Chapter 8

I was standing out on the verandah along with Natasha and her boyfriend and his mates. They were all smoking dope, something I never really got into thankfully. I did give it a try though. I was just standing sort of away from the main group as I didn't want to breathe that smoke in and this group of guys came along and one of them stood next to me. I didn't recognize him at first, and then I noticed it was Jon. At the same time he recognized me. Once again my little heart fluttered. There is no other man in the entire world that can make my heart flutter the way he can. Actually, yes there is – Jon Bon Jovi does. Funnily enough they both spell their names the same way! It’s an omen! It’s a sign! But I can’t see myself running into that Jon anytime soon. Unfortunately.

We said hello to each other and caught up on a little bit of gossip and at that time he noticed I was pregnant. Ever so gently he touched my stomach, not just a light finger tap. This was an open handed palm touch. He gave my small growing belly a little rub and then an affectionate squeeze and asked “How many is this?”

“Number 2” I said.

“Very nice” was the reply while he still touched my stomach.

Natasha wanted to go home so we had to leave. Much to my disappointment. I could have stayed there at that moment forever. To feel his touch on my body arose emotions that I thought had long ago settled. Natasha and I both arrived in the same car so I really didn't have any choice. So reluctantly I said my goodbyes and we left.

That was the last time I had heard from him for about 7 years.

Time goes by and life goes on. And of course I had married and now my growing family had become 3 children. Moving away from my home stomping ground was the best thing I could have ever done. I simply just focused on my family, and was more content than I had ever been. Life stayed this way for many years. My children were the most important people in my life. I enjoyed teaching them to read and cook and share and to be good young people.

When my youngest child was 3 my husband met a family that had 3 young children. Although their children were older than ours they all seemed to get on well. I finally met the wife and she and I got on like a house on fire. I trusted her and she trusted me. in time we told each other our inner most secrets. It was like being back in high school again. We became best buddies. Her name was Tracy.

She told me about this guy she was in love with when she was 15 and that she could never forget him. I told her about Jon and how I felt and what had happened between us. And one day I also told her that I would love to see him again if I ever got the opportunity.

The thoughts were tossed around in our heads for a while before we decided to take a trip back to her home town. Her daughter had gone there to visit with family. So our cover would be we were going there to pick up her daughter. I remember my excitement. We left early on Friday morning for the 14 hour drive. We both had the same taste in music so the journey was pleasurable, with very few hiccups along the way. We arrived tired but in one piece. Thankfully we have these wonderful service stations here that allow you to shower. So I was clean and refreshed when I arrived. The family was actually the sister of my friend. She was a lovely, very attractive woman for her age. She had obviously looked after herself much better than my friend did. Her house was immaculate. Infact she was the opposite to my friend. My friend Tracy was lazy and smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish and neglected her children. Her sister was clean, didn't smoke, and only drank socially and looked after her family in a manner that a wife and mother should. Although having said that I did learn that a few years later her marriage did fall apart. Apparently this woman hooked up with her husbands best friend, and apparently her husband hooked up with the wife of his best friend. So they basically did a spouse swap. Slightly odd if you ask me but I guess no body did actually ask me.

We stayed there for two nights. I had a very enjoyable time. I found Tracys sister really lovely. I couldn’t believe two people from the same womb could be so different, but evidently they can.

Early Sunday morning the sun rose and we awoke to embark on the long journey home. Something I honestly wasn’t looking forward to considering we had Tracys daughter with us. She was just someone I couldn’t take to. Everything about her annoyed me. I hated the annoying way she tormented me. She was cheeky, disobedient, and very disrespectful to other people’s belongings. Thankfully this changed as she got older, and now she is a lovely young lady.

When we planned this trip we decided to take a detour home. Tracys grandfather lived half way between the town her sister lived and the lake where Jon Smith lived and worked. So we went to visit gramps. We stayed there a few hours and all the while I was getting more and more excited as I knew where I was headed next. He was a lovely old man who thought I was Tracys sister. So to make him happy I pretended to be her.

I think the poor old thing died happy knowing that he had seen both his granddaughters before he went.

I had studied the maps before hand so I had a good idea of where I was going even though I had never been there before. It took us 2 hours to get from gramps’s house to the lake house. I pulled the car to a stop around the corner from the office building where he worked. I did not expect anyone to be there on a Sunday. I sat in the car for several minutes plucking up the courage to go inside.

Finally I did so, I opened the car door and felt the cool air on my face as I walked down the concrete path to the door of the building, I put my hand on the door handle and opened it…..