Cellie and I have been together for nearly umpty years, yet we've always had separate bedrooms (with visiting rights).
Though we work in adjacent buildings, we've never seen each other's offices.
We take holidays together on the other side of the world, but we fly on different airlines, often on different days, and meet up in a hotel.
One day we could get married, but probably not.
This is how we met. On a rainy Saturday night, I had booked a seat at a large social dinner. I looked at the atrocious weather and the TV schedule, and almost decided to stay home.
As the last dinner guest to arrive, I took the one remaining seat, beside the woman nobody else wanted to sit beside, an overbearing person known for her unpleasant manner.
Though I hardly knew her, the first thing the woman said was "hey, I'm going to the toilet, look after this", and dumped her handbag in my lap.
My heart sank. Now I was stuck in this seat. Why hadn't I stayed home? But then I took my last chance to save the night, while she was away. I palmed off the bag on someone else, picked up my chair, and wandered from table to table. I made a place for myself at the end of another table, drawn there by the open smile of a lovely woman.
Not only did the evening immediately improve, so did my life. After 18 years with this woman, I'm so glad I didn't stay home that night, and that I didn't simply accept the worst seat at the dinner. And I'm grateful to the first woman for being so unpleasant.
Though we work in adjacent buildings, we've never seen each other's offices.
We take holidays together on the other side of the world, but we fly on different airlines, often on different days, and meet up in a hotel.
One day we could get married, but probably not.
This is how we met. On a rainy Saturday night, I had booked a seat at a large social dinner. I looked at the atrocious weather and the TV schedule, and almost decided to stay home.
As the last dinner guest to arrive, I took the one remaining seat, beside the woman nobody else wanted to sit beside, an overbearing person known for her unpleasant manner.
Though I hardly knew her, the first thing the woman said was "hey, I'm going to the toilet, look after this", and dumped her handbag in my lap.
My heart sank. Now I was stuck in this seat. Why hadn't I stayed home? But then I took my last chance to save the night, while she was away. I palmed off the bag on someone else, picked up my chair, and wandered from table to table. I made a place for myself at the end of another table, drawn there by the open smile of a lovely woman.
Not only did the evening immediately improve, so did my life. After 18 years with this woman, I'm so glad I didn't stay home that night, and that I didn't simply accept the worst seat at the dinner. And I'm grateful to the first woman for being so unpleasant.
I say!
ReplyDeleteAbdul had several questions about your story, mostly along the lines of "Was the bad tempered woman rich?" and, if so, "Is she married?"
MM III
Mingers. She's probably 90 by now if that helps.
ReplyDeleteI am always curious about how folks meet.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see a successful relationship. We all work out compromises and comfort zones.
As long as you are happy and have mutual respect, the rest is no worry.
I say!
ReplyDeleteAbdul says that if she's 90, then that is fantastic. However, he doesn't know exactly how old he is himself (I'd say about 52), and does this matter?
MM III
Nanners. Agreed, couple meet-up stories are fascinating. What's yours?
ReplyDeleteMingers, I see the way Abdul's thinking, but she may not even be solvent.