How I met my darling Part 2/2
I needed to tell Sarah, I was doing back flips inside, the weight of this fateful moment had me reeling.
“Was that really you?!” I blurted out. I needed to be cool, but a smile kept stealing across my face. I wanted to pinch myself, yes yes yes, no no no, yes, yes, YES. This can’t be happening. But it is, OH MY!!!!
By some stroke of luck or miracle, the hunk at the mall had found me, here in Royal Oak. I wanted to squeal and jump and do cartwheels and scream and laugh and cry…
There was just that one issue on my mind, the guy at the mall seemed in his mid-20’s, that just felt too far above my station. I needed to know how old he was. I had to ask him several times, I think he thought I was just being cute. “Ohh, about your age”, he kept answering. Finally, I had to admit with embarrassment – “I’m still 17”, resigned that this could be the end of it.
“oh, well I’m 18”, he finally conceded. Oh, the relief for me!! (and a little disappointment, like 21 would’ve been a bit ‘cooler’!! haha).
We sat down on a couch to the side, he got me a drink and we hung out… (pashed!!), talked… that was us for the rest of the night, mostly both shaking our heads saying “I can’t believe it’s you”. We both knew it was really special.
Kelly and the rest of our group wanted to go home around midnight, and I managed to stall and drag it out until THREE A.M. (sorry guys!!) Shaun kept saying “just come and stay at my house, ditch your friend”. That didn’t seem sensible and when he wrapped his arms around me and so easily lifted me up, I knew I had zero chance to resist if I went home with this stranger and things turned awry. So it was a no, despite his repeated requests.
How can we meet up again, we wondered. These were the days before cell phones, and no one seemed to have a pen. “It’s ok, I’ll memorise your phone number”, I said as I said our goodbyes at the carpark. “5-7-9-7-8-2-0”, (landline) I visualized it written on the hot mix tarseal where we stood. “Ok, I’ll ring you tomorrow”, one last kiss and I got in the car. Once we were around the corner, I squeeallled… No one in the car joined me in my excitement, after all I had held them up in that car for three hours waiting for me.!! We drove back to Pakuranga in silence.. nobody had a go at me, such good friends they were xx
Kelly and I slept downstairs at hers, and after only a couple of hours sleep, I crept out at 7am – to call Sarah. I needed to get this off my chest and I knew she would appreciate it.
“Hi, it’s me” I said in a low voice when she answered.
Her voice was croaky on the other end “Oh my gosh, it’s 7am, WHAT??”
“You are not going to guess who I got with last night, guess, just try and guess” I whispered loudly down the receiver.
“I don’t know, I don’t care…who??”, she yawned even through her exasperation.
“THAT HUNK FROM THE MALL”
A pause, then she gasped in disbelief as I smiled and nodded to myself. “What! No! Whaaaat!!”
“Yessss!!!” I suppressed a sqeaul. “I’ll tell you more later” I said hurried goodbyes and hung up. That was Sunday. I called Shaun later that night from Kelly’s – we had a brief and awkward conversation, and arranged to meet the following day – at Meadowlands, (hee hee)_ at 10am - his smoko break.
I barely slept again. The following morning Kelly’s brother said he and mate were heading out and could drop me off. We got a ride to his mates, but alas, the mate’s car was not starting. It was 9:50am and I was hopping from side to side, ‘guys, what’s wrong with the car, is it serious…?… I need to be at Meadowlands like NOW’, I repeated several times in a strained voice, trying not to be too demanding.
Finally, they got the car going at 10:20, and off we went. “Thank you Andrew!” I called, leaping out of the car before it came to a stop at the Meadowlands carpark. Running in the entrance of the mall, I looked around wildly. I’m too late, I’m too late. Oh my gosh is that him? Ohhh relief, he’s here. He was casually sat at the same seat where I’d seen him eating a banana just days earlier, singlet and stubbies on again. But this time, he was mine… and I knew it.
~~~
We were pregnant with our eldest, Eden, six months later… we got married when she was 20 months old. And of course, as of publishing this Eden is 24, and our fourth one is 11 years old. Some time I’ll fill in the gaps between our first date and our wedding, but I’ll leave it here for now :-)
Someone asked me once if I believe in love at first sight - I thought for a moment, then answered “No.” - I believe there can be a special connection at first sight, maybe an instinctive awareness… but… love? Love is more than an awareness or a feeling, it’s an action and a day after day choice to do. To feel excitement and thrill is a wonderful way to start a romance, but to choose to do the right thing towards that person when you don’t feel like it… that’s true love. I heard once and I often repeat, true love ‘acts it’s way back to the feeling’. Something we are both still maturing into, 25 and a half years after that fateful meeting.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Vicki xx
