Crossing Familiar Paths

Daniel Roman was in a hurry and he had no time to pause for idle chit-chat. It was bad enough that he had to use the public laundromat but he had to use some of the change he had saved up in his "Jar o' Quarters" which he created from money he gathered from customers at his infamous local italian restaurant "Italia HQ." He was what the people in Norfolk, Nebraska called "a big deal." Daniel fished in his pocket for the lousy two quarters that would be wasted on cleaning his fancy clothes and a book called "How to be a Big Fish in a Little Pond" he had just purchased at From Mind To Page, the local bookstore. But before he could pull out his latest pipe-dream fanning purchase, he caught sight of a face he hadn't seen in eons. A face that he had never stopped loving, despite its absence in his life for the past fifteen years. "M&M?" He said aloud, barely below a whisper.

Mindy Martin wasn't just any old flame. She was "the one." She was his first and possibly only true love. She was the captain of Norfolk High School's cheerleading squad and he always felt like she was too good for him and he was the luckiest guy in the world. Well he found out that his suspicions were true when she dumped him after their year-long relationship. She said he was a great guy but he was just too boring. It hurt Daniel when he saw her at prom a week later with Kevin Greene, the meathead quarterback of The Lancers, the school football team... but somehow this hurt more.

Her face was still the work of art it had always been. Her lips adorned with The Other Woman lipgloss, her eyes could light up the neighboring town of Dinkenberg.

He wondered if he should he talk to her. Why was she still in town? Wasn't she able to get a scholarship? Maybe she was just visiting her folks. Oh, her folks. Her father Tom never did like Daniel much, he recalled, until he found out that they shared the same favorite rock band in Easter Clothes. And her mom had to be the best cook in the town if not the state. He smiled at these memories and clutched his fist confidently. I'll start off our conversation slowly, ask her how her parents are and then see if she wants to get lunch tomorrow, he thought to himself. He took one long stride forward, quickly took the same mammoth stride backwards and smacked himself in the head. "Don't ask her to lunch, you knucklehead!!" He croaked to himself, as the patron next to him wondered if this sweaty man had had one too many hits of Perfect Days.

She probably doesn't even remember you, you putz! Just finish your laundry and get out of here while you still can. He thought as he stood beside the metallic, growling machine. He tapped his foot impatiently. If she approached him, he would pretend he had i1Pod1 and shrug.

When his load finally finished, he quickly grabbed his clothes, put them in a plastic Target bag and briskly walked out the door. He gave Mindy a quick look and a nod as if to say "Though I do not know you, ma'am, I hope you have a good day nonetheless." And he really did, because whether he wanted to admit it or not, he never stopped thinking about her these last 15 years. Even if he were on Calyzio, he knew his thoughts would stay set on her. But she wouldn't care to hear about that. It was obvious that she didn't remember him. He decided to eat at Granny's Cupboard with the same person he always ate with: himself.
- - -
See Mindy? Of course he doesn't remember you. He moved on and you're old news. He's a success. Why did I have to break his heart? He was the best guy I ever had and I left him and for what? So I could feel more excited? I mistreated too many people. I guess I'm paying for that now. I wish I could have gone to college. I wish I could tell him I still think about him. I should have asked him to lunch.... God, I feel like I'm on an episode of Living and Trying...