Eight years ago I was 19 years old.
I was living in my own apartment.
I was working at the Hogi Yogi,
"taste it love it crave it"....
I was attending my first semester of college.
I had a very sweet boyfriend.
It happened to be a bright and sunny day that day,
just like today.
My then boyfriend Phil had made plans for us to go to a Jazz basketball game that night.
The Jazz would be playing the Wizards,
Michael Jordan would be playing and it would be his last time to play the Jazz.
I was excited to have a chance to watch this master of the game play.
Because I didn't own a car and the Hogi Yogi was located around 5 miles from my apartment
my darling dearest took me to work and then planned to give me a ride home.
He wasn't working that day and told me he had plans to go and have his car brakes looked at.
I told him to pick me up at two o'clock.
Fortunately (for him) at some point during my shift my boss told me I was actually to work until three o'clock.
I grabbed the phone and called Phil as soon as I heard, which was not long before two o'clock.
I asked him where he was, he said he was still in Springville.
I breathed a sigh of relief, good he wouldn't have to wait an hour for me.
I told him to wait until three to pick me up,
I told him he'd need to take me straight home so I could shower, change, and do my hair and makeup.
You know, so I looked good for our date.
At right about three o'clock Phil pulled up, instead of waiting in his car he came in to wash his hands.
Surly dirty from working on his brakes.
"Did you get your brakes figured out?" I asked.
"I looked at them." he left it at that.
Later I found out that what he meant was that he had looked at the brake pedal so as not to be lying.
We headed south toward my apartment, though Phil took the freeway which I thought was a little odd.
We approached the freeway exit to my apartment and Phil passed it.
I thought maybe he was just distracted,
"Oh! You missed it," I said, "well, just take the next one."
But he passed that one too.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see."
The man got off on the least likely exit,
an exit to nowhere basically.
We drove out to the middle of huge fields and nothingness near the shores of the local lake.
I had no idea what we were doing, I thought maybe he was going to propose, maybe he'd get down on his knees in the middle of a field and tell me he'd give me the whole world.
(while motioning to the surrounding mountains, earth, and sky)
Or something equally as cheesy.
I really thought that!
Much to my surprise he didn't.
Instead he pulled into a small local airport.
I was like, what are we doing???
My sister called me right about that time and asked what I was up to.
I told her I wasn't sure what was going on, that Phil had taken me to an airport and that I had to go.
She squealed in delight, saying something about how
she knew what he was planning, and then we hung up.
With me wondering what on earth she was on about.
My sweet darling led me out of the car and up to a young man who was a friend of his and who would be our pilot on a very small airplane.
I think it was a four seater.....
We climbed aboard and readied ourselves for take off.
I loved every single second.
I thought it was the best Valentines day surprise ever!
Up in the sky
flying through the icy air
the sun shining down on us.
It was glorious.
As we flew around I gazed excitedly out the window.
Like a little kid looking through a display at a candy store.
I was in heaven.
Not long into our flight I heard the pilot say something.
We were all wearing these giant head sets so we could actually hear each other.
I looked up at him and noticed he was motioning for us to look out the window on "that" side.
I glanced over unsure what I would see,
there far below us in a brown and barren field were...
...words...
Large white block letters covered the field in a message.
MARRY ME
it said.
I gasped!
Looking out all of the other windows at other planes flying in the area I wondered,
"Ah how sweet, someone did that for someone!"
I glanced over at Phil to see what he thought of this spectacular scene to find him looking at me expectantly saying,
"And Rose says?"
Suddenly it all fell over me, my mind comprehending his meaning.
"Someone" didn't do this for "someone".
Someone did this for ME,
Phil did this for me!!!
I laughed out loud!
What!!??
Me!!??
I don't remember if I said anything because to me the answer was so totally yes.
I remember reaching for the box that Phil had pulled out of his pocket,
I knew there would be a ring in it, I didn't know what it would look like.
I grabbed for it and opened it, it was the exact perfect ring I had wanted.
I pulled it out of the box and slipped it on my ring finger, perfect fit.
Such was my excitement it didn't occur to me to let him put it on me as has been tradition.
I am sure I hugged and kissed him and told him yes over and over again,
"Si, Si, me gusta, ME GUSTA!!!"
Of course the story doesn't end there,
stay tuned as the story continues tomorrow.
Even though this has been the best part.....
:D
