Yesterday, I went to a small town – where I lived the first 10 years of my life – to see a St. Patrick’s Day parade. I should have dressed warmer but the parade is typically an hour long…and I should’ve left earlier to get a better parking space. Lesson learned for next time!
I hoofed it to the street where the parade was going to be in about 8 minutes, dropped some mail off at the post office and found a better spot much further up the street. I found a few people that I went to high school with and stood with them. We decided to mosey around to see if there was a space for the 3 of us. It took us a few minutes to find space for all of us. I was going to get all of us hot chocolate so my friends remained behind. We were chatting for a few minutes before I hear a VERY familiar voice. A voice so familiar that I had chills go down my spine.
“Hello, Deppgrl,” Vince said. “I’m so happy to see you here!”
“Vince, hi,” I replied. “I didn’t expect you see today.”
We step aside from the group so we could talk a little bit more freely. I told Vince that I was rather clear in my letter – and in returning his key – that we were NOT going to contact each other at all…forever. He said that he didn’t know I was going to be at the parade but he wanted tell me that he and his wife are now in therapy and it seems that it’s helping them out. I nodded my head and started to move back to my group when Vince grabbed me by my elbow to pull me back towards him. I stared at him like he was insane.
“What, Vince?” I asked. “There is absolutely NO reason for you to touch me. At all. We’re done. Do not seek me out ever again!”
I turned away and went back to the group I was with. They were curious to know what happened just now and what happened between us throughout the years. I didn’t want to ruin the afternoon to tell them EVERYTHING that’s happened on and off over the years. I sighed the biggest sigh that I’ve ever sighed.
“Here’s the thing, guys. I really don’t want to share every single detail but I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes of the Cliffs Notes of the Cliffs Notes. Back in the day when I was in high school, I met Vince and I was immediately drawn to him. About 4 years after I graduated, he and I bumped into each other and exchanged numbers, not long after we dated, met each other’s families – the whole shebang – he ended up breaking up with me because he felt that I was too young for him as there’s 19 years between us, but his brother was in an accident and died, I went to the viewing and the funeral - ending up moving to his brother’s and sister in law’s to be there for the kids, I moved out, and then we reconnected at a football game a few years later. We started dating but we ended it about a year later. Two years ago, we reconnected and for the last year and a half, we were together; he asked me to marry me but I asked him to wait BUT instead, he was anxious to get married so he married the woman that he was cheating on me with – or he was cheating on her with me - and I spent one weekend with him like 3 weeks ago and cut him out of my life. Told him that there wasn’t any need for us to be in each other’s lives anymore. Yes, we’re in a public place. Yes, he made me uncomfortable. No, I don’t think that he’s going to harm me. No, I don’t think that I need a restraining order.”
They were surprised of all that’s happened and a bit shocked; they had no idea what to say to all that. The 3 of us - my friends and I - we all went to the same high school. My male friend didn’t know how to respond as he was friends with both Vince and I; I told him that he doesn’t need to pick sides and that I am happy that he’s friends with both Vince and I. My female friend was in the high school for her junior and senior years and didn’t really know Vince that well and she knew of him. They were thankful that I shared that with them and I told them that I appreciate their support and that it didn’t really bother me that they remained friends with Vince.
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