Sailing in the Boat called Life

There is that American movie that says ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.’ I say life is like the open sea, vast and unknowing. Each of the waves are water made speed bumps to slow us down when, at times, we are moving too fast. Each horizon lights up new paths for us to choose from among our journey. Life is an endless ocean of opportunities. I have been given great opportunities in my life like being able to start a family and open up my own business. There were many obstacles be we overcame them and continue to overcome anymore obstacles that are thrown at us.

My name is Steve Mathew. I am 30 years old and own Cafeteria. I want to share a story about how I reconnected with the most amazing woman I have ever met.

My wife and I meet in school when I was 15 and she was 14. I always thought she was the most beautiful creature God had put on this earth, but I never told her. I picked on her in a friendly teasing way, but she never really got the hint of my true intentions. She was a foreigner and I didn’t take into account how much she was picked on. Then one day I came to school looking forward to seeing her, but she was gone. I was heartbroken but life carried on. She had started a life elsewhere and I would hear stories of her travels through mutual friends that would here from her periodically.

A friend of mine had asked me to come down to the pub she was working at to hang out one day after work and I obliged. I wasn’t expecting to meet or see anyone so I went straight there without going home to change out of my uniform. As I was talking to my bartender friend the door to the pub opened and there she was, just as beautiful as I remembered. She didn’t see me at first. She went straight behind the bar and set her stuff down in the back. Her eyes met mind but there were memories of me in them, but they still sparkled as they did in school. I asked my bartender friend for a rack of pool balls so I could play. That is when I heard her say “I’ll get them for you. I just need your identification please.” I handed her my ID and she looked down at it to check my date of birth. I say a familiarity in her eyes as she looked up at me and handed me the rack but she didn’t say anything. She watched me as I walked over to my friend behind the bar and told her to add any drinks the beautiful young lady wanted to my tab. I watched from the pool table I had chosen. She ran up to my friend and began speaking to her but I couldn’t make out what they were talking about. I began my solitary game of pool with my back to the bar. I had no idea she was standing behind me a mug of beer in each hand. “Excuse me, but I know you from somewhere?” My heart gave a little skip as I turned to see my dream girl standing there.

She ended up having the night off even though she had come in to work. We caught up on old times and where our lives had taken us. I found out the she had children, but that she was struggling. I knew she was brought back into my life for a reason and that I would never let her go again. I told her of my cafeteria that I owned and that she will always have a place there if she wanted. We talked all night laughing and playing pool. I drove her home that night but didn’t want to let her go. I got up the courage to ask her when I could see her again. She gave me her number and told me to text her later after I woke up and we would make plans. I couldn’t stay away from her for long periods without going crazy. So I just asked her out of nowhere to marry me. We weren’t even in a serious relationship yet. As the words came out of my mouth I was afraid I had scared her away. Instead she smiled at me and said “what took you so long? I have waiting since we were in school. Of course I will marry you.” We have been inseparable since. That was a year ago now. I didn’t just get my dream girl. I got the whole package, 3 beautiful children and the love of my life. I wouldn’t change it for the world.