Chapter 6 - Surprise

Life is like a coin.  You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once.

Lillian Dickson



I had met him at camp last summer.  We had hit it off, but I never expected him to drive all the way from Colorado to see me. 

"Jeff, what in the world are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh, hey Rorey, gosh it’s good to see you too!" He replied.

"Sorry, Jeff, it’s just I am so surprised to see you.  I mean, we haven’t talked in months and I just, wow, I am speechless.  I was not expecting you to be here."

"Well, I was driving to camp for the weekend, and I thought I would stop by and tell my pretty girl hello, maybe take her out for a cup of coffee."

"Oh," I chuckled awkwardly, "how sweet of you."

"So is that a yes?"

"Um... well sure.  I ah... well... um... can you come in for a few minutes? I am not really dressed for going out and I need to give leave my sister a note in case she comes home early.

"Ya sounds good."

He came in and followed me to the kitchen where I scribbled on a piece of paper a note to my sister, whom I knew wasn’t coming home until tomorrow.  Why was I trying to buy time?  Was I scared to be alone with Jeff? I got weird feelings with him being around.  He was great and we had a good time at church camp last summer, but we hadn’t talked in months.  Suddenly he shows up on my door step and wants to have coffee.  If I remember correctly, and I do, it was him who stopped talking, not me.  He had gotten mad at me because things were starting to get serious and I let him know I felt about that.  I mean for Pete’s sake he lived in Colorado and I was 16 years old.  I wasn’t ready to be talking about marriage and children.  Ya, I know, I have had my wedding planned since I was like 6, but not the actual marriage part!  Jeff was two years older, so I guess in some people’s terms that gave him the “right” to want to talk seriously about rings, hands, and marriage.  I on the other hand, was only, like I said, sixteen.  Facing my Dad after my eighteen year old boyfriend he had never met asked for my hand in marriage (sixteen remember), was not really on my list of top ten things I want to do in high school or ever! 

His voice made me jump back into reality.
“So, Roery, what’s new in your life?”

“Um… well,” I stuttered.  There was so many things that were new.  I just got out of the hospital, some mysterious friend loved me that was still a mystery to me, and then there was always Charlie.  None of that seemed appropriate to discuss with Jeff though.  So I did what I had gotten so good at…I lied. “Oh nothing new going on with me.  How about you?”

“Really, there is nothing we haven’t talked in months?” He questioned.

“Ya, whose idea was that?” I threw back at him.

“Whoa girlfriend, I didn’t mean that in a bad way.  I am sorry we haven’t talked in so long.  I am flattered that you have seemed to miss me though.  I just felt like I needed to give you time think about everything.  If I recall correctly, you were freaking out.”

“Your right.   I mean your right that I was freaked out.  Jeff, I am too young to be getting married.  Far too young actually, and I understand that you’re not, that’s your benefit, but not mine.  I’m sorry.”

“Rorey, you are right.  We are both too young to get married.  I am sorry that I rushed you.  Our time apart has shown me that.  It has also shown me how much I miss you and need you in my life.  I have fallen into some bad places since we haven’t been together.  I need you back Rorey.  I love you.”

Wow, lots of people sure love me all of a sudden.  What’s with that? I have gone sixteen years in my life and the only people who have loved me have been over the age of 25 and all of a sudden I am like … like I don’t even know.  There aren’t words. 

“Look, Jeff, I am flattered, but we haven’t talked in months.  I am not prepared to stand here and tell you I love you.  I’m sorry.”

“That’s ok, just go out for a cup of coffee with me.  There is so much we have to catch up on.”

There was just something about him that made me feel weird.  I didn’t know what it was at the time.  But, I soon found out.

We went to the local coffee shop and ordered a crème de menthe mocha frappe.  We made small talk for a while.  We talked about everything, school, life, college, jobs, and careers.  Then the real news came. 

“Rorey, I have some good news.  I am going to school at the University of Idaho.  I am moving up here in the fall.  We can spend endless time together.  I will come visit you every weekend.  I can even come down and watch you play volleyball and stuff. Isn’t that great?”

“Oh, wow Jeff, Um.. What brings you to the University?  I thought you were going to go to school in Montana?”
“I was, but I just couldn’t stay away from you.  I love you and I have so much to make up to you.  I knew you wouldn’t go for dating me if I was going to be 19 hours away, so I figured I would be as close as I could.  An hour isn’t too bad, I didn’t think.”

“Whoa, so you are moving to Idaho for me?”

“You got it pretty girl.”
“Oh gee, Jeff, um , well that’s flattering, really, but you can’t do that.”

“What do you mean I can’t do that? Of course I can and I will.  I love you so much I just can’t stand to be away.”

“Well, Jeff, I need to think about this.  It is all kind of so sudden.”
“Of course, but what do you need to think about? Don’t you feel the feelings too?”

“Well, Jeff, that’s what I need to think about.  I mean you talk about marriage, I tell you I’m too young, you disappear of the face of the earth for months, now you want to date I am assuming since you are throwing away your dreams to be here with me.  That seems strange to me.  I mean, sweet, really.  But, you can’t blame me for having to think about things.”

“No, I don’t blame you at all.  But Rorey, I just want you to know, I truly do love you.”

“Yes, Jeff, I got that.  Thanks.”

“You’re welcome pretty girl.

He seemed so different from the guy I remember at church camp.  He was moving out here for me.  That seemed absurd.  It seemed even crazier that he had never even talked to me about it.  Like he gave up his dream to be with me and he didn’t even know what my response would be.  I guess that’s faith for you, or maybe that’s love.  It just seems a little you know.. Different. 

We finished our coffee and he drove me back to my house.  He walked me to the door and we were saying good bye.  He was in the middle of giving me this big long hug, and up pulled Charlie.  I seen him and pulled away from Jeff. 

“Who is that?” Jeff asked.

Charlie looked at both of us, turned around and drove away.

“Charlie, wait, it’s not…”

CRASH..........