the Proposal

 It was all planned to perfection. Perfection I say! It was devious. I dare say mischievous. Well maybe not mischievous, but I have always liked that word.

There would be four accomplices and one unknowing participant.

The scene would play out at the top and bottom of a very popular drop scare adventure ride at the Happiest Place on Earth. This ride had changed after having been there for quite some time. It didn’t go away, it was re-imagined and repurposed to great success.

The four accomplices would have folding placards that they would individually display at the appropriate time. The placards had been designed by myself and were quite magnificent if I do say so.

That time would be at the top of the aforementioned attraction.

You see, everyone knows that at the top of the ride, there is a camera. Then at the bottom of the ride, everyone and their brother, mother, friend, etc. does the same thing. They crowd forward to the screens provided that display all manner of goofy, interesting, borderline disturbing in some cases, images that have been captured at the top of the ride.

Our own go-to for the picture at the top was a classic smooch! We would sometimes flash various signs, but not inappropriate body parts, for this photo. We never bought the photos; most probably do not. But we do them all the same.

For my scheme to go as planned, I would tell the unknowing participant that we could “smooch” at the top. As I said before, that is our “go-to” for the photo from the top.

They would be none the wiser. My master plan would go smoothly after that.

The half dozen of us would chat and wait for the ride, which is so common as to be cliché. All the best clichés are like that.

I have been on the attraction enough to know which waiting lines to place my co-conspirators in so that they would be seated appropriately behind us.

The two of us would be in the front row. This would be necessary for the deception since the accomplices would have the foldable placards that they would unfold at the appropriate time.

The unknowing participant would of course have no idea of what was about to happen. A life-changing event hidden in a popular theme park attraction.

So! the top of the ride would happen and the unknowing participant and I would share a smooch. A simple thing, but also a life-altering thing.

Then the ride would return to earth and we would all be dismissed. Like so many literal thousands before and no doubt after: we would leave and go toward the waiting screens near the exit.

My accomplices would by now have secreted the foldable placards back into whatever hiding place they had been throughout the day.

Their next part of the mission would be to document the event. Some were to video, and some were to take still photos with their various devices.

Hopefully, with four different viewpoints, there would be ample documentation to be enjoyed at a later date.

I would lag slightly behind the unknowing one. This was by design, so that I could be positioned properly behind when they searched the waiting screens for images of our “routine” smooch. Even though we wouldn’t normally purchase the photo. This one time, it would be done!

So there they are; searching for the elusive image, with no idea of what was about to happen.

And I would be behind them. On one knee: prepared to change two lives at once.

Once they found the image from the top of the ride; they would see. Perhaps they would shriek after they read the message that the four accomplices had displayed at the top of the ride.

Then they turned about to find me on one knee with a ring that was destined for their hand.

Of course, the answer would be yes! I would always say that I knew the answer would be yes!

But honestly, deep down, I worried maybe just a little bit that I would not get the answer I wanted more than anything in the world.

Then joyous pandemonium would erupt at the happiest place on earth. There would be singing and dancing, and a flash mob and….

Well maybe in the musical they would turn this into; all that would happen at the end.

But it was not meant to be.

Several weeks before my ingenious plan was to be implemented, we went to Sin City to see a concert.

The two of us were joined by my sister. We went to see a popular artist named after a color who happened to be the unknowing ones’ favorite singer/performer.

We had booked a small house for the trip and the second morning we were there after I had gotten out of the shower, my sister shared some intelligence that she had gained while I was busy with my a.m. routine.

It seems that the unknowing ones’ sisters had speculated that perhaps I would take this opportunity to propose.

Her response had been that she didn’t think so. It was her birthday weekend and she thought that might be a bit too on the nose for someone like me.

She told her sisters’ that she thought I would probably do something different. Maybe something at the happiest place on earth, maybe on the up-and-down thrill ride that takes pictures at the top.

When my sister told me this: out loud I said “Motherf<@k3r”!!

My ingenious plan was brought to ruin by an overly clever potential life mate.

I would have to devise another fiendish plot! Another clever, possibly convoluted series of events to change the lives of two people.

This would end up delaying the inevitable by nearly three months. But have no fear. I was up to the task. My next plan would be perfect.

But that is a story for another time!

P.S. She did say yes!