The Proposal − October, 1995
Note: As a wedding gift to my wife, I wrote this story and the story of how we met. Months earlier, I had surreptitiously asked her to write the same two stories from her perspective. The wedding gift was a compilation of the four stories. Sorry, buy you'll only be getting my version of events here!
====================
That weekend was a test of my nerves from the beginning. It started out with me driving down to New Orleans to pick her up at the airport. Her flight landed at 11pm as scheduled. The only problem was, she wasn't on it. Hmmm... What to do?
Panic.
After about an hour of tearing through the airport like a madman, I called her mother in Colorado and explained the situation. I was hoping there had been some sort of delay and since my girlfriend couldn't call me, she would call home. No such luck. Her mother managed to calm me down and suggested I talk to someone from the airline. Since it was now midnight, there was no one at the airport except me, the night janitors, and some guy named Willie who kept asking me for a swig from a non-existent bottle of Maddog 20/20. I finally called the airline and was informed that the flight was indeed delayed.
Her plane landed in New Orleans at 2am.
Back at the VOQ, we woke up later that day to do some sight-seeing (or so I told her). A problem presented itself: How was I going to get the box with the engagement ring out of the closet and into my pocket without her seeing it?
"Wow! Look at the size of that cockroach!"
Works every time.
I now had the ring in my pocket. New problem: There's a big bulge in my jeans pocket now. I don't think she'd buy it if I told her it was because I was happy to see her. After six or seven hours of "happiness" she'd get suspicious. Not even Superman can sport one for that long.
Well, it looks like the hand was going in the pocket and staying there. This was tricky, because she kept trying to hold my hand; I had to make an effort to walk to her right so she could have my free hand.
After having breakfast at the gourmet eatery IHOP, we drove to the piers in Gulfport to take a boat out to Ship Island. This was where I planned on popping the question.
Get ready nerves, here comes yet another problem. They weren't running any trips out to the island that day due to the weather (overcast, rainy, and windy) and choppy water. And this was the last day they were running trips for the season. Damn, and me without a Plan B.
Suddenly, I was inspired. I remembered her geekiness about space and astronauts. The suggestion had but to be made and we were off to see the sights at Stennis Space Center.
For the tourist, Stennis was essentially a small museum of space paraphernalia and a few outside static displays. We hit the museum and wandered around, checking out the displays and what-not.
All this time my hand is in my pocket with a grip of steel on the ring box. I was barely cognizant of where we were and what we were doing. The only thought that kept running through my mind was that I was going to ask her to marry me, and we had never even remotely touched on the subject of marriage in any previous conversation.
Yep, I was sweating bullets.
We made our way outside to the static displays, and I still hadn't asked the question. It had to be the right opportunity, and it just hadn't presented itself. I was starting to worry that maybe the right opportunity wasn't going to come around. Alternate plans started shooting through my mind, each one more ludicrous than the last.
She saved my sanity that day with one simple statement: "Let's go sit at that table for a while."
We strolled over to a picnic table situated under a large shade tree. The wind and rain had let up, but the day was still less than ideal. We talked for a bit; about what, I have no idea. My mind was elsewhere. Finally, I decided that it was either now or never. The only problem was, she was sitting on top of the table. I needed her on the bench.
Hmmm... I made up some excuse to pull her up off the table. OK, I got her standing. Now I needed to get her to sit on the bench. No good ideas were forthcoming so I just sat her down on the bench. Almost immediately, she stood back up and continued talking.
My nerves were gone by now and I had to keep myself from freaking out. So I pushed her back down on the bench and said, "Sit. Don't get back up."
Subtle, I know.
I pulled the ring box from my pocket and dropped to one knee. Later, if she thought I was being romantic, so much the better. Truth be known, I was so nervous, I couldn't stand up and had to take a knee to remain upright.
Everything else faded and disappeared; existence consisted of only her and me, and that exact moment in time. A bewildered look came to her face as I brought up the box and opened it. The look didn't change when I managed to shakily ask past the lump in my throat, "Will you marry me?"
It was only a second before she answered, but to the nervous wreck that I was, that second seemed to last an hour.
Then, right at that moment -- I kid you not -- the clouds parted and the sun came out for the first time that day.
She said yes.
