Continued from part IV
Seeing him for the first time in 31 years
That day couldn’t come soon enough. But at last it finally did. The plan was to meet at 9am. So at 8:50am I walked to the park and sat at the designated meeting spot. I wanted to give him the opportunity to “surprise” me so I sat and waited, facing the benches instead of outwards towards the field.
I sat nervously listening for footsteps, and...waited and waited....it’s been 15 minutes. Did he get cold feet?
I kept checking the time. Did he get lost? Run out of gas? I had no way to contact him as he didn’t have a cell phone. Every time I’d hear footsteps I’d make a sideways glance anticipating I’d see him but, alas, it was just a person walking their dog. Sigh. 20 minutes went by. But then, out of the corner of my eye I saw a figure shuffling across the field. Is that him?? I think that’s him! Wait. Where’s he going? I’m over here!! Oh, shit he thinks I’m sitting on the far end of the park. Quick! Run after him!! I did and then realized the bathrooms were back there behind the baseball diamond. That’s where he was headed! Crap. Run back!! I quickly composed myself pretending as if I hadn’t noticed him, facing the bench again (what a dork).
Then I heard someone come up behind me and stop. I slowly turned my head....
(Not actual photo)
And there stood Prince Charming. After over 30 years apart I could hardly believe my eyes. He stood sheepishly grinning at me. I got up, walked up to him and we embraced nervously, giddy with joy and excitement. "Oh my god it’s you!" I said. “Yup, it’s me”. Hearing his voice again...amazing. He was nervous. We both were. We quickly sat back down on the bench completely entwined holding hands, touching, our faces close together and we kissed. I inhaled his scent so familiar behind his ear and saw those little curly hairs at the nape of his neck. Memories came flooding back. Although his appearance was a bit shabby with his straggly long hair, his teeth (oh dear me, his poor teeth!) and his face weathered from the sun and years of smoking, his sweet spirit was still there and I felt his excitement seeing me again, too.
He told me he made a wish on his birthday a month earlier that he'd find love again.
However, in my mind I had been building up a romanticized scenario of how it would be when we reunited. And it looked a little something like this.
But in reality it was more like this. Still a romantic story but what I dreamed he would be like, or what I'd hoped, wasn't quite what I got.
The thing is, when we were young, I knew Prince Charming was ...different.
(to be continued)
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Hmmm..not quite sure how to take that. But thanks for checking it out anyway. :-)