January 4, 2012

• Fools Fall in Love in a Hurry

  

  I remember the first time I met Adam.  It might seem silly to readers, but it still makes me smile.

  My roommate, N., and I had just moved in to the dorm the day before.  The weekend was full of informational lectures, finding classes, and class-bonding activities.  While the two of us were walking from the stairwell to the exit, we saw three boys laughing and playing cards in the common area.  N., being the outgoing one, suggested we ask if they wanted to walk with us to lunch.  We sat down, and the boys agreed to go after one more game of…Go-Fish.  I guess the poker chips hadn’t been unpacked yet.

  One of the boys dealt us in.  We introduced ourselves.  There was one boy, C., who must be close to 6’5 and 300 pounds - a football player.  A second, Ginge, with bright red hair and serious sarcasm – a soccer player.  There was a third at the table - Adam – who stood up when we approached and held out his hand.  He laughed a lot, and everytime he smiled, his eyes crinkled.  He had the slightest Texan drawl.

  A few minutes into the game, I was out of cards.  I guess Go-Fish just isn’t my game.  Adam offered me his cards so I could keep playing.  I laughed it off.  (Later that night
  I won every chip in Texas Hold’Em, I might add)

  When we went to lunch, Adam and I walked a little behind the rest.  He held every door for me, listened intently to every word I said, and had me doubled over laughing at his jokes.

  As we all spent more and more time together, with the addition of a few more fellows…I noticed how little changed.  Adam was still soft-spoken and humorous, innocent yet protective.  He still held the door for me, carried my backpack, and sensed whenever something was troubling me.  He was the one who searched campus in the dark to find me a few nights later, when I was too hurt and upset to stand.  He was the one who walked along the river with me, was the one who jumped down the waterfall with me, was the one who encouraged me to go out for band, orchestra, and dance team.

  Since that first day, we always walked a few steps behind the rest.  Somewhere along the way, it seems we fell in love.

   

  M

  • 10:40 am
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