Well, let?s see? the last entry in the long story was dated 1992. About a year later, I was laid off from where I worked? and went to work in Austin, TX. I commuted daily for about a month? 80 miles each way. This was back when the speed limits were still 55mph on the Interstates. I had to leave the house at about 6:15am to arrive at work at 8:00am. A long drive.
A few months into this job, word got back to me and my wife Rainey that Laurie was getting married to a JW fella that she had met at an assembly. They had just decided that since they were both not getting any younger ? that they should get married. Some courtship, eh? The fella was from some other state ? they talked to each other via phone, I believe, once or twice before reaching the decision to get married.
Anyway ? they flew to Tennessee, where they got a marriage license and married ? all within 24 hours. No waiting period. (One would think that Las Vegas would have been better.)
When they got back, Laurie called Rainey?s parents to tell them to invite us to their ?wedding shower? ? after the fact, of course. Anyway, Rainey told me one weekend when I came home. I was thrown back in time? mentally? thinking about way back when.
The reason that Laurie called Rainey?s parents, and not my house? Well, I had an unlisted phone number. Laurie didn?t have it, nor could she get it. I ? on the other hand ? knew her phone number in Bandera ? even though I never intended to call her.
I told Rainey that I was not interested in going to this gathering ? but would like to talk with Laurie one last time before she left. (She was moving out of state? to Indiana? Illinois? one of them ?I? states.) Rainey knew Laurie?s phone number. Supposedly, I didn?t know that Laurie had moved to Bandera, TX. But I did. It didn?t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
I told Rainey ?why? I wanted to talk to Laurie? which, I learned later? was a big mistake. I let Rainey know that I wanted to apologize to Laurie for the way that I had treated her, long ago.
Well? Rainey made the arrangements to meet in Bandera one evening. I had to drive home ? right after work ? and turn around ? without supper ? and drive, with Rainey ? to Bandera. It was a long day? about to get even longer.
We got to Bandera, and I went into the OST Restaurant to wait for Laurie. I had printed out a copy of what I wanted to give Laurie to read? all 11 pages of print? the same document that I have posted to this site.
I waited? and waited. An hour went by. I was getting tired? and tired of drinking coffee. I got up, and went outside to where Rainey was waiting in the truck. We went to the place of business where I knew that Laurie worked ? to see if she had gotten hung up at work or something. There was a couple there? this brute of a guy sitting in a truck outside, and a gal inside. The fella looked menacing ? and told me to pretty much scoot.
I explained to him who I was looking for ? but he still told me to scoot. He was ?guarding? her, I suppose? I know she was inside ? even though he said she wasn?t.
Tired, and exasperated? I left. Driving home, I told Rainey what I had planned to do? to let Laurie read the ?apology? that I had written.
We got home very late that night. I got up early ? showered, dressed and as I was leaving ? I tossed the folder with the 11 page apology in Rainey?s lap ? and said? ?Here. This is what I was going to let her read.? ? and left on my hour and a half drive ? with very little sleep.
I found out later, that Laurie had called Rainey?s parents? house and left a message on their answering machine ? a bit desperate sounding ? telling them to relay a message to me ? canceling the ?meeting? that had been set up with her. (Rainey?s parents ? especially her dad ? was clueless as to what was going on.)
Since we didn?t get this message ? we had gone to Bandera ? and encountered a ?no show?.
When I got home that evening, Rainey had sent Kathleen to grandma?s house to spend the night ? and she was very apologetic. It seems that she ? when she had talked to Laurie, had taken it upon herself to apologize for coming between Laurie and me? and they both got into a long conversation ? the ?good friends? kind.
Laurie then ran to the ?elders? in her local Bandera congregation and had asked them what to do. sigh Yeah. Right.
Well, not too many know the ?track record? of those bozos in that locale? but I do. They DF?ed a fella who was claiming to be one of their own ?annointed?. This was one of the nicest fellas that you could ever know. They made up some charges though ? and kicked him out. Know what he did? He challenged it. He evidently wrote to the society, and challenged it. After a long and drawn out bit ? he was ?exonerated?. That was the word used. Not ?reinstated?? but ?exonerated?. That was the ONLY time I had ever heard anyone being put back into the religion that way. Anyway ? point being? those ?elders? were ?dirty?. Certainly not to be trusted. (I think that New York even sent a bunch of fellas to investigate that Podunk congregation? but I am not for sure about that.)
Back to my story. These ?elders? counseled Laurie alright? they told her that I was probably going to try to get back with her (remember now? I have been married for over 13 years, and Laurie is also newly and hopefully ?happily? married). They counseled Laurie to call off the meeting. Which she did.
Well? I was really upset with Rainey when I found out that she had ?whimpered? her apology to Laurie ? cutting me out of my chance to apologize and say ?goodbye?. I think that is what I was upset about most. One last chance to say goodbye.
I don?t know if I mentioned the ?connection? I had with Laurie or not? but I could ?feel? her presence? that connection had a range, I learned of about 100 miles. I soon quit ?feeling? her presence? as she had moved out of Texas.
One night? I again ?felt? her presence. I knew that she had returned to visit her mom who lived on the north side of the city. Based on the amount of time that she had been gone? I figured I knew what she was visiting her mom for. To share with her mom news that she was pregnant. No, I do not have confirmation of that ? it was just a feeling.
I have said my ?goodbyes? to Laurie ? long ago. The reason I wrote down my thoughts and memories were twofold. One was to apologize to her. The other was so I would remember.
You see? my father died when I was a wee lad of 6 years of age. I wish that I had written down memories of him ? long ago? before I forgot most of them. I only have 30-second blips of memories? and they are fading rapidly as I grow older. Not many ?good? memories of him either. Most are memories of him beating me with a belt.
I wanted to be able to remember both the good ? and bad ? times with Laurie. And I do.
Thank you for putting up with the ramblings of an old fool.
James