want you to give Jandicio 121 lashes.”
“With pleasure.” said Stricklandio who produced a whip and used it on the man.
Jennifer couldn’t bear to look. Forgetting the circumstances that brought her and Marty here, she asked herself What kind of society glorifies this kind of cruelty?
“How do you like your prince now?”
Jennifer turned around to see Marty.
“Marty!” demanded Jennifer, “Regardless of how he handles things, I’m still going to marry him.”
“Do you see who’s being flogged and why?”
“I’m not blind.” said Jennifer, “It’s possibly Jim Jandick’s ancestor.”
“The ancestor of the same man who’s girlfriend I made off with in 1978.” said Marty, “The same man who I led in a big chase that ended with him crashing into a motor cycle gang and getting beaten up. The same man who’s life had changed after that accident thanks to me.”
“So?”
“That big chase started with me making off with Jan because he was beating her up.”
“Yeah.” said Jennifer, “Just wanted to make her more prettier than me.”
“Jennifer.” said Marty, “The point I’m making is that you tried to stop me from intervening when Jim Jandick was beating up his wife and when the younger Jim was telling everyone to lay off his then girlfriend Jan. But when you see your prince flog Jim’s ancestor, you still want to marry him.”
“Well, he didn’t travel from the future to do that to him. You did.” said Jennifer, “Prince Lorenzo lives here in 1473 as does the man he has ordered to flog. Now let me go home.” She turned to leave. Then, she paused and turned to Marty saying “We would’ve still been together had you left Jan to her fate in 1978 instead of making off with her.”
“I couldn’t do that, Jennifer.” said Marty, “And I don’t care if it was 1978 or 1986. I just couldn’t let Jim Jandick…” Then, his voice tailed off. “Too tell you the truth Jen,” he went on to say, “I really don’t know why I took Jan away from Jim while we were in 1978.”
“You don’t know.” said Jennifer very coldly, “You just did it. You just wanted to play hero in another chance to prove you weren’t a chicken. When are you going to learn, Mr. McFly, when?”
She turned and left.
++++++
As Marty watched Jennifer walk away, he was wondering whether or not he was imagining it but it sounded like Jennifer’s hatred towards him was starting weaken. Or was she tired?
Less than twenty four hours remained before Doc returns.