Waiting For "You"

2411 Words
Before I ever met you, "you" tugged at my heart.It seemed like we had always been meant to meet.However, as life and other distractions constantly veered us off course, we always seemed to drift further apart.In point of fact, we lived in opposite regions of the globe! I would dream of you night after night, always in the same place, Crème De Le Cocoa, a cafe with a French theme in the northeast of Florida.You would order the decadent dessert known as "Southern Belle," which is a rich, gooey pecan pie with a shortbread crust and a mousse made of vanilla beans.The dark chocolate truffle cheesecake was always my request.Except for the people serving customers, we would be the only people in the cafe. I was aware that I could not discuss you with my friends.They'd all think I'd gone completely insane!That was something I did often ponder!However, my dreams of you were always so real and vivid.It's possible that I briefly observed you and somehow recognized your face.All I know is that you are etched not only in my thoughts but also in the very core of my being—my love. Monday, September 11, 2022, was just another typical workday.However, something transpired within a fraction of a second.My high-pitched alarm clock had failed to wake me up!It appeared that my body clock was also confused!I awoke from my slumber due to the strange silence.I was almost deafened by the absence of the typical morning sounds to which I had become accustomed. When I realized that I would be extremely late for my mandatory work presentation today, I managed to half step and half fall out of bed!After pleading with my team leader for more time, I had already received an extension. "Oh, how absolutely stunning!Immediately to voicemail! I went to the kitchen for a potent cup of coffee and a freshly toasted bagel after leaving a message on Susan Prentice's voicemail.a part of my morning routine to get me ready for a day at work.The ways in which I was going to conceal my reason for not arriving on time were racing through my mind!“Sorry, I slept in,” by no means sufficed! When my normally reliable Ford Explorer SUV wouldn't start, my stress levels kept rising!I decided to call for roadside assistance after checking under the hood to see if any sparkplugs or leads were the problem. “Can this day possibly get any worse?”As I once again found myself speaking to an answering machine, I exclaimed to myself.I was stuck waiting for Roadside Assistance to call me back to say that they were on their way.So I went back inside and made myself another cup of coffee while I thought about how Susan would react to my "no show." I didn't usually do things on the spur of the moment.However, something compelled me to, if you will, follow my heart.You had been there almost every night in my dreams.I had never met my mysterious lover.My decision to travel across the globe to a place I had never been in the hope of finding you was really influenced by the words you spoke to me.Put your faith in me. The Boeing 777's Los Angeles-bound passengers waited in a long line to board.As instructed, we all made our way slowly to our seats, stowing any hand luggage in the overhead lockers.This was it, then!Now there was no turning back!My love, I sincerely hope and pray that you are waiting for me. I had called roadside assistance after waiting for an hour.It would appear that their five-star rating for responding quickly to calls would no longer apply!I was completely enraged!Naturally, I shouldn't have called them back and told them to go f**k themselves while I was still enraged.But I thought it was justifiable given the awful start to my day already.And don't even get me started on Susan, the stuck-up prick!She claims to be an expert!I flew 16 hours and traveled 12,047 kilometers nonstop from Sydney International Airport; she couldn't even bring herself to call me back. I arrived at Los Angeles International Airport.Finding a hotel and sleeping rough for a night or two was all I wanted to do.But I was working on a task that suddenly seemed more pressing for reasons I couldn't figure out.I just had a feeling of it.You could refer to it as intuition.From the moment I stepped off the plane as it entered the arrivals gate, it was screaming at me! I'd finished!I just couldn't stand to sit there doing nothing for another second with no sign of Susan or a response!I needed to leave this place immediately!I had reached the point where I couldn't care less about my job or my car.That's when I realized that my neighbor Jim Maccabee had given me the keys to his 1959 Chevy Impala to keep safe while he was in Massachusetts visiting his older sister Faye.He wouldn't mind me taking the old lady for a spin, I'm sure.Just to prevent the motor from seizing, you know. Monday, September 11th, 2022.My rented vehicle was fully fueled and prepared to go wherever I wanted.After a long flight, my body was telling me I needed to sleep.I was being told to "Go now!" by my head.Naturally, I listened to my mind.That feeling of urgency wouldn't go away soon!In addition, I only needed to travel 37 hours to reach my destination, as indicated by the GPS directions.I ought to get going right away! "I think I dreamed you into life, and I knew I loved you before I met you.I have waited all my life for you because I knew I loved you before I met you!As I left Virginia and headed toward Florida, I found myself singing.I estimated that I would need approximately 12 hours to reach my destination.Just thinking about the possibility that you would be there waiting for me made my heart skip a beat.I've never done anything quite like this before!From the moment I got into my neighbor's car, I decided that life was too short to pass up this chance.In addition, after today, I really needed to alter the course of my life! "Get your engine going!"Set out on the road!Trying to find adventure and anything that comes our way!The rental car started jerking and making splatter sounds before coming to a complete stop just as I was really getting into the mood of the song "Born to be Wild."I was fortunate to be able to stop on the side of the road without getting into an accident.That's when I noticed how quiet everything seemed to be.For miles, there was no sign of another vehicle.I had only stopped for gas and food after traveling for just over six hours.I had been driving on autopilot ever since.The only thing I can really see is the road ahead of me.I had to cover my eyes today because the sun was particularly bright.I prayed that the car key's transponder chip would send an SOS to the car rental company, prompting the cavalry to come to my aid!This section of the road had become extremely quiet and deserted, which bothered me. There was a really strange thing going on!I