So... this is kind of late as we met nearly eleven or twelve years ago but its important to write this down while I still remember because one day the memory may become static and I may not be able to tell the story wide eyed, with hand gestures and a ridiculous smile on my face. What if its told bitterly... or casual? What if the excitement is watered down and I don't remember what you looked like or how my heart was doing backflips in my throat and my stomach dropped the way it does on a roller coaster fall? What if you were just a day dream at a Cursive show?
I bring this up now because for some reason it was brought up last week. I was at work and I talked about how we first met and how I somehow foresaw our future and but never saw the devastating aftermath, or if I did? I don't remember.
The Encounter
Here we go :dream sequence into the past activated:
It was November 2002, in Florida and cutting extremely close to the day we were moving to Omaha, Nebraska. (a place I had never been to, or ever gave a first or second thought about). Billy and I went to a Poison The Well and Cursive show in St. Pete. (anyway, the geography doesn't really matter)
They say 'love at first sight' is impossible and ridiculously trite I agree and don't because as awful and cliché as it sounds, I saw you and I 'just knew' there was something 'special' and I had to and would get to you, somehow...
You were standing to the right about 75 feet away and what was awkward is you were behind me so I had to keep turning away from the band to look at you. You were talking to a shorter girl with short brown hair and some other girl, you were smiling and dancing badly as you laughed with said girls. I felt creepy just staring every few minutes and laughing to myself but you never caught me, in fact you may have never even noticed me.
I thought you were handsome but I couldn't even pinpoint exactly what made you handsome, you just were and it was kind of like Murakami's short story about the 100% most perfect girl. I had to know you.
When I first noticed you, a weird rush overcame me. I looked at you felt it and looked away at the brick wall and fire escape behind you, the thought came to me. 'I am going to live with him someday.' Which was strange because that thought never occured to me. After all, I had just lost my virginity to my best friend a few days prior and the thought of kissing boys made me dizzy and ill with anxiety. (a year and some change later, you'd be giving me my first real kisses and be patient with me while I laughed hysterically because I had never made out before)
:fast forward to the end of the show:
I was starting to get anxious because it was time to leave and I knew if I didn't approach you, I'd never see you again. It was 2002, I didn't have a mobile, I barely looked at email and social networking sites like twitter and fb didnt even exist. I couldn't give you my number because I was moving and then what would I have said? 'Hi. Call me. I am pretty sure we will live together someday!'? Yikes. There was nothing to say. I just needed to talk to him, to be seen, to touch him and know if he was real. Then? I can leave. Touch my dream guy and leave... that was the plan!
I rushed up to you and tapped you on the shoulder. You turned around confused but friendly all the same. I hugged you and called you 'Noah' or 'Jon' a name that I hoped wasn't yours. I then re-introduced myself and said we hung out at 'random Tampa place'. You shook your head and apologized and when I asked what your name was, I was relieved when you said 'David'.
I went home smiling. The next few days you crept in and out of my brain and I was bummed that I'd never see you or muster up the courage to ask if you wanted to see a movie or show. Who is David? Whats he like? Where is he? What is he doing? I was convinced I'd never see you again and it bummed me out.
Anyway, what matters is this, I found you and you found me... you moved over here after visiting with me for several days and drove halfway across the country and as I predicted, we lived together. My life had become a cheesy movie and my penny in the wishing well was YOU. Surprisingly we got along famously, and were on the same level. We lived frugally and managed to be imaginative and live life having within-budget fun. You were the most fun guy I had ever spent time with, hands down and you were the most witty and hilarious person, you were my dream and I'd like to think I was yours and that's how you made me feel. Even to this day, I think about us and I see legos and the Omaha skyline and I can hear us laughing but it has all become echoes since then...
Anyway, its late. Part 2 will be for tomorrow.
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