A First Date

Takes quite a woman to get me to put a flower in my hair
Originally uploaded by uncsuperman.

And so dinner was set. I was going to find a place to eat in this unknown city with this unknown girl. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. Only that something about it felt right.

She spoke some Spanish, so I named her the official “dinner orderer” for the night. Me being the dumb, simplistic Southerner that I am had no idea how to say anything in Spanish. So in what would turn out to be a common occurrence, I relied on her and trusted her from the beginning.

Dinner went well. Actually, we walked around the narrow streets of Valencia for a while before settling on a place to eat. As we passed by the deep culture of the city, conversation was steady. We both ate paella and it was tasty but dry. Afterwards, the girl mentioned she had overheard some others at the hostel talking about a Cuban band playing in a park just south of our hostel. Sounds good.

The Cuban music wasn’t quite my bag, but I’m in a foreign country, trying to find myself and I wasn’t about to bail on the night. This girl was attractive, we conversed well, and the others who went with us to the park were chill. At one point during the concert the girl and I lied down under the stars that were hanging in the Spanish night sky.

Drinks and conversation followed on our way home. I was asked whether I voted for Bush. Yea, I did. She seemed appalled. The others were from Britain and appeared like they expected that answer. (For the record, I like Tony Blair, too) Figuring that she would react like some crazed French citizen, I kissed off any possibility of a future relationship right there, assuming that was the end-all circumstance for her. Thankfully, I was wrong.

Our conversation continued long after the others had gone into the hostel. It continues to this day.

The following morning I awoke and headed out into the city for one last day of exploring, for tomorrow a bus would take me into Granada. I did not see the girl and she was staying in another room so I went alone. The Spanish heat drove me back to my hostel early in the afternoon. Walking into my room and turning the corner – the situation from a day ago was reversed. The girl was lying on my bed. On her stomach; reading a book; legs slowly wandering past each other as she rocked them back and forth. She looked for all the world like an angel waiting for me.

I hadn’t realized it until then – but that’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted to see her and I wanted her to have to make an effort to see me. We spent the rest of the day together and found ourselves back at the park we had been in the night before. The music was still playing, but on this night it was about her and I. We listened. We talked. I sat on a bench and she lied next to me.

A few moments passed where all was still. Stars shone brightly. A breeze kissed the back of my neck. The scent of flowers brushed my nose. Sitting there with her – I was content. I wanted for nothing and all was right with the world.

It lasted for a bit longer than you would expect it to – as if God himself was granting me a little extra time to savor one of the best moments of my life.

“This is it, Jonathan. This is what you are here for – this is why I made you.”

“I have no right being this fulfilled. I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes you do. Breathe it in. You will remember this for all the days of your life. You are alive.”

I cannot remember the last time I felt like that, before then. None of this made any sense. She lives 4000 miles away from where I do. We are halfway across the world from our respective lives and our travels will soon separate us.

I invite her to come with me to Granada. She says she will think about it.

Again, we talk into the night. Early morning descends upon us and we take to our beds.


Goodnight, Amanda.