====================
That weekend was a test of my nerves from the beginning. It started out with me driving down to New Orleans to pick her up at the airport. Her flight landed at 11pm as scheduled. The only problem was, she wasn't on it. Hmmm... What to do?
Panic.
After about an hour of tearing through the airport like a madman, I called her mother in Colorado and explained the situation. I was hoping there had been some sort of delay and since my girlfriend couldn't call me, she would call home. No such luck. Her mother managed to calm me down and suggested I talk to someone from the airline. Since it was now midnight, there was no one at the airport except me, the night janitors, and some guy named Willie who kept asking me for a swig from a non-existent bottle of Maddog 20/20. I finally called the airline and was informed that the flight was indeed delayed.
Her plane landed in New Orleans at 2am.
Back at the VOQ, we woke up later that day to do some sight-seeing (or so I told her). A problem presented itself: How was I going to get the box with the engagement ring out of the closet and into my pocket without her seeing it?
"Wow! Look at the size of that cockroach!"
Works every time.
I now had the ring in my pocket. New problem: There's a big bulge in my jeans pocket now. I don't think she'd buy it if I told her it was because I was happy to see her. After six or seven hours of "happiness" she'd get suspicious. Not even Superman can sport one for that long.
Well, it looks like the hand was going in the pocket and staying there. This was tricky, because she kept trying to hold my hand; I had to make an effort to walk to her right so she could have my free hand.
After having breakfast at the gourmet eatery IHOP, we drove to the piers in Gulfport to take a boat out to Ship Island. This was where I planned on popping the question.
Get ready nerves, here comes yet another problem. They weren't running any trips out to the island that day due to the weather (overcast, rainy, and windy) and choppy water. And this was the last day they were running trips for the season. Damn, and me without a Plan B.
Suddenly, I was inspired. I remembered her geekiness about space and astronauts. The suggestion had but to be made and we were off to see the sights at Stennis Space Center.
For the tourist, Stennis was essentially a small museum of space paraphernalia and a few outside static displays. We hit the museum and wandered around, checking out the displays and what-not.
All this time my hand is in my pocket with a grip of steel on the ring box. I was barely cognizant of where we were and what we were doing. The only thought that kept running through my mind was that I was going to ask her to marry me, and we had never even remotely touched on the subject of marriage in any previous conversation.
Yep, I was sweating bullets.
We made our way outside to the static displays, and I still hadn't asked the question. It had to be the right opportunity, and it just hadn't presented itself. I was starting to worry that maybe the right opportunity wasn't going to come around. Alternate plans started shooting through my mind, each one more ludicrous than the last.
She saved my sanity that day with one simple statement: "Let's go sit at that table for a while."
We strolled over to a picnic table situated under a large shade tree. The wind and rain had let up, but the day was still less than ideal. We talked for a bit; about what, I have no idea. My mind was elsewhere. Finally, I decided that it was either now or never. The only problem was, she was sitting on top of the table. I needed her on the bench.
Hmmm... I made up some excuse to pull her up off the table. OK, I got her standing. Now I needed to get her to sit on the bench. No good ideas were forthcoming so I just sat her down on the bench. Almost immediately, she stood back up and continued talking.
My nerves were gone by now and I had to keep myself from freaking out. So I pushed her back down on the bench and said, "Sit. Don't get back up."
Subtle, I know.
I pulled the ring box from my pocket and dropped to one knee. Later, if she thought I was being romantic, so much the better. Truth be known, I was so nervous, I couldn't stand up and had to take a knee to remain upright.
Everything else faded and disappeared; existence consisted of only her and me, and that exact moment in time. A bewildered look came to her face as I brought up the box and opened it. The look didn't change when I managed to shakily ask past the lump in my throat, "Will you marry me?"
It was only a second before she answered, but to the nervous wreck that I was, that second seemed to last an hour.
Then, right at that moment -- I kid you not -- the clouds parted and the sun came out for the first time that day.
She said yes.
Comments:
PandoraBox (May 5, 2008. 03:19pm)
This is so cute ! I want to cry but I'm at work. Such a good story !
edunn (May 6, 2008. 03:39am)
Of course she said yes! How sweet is that! My now husband and I went t Ihop after we got engaged! Love this story.