Very Well Met

The trip into The City was brutal.  I missed the train to Penn Station by, quite literally, 10 seconds.  Phone call to her brought her answering machine, "Damn."

Train comes, and I get on it, nervous but not nervous enough to not read.  My vice, you see.  It won't kill you like heroin or make your clothes stink like tobacco but if you are a reader you have to have a book with you, just in case you have some down time.  I'm reading something by Heinlein, "Starship Troopers", story about what man owes to Society as much as a good sci-fi military yarn.  I settle back and let the train take me.

I'm nervous about going into New York. I'm from everywhere that doesn't have big cities.  I've been around them but have never been that comfortable.  Even though I've lived in New Jersey, at this point, twenty years, going into The City (it's always capitalized in my head like that, by the way) is an adventure and somewhat worrying.

Train pulls into Penn station and I look at the printed directions I had gotten from her.  Okay, take the A Train to 181st Street.  Got it.  I find the A train and, again, miss it by seconds.  Figuring it's New York, I don't bother to call, there will be another train along shortly.  30 minutes later, the A Train comes in. I get on and find a seat. I don't read because I don't have any idea how far along 181st Street is.

"*Squawk*...train runs only to 168th Street due to construction.  For points north of *squawk*, you will have to take the provided shuttle buses."

Shuttle buses?  Well, this won't be too bad.  I'll take the shuttle to 181st and walk from there, no problem.  I look at my  phone and see that it's currently 8:15.  I was supposed to meet her at 8 at the restaurant.  At 168th Street, I make another call, get her answering machine and tell it what happened.

"So, I'm on my way.  Should be there soon, I hope."

I hang up and get on the shuttle. Sitting near the front so that, hopefully, I will see 181st Street.  We get there.  You know, there are some very dark alleys in New York.  This is one of the darkest alleys I've ever seen.  Anywhere.  This is supposed to be Manhattan but...I'm not sure.  So, I get out of the bus and start walking in a direction.  One of my philosophies is:  Do something, even if it's wrong.  Meaning you can always make a course correction later.

So, I'm wandering around this alley when I see someone and ask them where "Fort Washington Avenue" is.  He looks at me like I'm insane.  That's because no one in New York asks questions like this.  Quite literally no one.  Just not done.  So, I'm obviously from out of town.  He answers me by pointing up the longest and steepest set of stairs I have ever seen.  They seem to go straight up in almost a ladder like formation.  I look at my phone again.  8:40.  I hope she's still there and begin to run up the stairs.

I have to stop half way up, of course.  I'm 46 and not used to running.  I stop, catch my breath and look at my phone.  8:42.  Come on, you can do it!  I 'sprint' up the stairs and look panting at the note of where to go.  Kismet.  I see it across the street from The World's Longest Staircase And Torture Center and cross the street.

Coming in the door, I see the waiter and ask if she's there.  He looks surprised and points at a very angry looking woman in the corner, finishing her dinner.  I stumble over and say "I'm Andrew."  I hit her with a winning smile and start to explain what happened. As I recount the journey, her anger dissipates. She starts to laugh.  I order my dinner and eat and we chat and joke.  I flick some water in her face which makes her do it back.  We're both grinning as we settle the checks and head out of Kismet.

She explains to me that she didn't know about the construction on the A Train and that she would have given me different instructions.  I don't worry about it, I made it there.  We walk up Fort Washington Avenue, toward the George Washington Bridge and stop at Starbucks.  I order a coffee, she orders a hot chocolate.  We continue to talk and laugh until they closed up Starbucks around us.  We went outside unsure what to do next.  So, I leaned in and kissed her and...

The world stopped.  The kiss was one of those rare first kisses that seems to go on forever.  I pulled her tighter to me and continued to kiss her.  Then, we broke the kiss, looked at each other and have been together ever since.

That happened six years ago today.  Happy Anniversary, My Marcy.  I love you.