Small World
Chapter 1

Jan Dennison watched through her front window as the moving van maneuvered into the driveway of the two story frame house next door. Her diminutive brown eyes projected hope, a hope that her new neighbors would be as nice as the Williams who had been next door neighbors for over three years. She and Tim had hated to see them go, for they were one of a rare few couples who had treated them as equals, being neither condescending, nor superior in their attitude. The physical differences had truly made no difference to them, an attitude for which she and Tim were so appreciative. The Williams had been wonderful neighbors and true friends.

It was not that their other neighbors meant to make them uncomfortable, but the first time they encountered her and/or Tim, they were instantly ill at ease, not knowing what to do or say, as if, simply because of their physical differences, she and Tim were somehow alien, to be avoided, or worse, pitied. So the conversations were polite but strained, invitations to visit were not forthcoming and when she and Tim had made the first move and asked over a dozen families for coffee to get acquainted, only the Williams had accepted. From the start the older couple had made them feel welcome and a lasting friendship had developed.

And now they were gone, moved to Arizona for Bob's health and who knew what these new people would be like. Was it too much to hope they could establish the same kind of rapport, or would these new neighbors be like the majority and politely shun them.

Jan climbed off the couch and passing through the hall stopped, as she had done hundreds of times, to examine herself in the mirror. She wondered again why she had to be different, why it had to be so hard for both her and Tim to be accepted. It isn't like we speak a foreign language or have some strange customs, she thought. Why, why are we always considered so different? And why must we forever be trying to prove ourselves to those who, despite their best intentions, consider us inferior?

Jan wore a spandex tank top and cut offs. She studied the reflected image of an attractive twenty-seven year old. Her dark, silky, jet black hair was straight and long, hanging to her waist, her face soft and lovely, eyes sparkling. Jan was especially proud of her figure, her breasts firm, if not massive, giving way to a tiny waist, curvaceous hips and slender, shapely legs. Yet, as always, she sighed, wishing she were taller... much taller.

Jan and Tim Dennison were dwarfs, she standing a mere thirty seven inches high and Tim measuring forty-one. After graduating college, she had met Tim at a church sponsored gathering of "Little People". They gradually began dating and a year later Tim had asked her to marry him. Their four year marriage had been pleasant, if unremarkable. Looking back, Jan realized that perhaps she had been hasty in accepting Tim's marriage proposal. Oh, he was a truly decent person and she was sure he loved her, but both their tastes and temperaments were so different, Tim so conservative, while Jan longed for a bit of excitement and adventure. Her parents had treated her to a Caribbean cruise for her graduation present and it remained the high point of her life. Tim had accepted the computer programmer job right after graduation and become a nine to fiver, except when a system crashed and he sometimes had to work late. Yes, he took her to dinner now and again, but they always felt out of place, especially when people gawked at them, which was almost always. So, they stayed home a great deal and their lives had settled into a not unpleasant, but rather mundane routine.

Jan wrote children's stories. She would often spend three or four hours a day writing, leaving her ample time for housework and her hobbies, growing African Violets and crocheting. She had three books published and a fourth currently with her publisher and she sometimes sold her violets to floral and specialty shops. Her Afghans were unusual in design and stitch and although she made them only for family and friends, she had often been urged to market them. Tim, on the other hand, seemed to have no interests outside his work. He lived and breathed computers and, frankly, despite the fact that she tried to maintain an interest in his work, Jan found the technology of computers uninteresting. On the other hand, Tim tried to show polite interest in her writing and other interests, but it was evident he did it only for her sake. So the two had adopted a life style which brought them together only for meals, special occasions and bed.

The bedroom was another area which had proven mildly disappointing for Jan. Tim was not only small in relation to the majority of the population, but even for one his size he was rather under endowed. Jan had experienced orgasm only four times in their entire married life. It was not for lack of trying on Tim's part. He had even tried Viagra but, while the drug helped maintain an erection, it did little to increase the size. So, Jan often found herself with unfulfilled urges long after Tim had climaxed and was sound asleep. She tried masturbating which sometimes helped and other times only seemed to increase her need and frustration. They had tried experimenting a few times with new positions, but Tim's conservative nature always brought them back to the missionary position and Jan was left wondering if she would ever experience complete fulfillment.

She turned away from the mirror, breaking the reverie. What am I thinking, she wondered, Tim and I are happy. We have a wonderful marriage. We love each other dearly.

She believed every one of those statements, yet nagging at the back of her mind was an inkling that perhaps there was more to life than writing, hobbies and a not very exciting love life. In the last year or so Jan had become a faithful soap opera viewer. She reveled in the romantic relationships of the characters and the way in which mysterious strangers were always entering the lives of the beautiful women who ultimately had to choose, often after a number of romantic and erotic trysts and adventures. She marveled, even knowing it was fictional television, at the number of handsome men who seemed to find their way into the lives of the heroines and how exciting were the relationships which developed. She felt the same old longing again nagging at the back of her mind.

This time she shook her head as if to dispel the disturbing thoughts she did not want to entertain. Reminding herself again of how lucky she was to have a wonderful man like Tim, she went into the sun room to water some plants while making a mental note to mention to Tim that their new neighbors had arrived.