The Pride and Prejudice in Our Story (Part Two)

2001

The following is an excerpt from Part One of "The Pride and Prejudice in Our Story":

"I got a call from Joe tonight. He asked me to thank you for the letter, but he is very busy on the rodeo circuit and he doesn't plan to come back in town for quite a while. He's not interested in pursuing things further at this time."

Dad watched me process this. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I don't know about a young man who would dump a blonde for a bull. Forget about him, honey."

I straightened up. I felt strangely calm. 
"Don't pity me, Daddy. It's not meant to be. I'm fine."

* * * * * * 

Remember that little porcelain angel strumming a harp which Joe gave me after the ballet? 

Within the week I tossed it into a cardboard box and sent it off to Goodwill.

Time passed. Life went on as before, yet not as before. A bit of the wind had been knocked out of my sails. 

Early one morning, I was jogging with my married friend Julie. 

"So, are you interested in anyone right now?" Julie asked.

"Not really, no," I replied.

"What about that cowboy you dated a few times . . . what was his name - Joe?" 

I stopped and looked at her in astonishment.

"Julie! How could you suggest that person? I would not date him again if he was the last man on the planet!"

Meanwhile, Joe was crisscrossing the country riding bulls for all he was worth. I am told he mounted a bull over 800 times during his rodeo career. He was even on TV.  After the letter he began to feel an internal struggle. Though he continued to press forward though hundreds of miles of open highway, his heart was pulling him home. At last his career ended in a dusty ring in Texas when he got caught under the belly of a bull and was kicked in the back of the head.

Once back in town he attended a wedding reception.

"Don't you have a girlfriend, Joe?"  someone asked.

"No, I don't now, but I'm going to have one soon," he replied. "In fact, I'm going to marry a girl named Adriana, she just doesn't know it yet ..."

At the same time, my heart was beginning to feel more frequent jabs of loneliness. It was as if a tiny shard had entered in and was inching its way deeper into the core of me. In the spring I was chased down and bitten by a dog while rollerblading through a quiet neighborhood. I fell off a horse at my riding lesson. I suddenly had too many students. Papers were due. I had a recital to plan. And then my younger sister got married; and though a joyous occasion, it was also a quite hard on my firstborn psyche. 

Standing at the prow of a riverboat on a glorious afternoon, I observed a married couple give each other a knowing look. It was a look which spoke of shared delight and of what would come later for them -- a look which I had never shared with anyone.

I went to a see a romantic movie with my friend Debbie. On the way home, she asked, "What is the most romantic thing a guy has ever done for you?"

I thought of the porcelain angel, and my mouth felt dry. I had to admit it was the most romantic gift because it represented a moment -- a moment a noble young man had found good.

One evening in late summer I drove to my  grandmother's home to spend the night. She greeted me with grin. I could see she was positively bursting to tell me something. 

"What is it, Mimi?" I couldn't help but smile too.

"Honey, you got a call from . . . FROM A YOUNG MAN!"

"Who?" I was truly surprised.

"He said his name was Joe. He called out to your house first. Your dad gave him the number here!"

"He called here? . . . Joe called here?" I stood transfixed.

"Well honey," she waved her hands in the air excitedly, "aren't you going to call him back?"

* * * * * * *

Tune in next time for the conclusion of "The Pride and Prejudice in our Story" 

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