A Rainy Night in Maryland

It was a Saturday in early October when I met him. A night I will never forget because little did I know that soon my life was about to change forever. The very first time I saw him was on a video at his cousin's house. He was playing the drums and I instantly felt butterflies in my belly. This man was fine! He was living in New York at the time. Yep, the big city, and there I was, drooling in Maryland. After watching the video of him I knew that I had to forget about him. I knew we would never meet. I did not see his cousin that often anyway.

I was at work one evening when I received a call from Rick, the cousin of the New Yorker, and he says, "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow night? My cousin is coming down from New York with his girlfriend. Do you want to come over?" The words "with his girlfriend" were the only words that I heard. "Hey, you there?", I heard him speaking into the phone. "Yes, Yes, I am here. Sure, I can come out." On my drive home from work, I was contemplating just calling him and canceling. Tell him I had to work or something. I kept going over it in my head. He has a girlfriend. He has a girlfriend. Ugggh, why does he have a girlfriend?

I woke up the next day and went about my day, not really thinking about where I was going that evening, however, I was definitely going to make sure I looked extra cute when it was time for me to get ready to go. The weather was very cool and rainy. I began to dread that I said I would come out. So, after a while, I get a call from Rick telling me he was on his way. “Great!” I sarcastically said to myself. "Here we go!"

When he picked me up, I had no idea that they would be in the car! The New Yorker and his girlfriend. I so was not ready for that. After the introductions and small talk, I mentioned that I had to stop at the store to get my mother some ice cream and then take it back to her before we head out. My mother did not even eat ice cream. I was thinking of what I would be eating when I got home later. I had to get out of the car, I began to freak out and besides, I really wanted to get a good look at him. When we arrived at the store, I got out first and pulled the seat up for him to get out from the back seat, then his girlfriend got out. She was petite with a huge chest. I saw Mr. New York, whom they affectionately called Miko, taking a quick glance at me and then turning away quickly. We all went into the store on a mission to find this particular ice cream brand that “my mom” had to have. The girlfriend and I had a brief conversation and she was genuinely nice. The men had gone somewhere within the store so after we found the ice cream, we had to go searching for them. Of course, they were looking at music magazines when we finally found them in the noticeably quiet grocery store. There were only about two other shoppers in the store because they were about to close.

We dropped the ice cream off back at my house and off we went. When we arrived at the house, it began to rain harder, and we had to run onto the porch of Rick’s house quickly. Rick had a huge porch with a screen around it and the wind was blowing the rain onto the porch, so we all ended up getting even wetter, nonetheless. When we got inside, we went straight downstairs to where the drums and studio were set up.

After about an hour and a few drinks later, Miko and I kept having to run upstairs to go to the bathroom because the beer was running through us. Then I saw Miko going outside, so I went to see where he was going. He was standing on the porch smoking a cigarette. I had only had a cigarette maybe once in my life, but I asked anyway. “Hey, you got another cigarette?” For some reason, cigarettes and drinking went hand in hand. He handed me one and we spoke for a little while before we went back downstairs. Mikos’s girlfriend and his cousin were close, come to find out that he had been with his girlfriend off and on for a few years. I sat there listening to Miko and Rick take turns on the drums, they were seriously competing with one another. I could tell that Miko was feeling his drink. I was too, in fact. I almost tripped going up the stairs when I heard Miko walking up behind me. “You should have brought a toilet with you.” I turned around, “Ha, very funny, and how about you? You should have worn a diaper that way you wouldn’t have to keep waiting for the bathroom.” We both began laughing so hard and started running to the bathroom to try to beat the other. Afterward, Miko headed to the porch again, and guess who followed? Was I thirsty or what? “So, your girlfriend doesn’t drink, huh?” I asked because I noticed she had not had a drink. “No, she doesn’t drink or smoke.” “Interesting,” I replied. “Why do you say that?” “No reason. Just an observation.” Then the moment of truth, his true colors came out. It may have been nighttime, but at that very moment, the clouds moved, and a full moon was in view. “Hey, uh, do you have any cousins or friends I can meet?” “Meet, as in, date?” I responded. “Yeah, you know, someone pretty, like you?” Suddenly I felt like I was about to faint. Did this man just say what I thought he said? “Wait, you have a girlfriend who is sitting downstairs right now.” “My cousin thinks we are still together, but we aren’t. I just do not want to tell him right now. So, what is going on with you and my cousin anyway?” “Nothing. Nothing at all. He and I are platonic friends and that is all.” “Oh okay, well, do you?” “Do I what? Aren’t you going back to New York?” “No, I am staying here in Maryland with Rick.” At that very moment, I felt bolder than I had ever felt before. I said to myself, “Self, you are not about to let someone else get a hold of this fine man standing in front of you. This could backfire but do it anyway.” “Why do you want to meet one of them, what about me?” Oh, my Lord, did I just say that? I felt my dark skin turning red. I was so embarrassed. I closed my eyes waiting for the answer. “What are you saying?” he replied stepping on the cigarette. “Hey, you got another one of those?” I asked. Trying to regain my composure and answer this man’s question. The cool, evening breeze was not helping to cool off my perspiration at that very moment. “I am saying, what about me? You don’t have to meet a friend of mine, what about me, us, we can get to know each other.” “Okay, you sure you and my cousin aren’t kicking it?” “I am so sure. I have never been surer in my life.” “Okay, give me your number before we take you home.” We went back in the house, and I was on cloud nine for the rest of the evening.

Two days later, I received a call from Miko. From that moment on, we spoke every day for two weeks until we saw each other again. After that, we were falling in love with each other. I had never felt this way about any other man before. We spoke about our future together and made plans for the upcoming summer. We were inseparable for the next seven months before my life changed forever.

I was babysitting and Miko and I spoke briefly before he left to go out with some friends. I told him I would call him the next day. Around two in the morning I woke up out of my sleep feeling sick. I did not know why. Just a sick feeling came over me. I could not go back to sleep. The next day when I arrived back home from babysitting, I called Miko and he did not answer so I left a message. After a few hours had passed, I noticed I did not receive a callback. So, I called again, still no one answered. That was strange for him to not call me back. I tried again later and still no callback. The next day I called early in the morning and still no answer and no return call all day. Rick had not even been home to answer the phone either. I began to get worried. The next morning, it was a Monday and I had planned to go over to Rick's house after I got home from work, but instead, Rick had called me while I was on the way out to go to work and asked if I was sitting down. I sat down and immediately became overcome with anxiety. “Miko was in a head-on collision early Sunday morning.” “Oh my God Rick, Please, tell me he is okay.” He began to cry. “No, he’s not okay. He’s gone.” “Wait, what? What do you mean gone, Rick?” I did not want to believe it. I could not believe it. I was in love with this man. He was my future. No, I could not grasp that reality. “He’s gone. He died this morning. He was not wearing his seat belt. The car spun around, and they found him on the passenger side.” I dropped the phone.

I cried the entire day on into the next day, until I summons the courage to call Rick. He came to pick me up and told me everything. He told me where the accident occurred, and I told him I wanted to go there. He promised to take me there before it got dark. After meeting with the family, Rick and I headed to the location, and I felt so overwhelmed with grief. Memories flooded my mind. I could not hold back my emotions and I began to cry again. Rick tried to comfort me, but I could not be comforted. We reached the location and I asked him to park as I got out and headed to the very spot where the accident happened. I could see the skid marks and the indention in the dirt where the car spun and finally rested. Just as I was walking over to the spot, it began to rain. I did not care. At that moment, I would not have cared if a storm or a hurricane came through, I stood there, heartbroken, letting my tears blend in with the rain. I was alone, standing in the rain.