could swear that I kept passing the same old roadside diner after I had been driving for several hours!I mean, how many places could be called "Ma's Diner"?I had also noticed that there weren't many people out and about.At the Diner and along the side of the road, there were a number of cars, trucks, and motorcycles parked.Because my stomach had been grumbling for about half an hour, I decided to stop for a bite.Naturally, I wanted to see if anyone was out there; my phone was fully charged, but I couldn't get a signal!The rental car's engine had stopped working for several hours.Midway Car Rental's policy stipulates that they will attempt to reach you within forty minutes of receiving notification from the transponder chip that the vehicle has broken down.I didn't have much faith that they would show up anytime soon!I was beginning to feel the gnawing hunger pangs return with a vengeance, and I had a pressing need to urinate! I was able to park under a magnificent white oak pine, which provided shade.Warmer than usual for this time of year, the temperature had reached 110°F.As I got closer to Ma's Diner's entrance, I could smell the bacon.That certainly indicated that there were still people around.It was difficult to determine whether anyone was seated at the tables inside because the Diner's windows had been tinted, probably to block the sun's heat and glare.I felt like I was being pushed back by a strong wind when I opened the door and was immediately hit by a wave of energies.I didn't fall back outside onto the dusty, bare ground because I still had hold of the door handle.A portion of me desired to escape by hightail!However, my curiosity prevailed.I had to continue regardless of the force that was trying to stop me from moving forward. I had made the decision to look for a place where I could call for assistance because I did not want to be stranded on the side of the road in the middle of "nowhere'sville."I had failed in every attempt to read the map in the rental car's glove compartment.What should I say?I preferred to be directed in the right direction by the marvels of contemporary technology.Having said that, the fact that I was unable to connect to the internet was really not helpful!My bacon would literally be saved by the smell of bacon!As a result, I set off in the direction that my nose would lead me, following the scent of blood at the crime scene like a bloodhound. My ears were pricked by the sizzling sound of meat cooking on the grill.I finally managed to pass through the force field that had appeared out of nowhere as I turned toward the styled double doors that lead into the small kitchen at the back of the diner.I searched the dining area for any other indications of activity.Eyes wide open, mouth agape, I stopped in my tracks when I saw what I saw! As I continued to follow the tempting aroma of greasy food that was filling my senses, I had the impression that my legs were laden down with lead.My groaning stomach was now so large that bottled water just wasn't enough to fill it!Never before had I experienced such a buildup of hunger inside of me!I need food, and right now I wanted it!I began to experience hallucinations as a result of the intense pain.I swear I could see what looked like a diner in the middle of the road a few hundred meters up the road! As I looked once more at the hazy figures seated in the dining area, I rubbed my eyes in disbelief.I was aware that they were real, breathing people.However, it appeared as though my eyes were tricking me!Like looking through the lens of a camera that needs to be adjusted to sharpen the image of the object you want to photograph, I couldn't quite bring them into focus.This day only gets stranger from here on out! "I must be trapped in a Twilight Zone episode!I mean, for crissakes, how the hell did this diner just appear in the middle of the road? This time, I had seriously lost the plot!There are, without a doubt, odd side effects to food deprivation!I hadn't gone days without eating, of course.It had probably only been a few hours.However, my stomach was completely concave and appeared to have been without food for days! This diner gave the impression of being "off."However, I was unable to resist the urge to keep looking for answers.I knew instinctively that what I was looking for was right outside the kitchen doors.I had never been so terrified before!What if I wasn't happy with what I found?Is this the version of hell I have, or am I still alive?There was only one means of discovering.Nothing moves here!”As I entered the unknown through the doors, I exclaimed aloud. I wasn't sure I'd make it.Despite my hunger and exhaustion, I was pleased to see Ma's Diner right in front of me as I stood here.The aromas of food that had just been grilled enticed me with the promise of a full stomach.When my hunger forced me to act, I had stopped wondering how this could be possible.I began to realize, now that I was here, that something else had brought me to the diner's back entrance.I quickly grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.The bright lights that were flashing from the diner kitchen temporarily blinded me.Soon after, a low whirring and humming sound followed.I entered without further ado because I could tell that time was running out. It was almost unbearable how loudly my heart was beating!I had never felt more alive, but everything seemed out of my hands.That alone indicated to me that I was not dead.Or maybe I had just passed a test to see if I was worthy, and this was heaven.When I first entered the building, it was pitch black, and the walls were constantly humming.Then, I saw you! A flash of brilliant lights followed. Are my eyes deceitful?Or, my love, are you the person I see in front of me?You are it!As tears of happiness poured freely from the corners of my eyes, that's all I could manage to say.I was not prepared for this.Absolutely not!However, I was not one to take gifts lightly. I have no idea what to say.This is just too bizarre! I knew you weren't a figment of my imagination!Including for me!As I took in every bit of you with my eyes and heart, I managed to mumble.I wanted to feel like you were solid and not like the blurry, fuzzy people sitting back in the dining area, so I took you into my arms.You were, in fact, extremely real! I couldn't breathe because you held me so tightly.However, I was afraid that when I awoke, I would discover that everything had been a dream and didn't want you to let go.Under the strangest of circumstances, two people who had never met but knew they were meant to be together met!I would forever be indebted to whoever orchestrated this "chance meeting," who had undoubtedly gone above and beyond to make this happen!
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