21 Years And Counting

At six years old I was a tough little kid that walked with a swagger wearing squared toed boots with a bright shinny buckle on the side. I would have rather kicked you in the shin and spit in your eye than look at you. At that age I thought I could rope a Texas tornado or ride the Red River bare back in a flood. Nothing scared me because I was ten foot tall and bullet proof plus I had a big daddy that would back me up.

That all changed one day when my parents threw a barn party. They had parties once every other month or so, but this time new people were coming. I was all excited to meet some new kids and as their car pulled into the driveway and they all got out, I started to act like a fool.
They had this little blonde haired girl with them that got out and looked all timid and cute. She just stood there with her hands folded in front of her looking around. Normally I would have just ran right up to the car and punched whoever it was. I guess that was kinda like my hand shake, but this girl was something else. All the sudden I got all shy and nervous. I started seating and even started kicking the rocks on the ground as I watched her from the corner of my eye. I had to get her attention some how. Without even looking at me she followed her daddy to the barn and I was not to far behind.

I stalked her like a hunter stalks his pray. I tried making strange noises, climbing on the walls and anything I could do to get her to look my way, nothing.  After a few minutes I finally got the nerve to go up and ask her name. The whole time she talked I could feel my heart beating in my ears and the blood in my cheeks turning them a bright shade of red, I even started to stutter a little not forming any words that she could understand when I was trying to ask her to be my girlfriend. To save face I knew right then what I had to do, I had to hit her and run away.
After landing a nice slug to her upper arm, I ran straight in the house and told my mom that I had a girlfriend and I was going to marry her.

We stayed friends all through school and it helped that our parents were good friends as well. That meant I got to see her more often. She stared dating and so did I and somehow we always ended up together. Most of the times my girlfriends would call her house and ask for me or her boyfriends would call and ask if I had seen her. She was even with me one day when I had to break up with one of mine. It was not a good site.

One day while helping give her cow a bath I finally got up the nerve to ask her out on an official date. We were almost seventeen at the time but I have wanted to date this girl for years. Even though we were more like brother and sister I knew she was my destiny and I wanted it to be more. I rehearsed my speech over and over the last few months and I was now ready to tell her just how I felt. I started spilling my guts and boy did it sound good. Before I was even done with my amazing speech, she said no. She just wanted to stay good friends. That answer hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I was six years old again and all I wanted to do was punch her in the arm and run.

I spent the next week down in the dumps. I stayed away from her and even avoided her phone calls. I just lost a good friend because it could never be the same now that she knew how I felt.
It was a late Friday night and I was working at a little gas station right outside of town at that time. I was about to close down when she came walking in. I was surprised to see her but quickly looked away because she had just broke my heart and I did not want to go through it all again. She told me she was in trouble. Now that she had my attention I asked why. Her date that night was a big cowboy and he wanted what she did not want to give so she told the guy to pull into the gas station for a minute. She asked if I could take care of her little situation. I told her to have a seat and I would be right back.

On our way home that night she looked over at me and said she would like to be more than friends. Without even blinking an eye I said no, now it was her turn to beg. It did not take long for me to give in and she slid right to the middle of the truck seat just like it was meant for her this whole time.

I waited till her senior prom to pop the question. I had the whole assembly stop and watch as I took a knee. The fog from the machine circled us while the dim light illuminated the very small diamonds I presented to her.
We were married just a few months later because I had to start my senior year of high school. During the year when I was sick she had to write my excuses for me. The teachers would always read them aloud, "My husband was sick yesterday. Please excuse his absence." It was funny but embarrassing at the same time.

Everyone we knew said we were to young and it was not going to last. I tell you this, our marriage has outlasted most everyone's marriage that had said that, some even twice.

She is my life, my world, and my soul mate. I knew it at a six year old mean little boy, it just took her a little longer.