Let me tell you a story about the “One that got away”.
Back in my UBC days, I used to read Baseball Weekly newspaper to keep up with the San Francisco Giants (this was before the Internets got so big and so accessible). Then around March Madness time, I started to read USA Today for their tournament coverage. One day as I was sitting in a random English Lit class, I was minding my own business reading my USA today and SHE sat beside me to ask “When you’re done with that, do you mind if I read it?” Whoa. Girls never read the sports section of USA TOday.
We got to talking, she was a Scottie Pippen fan. We talked more and more basketball and I was hooked. How often do you find a girl that likes sports, and one that you can tease how she likes Scottie? We got to having lunch. Ultimately, we went out on a date.
She was from Ladner, and I was living in East Van at the time. I can’t even remember where we went, but it was good enough that we went out again. And again. I was invited to hang out with her friends in Ladner, going out rollerblading at all hours of the night (The terrain is REALLY really flat in Ladner), and eventually was invited to hang out with her friends at Ladner Beach (I never even knew that existed!!). Of course, that fateful night, I brought my forever wingman D.Asia, which sparked one of the most epic nights of my entire life. I Swear, when I get my TV show deal, I’m going to film an episode around this Ladner Beach night.
D.Asia was brilliant as the wingman. He did everything well, and to the tee. It was a great summer night, and we had to put out our own bonfire at the end. The epic part of the night was the conversation in the car with me and D.Asia about how I just couldn’t pull the trigger on a relationship with a girl from Ladner, the gas money alone was going to ruin me (Yes, I was that superficial back then). Add to that, I was driving a 79 Pontiac Lemans, so the gas was not easy to come by back then to fill the tank. He was trying to convince me to at least see where things go, and wait til the end of summer. I was adamant that it was just too far, and should have counted as a long distance relationshp. Then it happened, the tailpipe cracked off and sparks started flying out of the back of the car somewhere between the Ladner Tunnel and Richmond Steveston Highway. Our lives weren’t flashing in front of us, but we certainly were like “What the Fcuk??” Suffice to say, we pulled over. I didn’t even have BCAA back then (I was in University), so we used twine, hockey sticks, and somehow drove home with the windows down, all the way back to East Van. Shoot.
I took it as an omen that I really should not have been driving to Ladner. I never told her what happened the rest of that night, about the tailpipe and my cussing and freaking out. Again, the wingman came through with flying colors.
I still saw her in class, but we just kept things chill. I was an idiot back then. I still am now.
She eventually married and has two kids. We email from time to time, but never talk about ‘what if’.
Song of the Day: Forever Love – Color Me Badd
Happy Bday to a trusted true friend and compatriot, Big C. Here’s someone that no matter what the situation, no matter what crisis, or what crossroads you come to, you would want his two cents on the situation before you make a move. Thanks for all your advice, Insight, and just plain rappin. Cheers.
