I'm not the kinda person who can immediately relate to a stranger. No. That's Papa, or Bandaddy, older folks I guess. Papa, now he's special, he can talk to anyone. He'll be a the hospital and make friends without even trying. He paints the hospital by the way. Bandaddy always likes to ask new people, "What's one thing I don't know about you?" He did it to me. I told him that I was a dancer. It made me relax. Some people are just good with that.
But not me. I get a little tense, you might even say, scared when it comes to relating to people I just met. So you can imagine, when I get a text from my mom sayin, "Pray for a friend of mine. His girlfriend just broke up their long term relationship," that my prayer was a little . . . ehhh. But I did it, even though it probably lasted 10 seconds. I'd imagine that I'd want prayer in that situation. That was, I'd say August 23, 2008.
It hadn't occurred to me that this "friend" was probably Michael Manley, the guy who's books I borrowed for my first semester in college. I mean . . . mom wouldn't have texted me that if I didn't have some affiliation with the person. Anyway, mom had told me about him. She asked his mom if it would be okay, and she sent mama (that's Pat not Tammy. Tammy is "mom".) Michael's number. We connected and I got his books. Because we were in the same program, this worked out great (except Dr Layman changed his text books for Western Civ.) It's funny though. I probably would have guessed that he was the 'friend" if I would have remembered our first conversation.
Me: Thank you so much! I'll take good care of them (the books)!
Michael: It's cool. No problem. But hey, I gotta go. I'm about to go to the beach with my girlfriend.
Me: Oh! Okay, thanks!
Yep. I didn't get it either; he cut it really short. Maybe he felt uncomfortable talking on the phone to another girl. Maybe she was giving him the eye. Maybe he didn't want me to get the wrong idea. (Most likely the last. If the universe was in control, this is where I'd say "Ha, Universe! Get some!)
I didn't get the wrong idea. So, I should have guessed that Michael Manley was my mom's "friend." There would have been no other reason for her to tell me this unless she had some secret agenda. Must have been some beach trip. Maybe they took a wrong turn or something. :( . . . [ :) ] Eh. Oh well. Life's what you make it. Right? That's what Hannah Montana said anyway.
