MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 2019

I take a bath and wash then condition my hair. Afterwards, I wash my body with my favorite Dial Soap.

After I am all clean, I put on some Old Spice deodorant and then make my face clean-shaven.

I’m told I look much younger than my age, but my looks don’t get me very far, unfortunately.

My Weather Radio in my kitchen goes off, alerting me to a freeze warning. So, I go to my bathtub and slightly crack open both faucets.

Then I get my Bible from my EDC backpack and read until I get a text that the couple I met was in front of my house.

I put my Bible back in my EDC backpack, then sling it on my shoulders and walk out the front door, locking it behind me.

The couple is waiting in a brand new van.

I get in on the right rear passenger side, close the door behind me, buckle my seat belt, and place my backpack between my feet.

“So how do you like the neighborhood?” The man asks me.

“Honestly, I think y’all are wonderful. I like my house. Melinda’s and The Corner Store are pretty awesome, but my only complaint is my neighbor.”

“What did he do now?” The lady asks me.

He watched me check out while I was making groceries, then he followed me home and was making comments on how I was using food stamps.” I pause then continue, “I’m schizophrenic, okay? And because of that, I get a disability pension as well as my medical needs met and some nutritional assistance. My neighbor was harassing me about that and accused me of sitting on my butt and he called me a lazy moocher.”

“You know, we’re both mental health counselors,” The man said then continued, “And we know the struggle you go through, so don’t beat yourself up.”

The lady then adds, “I thank God that you get the help you need!”

“I do too, believe me!” I answer.

“That man is just a jerk, but if he keeps harassing you, just call the cops. This city has always been a haven for mental patients and many of them not only survive here but they thrive here,” The man says.

“What will everyone at church think of my mental shortcomings?” I ask.

“They will realize that we are all sinners and we all have fallen bodies,” The man answers.

“There are others in the church beside you who are mental patients, so you’ll fit in nicely,” The lady interjects.

Soon we arrive at the church just as it begins to snow.

“I know the perfect Bible class to put you in,” The man says.

“Honey, is it the special needs class?” The lady asks.

“It sure is,” He answers.

I take my backpack and I am taken to the classroom.

There is the teacher, an older gentleman.

Then there is a younger couple.

Finally, a young lady sitting all by herself. She has long reddish blonde hair, a pretty bespectacled face dotted with freckles, and she is pleasantly plump. I’m instantly attracted to her!

She smiles from ear to ear at me and motions for me to sit next to her. I do so, feeling very giddy.

The teacher asks me to introduce myself to the class, so I tell them how I just bought a house in this city and my neighbors invited me to church. I told them I was from out of town, but like it here except for my neighbor.

The three students introduce themselves to me.

The teacher then asks, “Do we have any prayer requests?”

The young lady whom I am attracted to says, “Unspoken.”

I then say, “Just that God protect me from my neighbor.”

The man from the young couple says, “Our marriage.”

His wife says, “Yes, we need it.”

We all bow our heads as the teacher leads us in prayer, then begins teaching.

We soon get off the subject and begin to talk about marriage and relationships.

The young man says how women shouldn’t be so bossy.

To which his wife replies how men should be more considerate.

“What is your take on this?” The teacher asks me.

“Well,” I reply, “I’ve had some failed relationships in my past, but if I had a good lady in my life, I would definitely love her and revere her tremendously. If we all can remember to be like that with our significant others, treat them with love and reverence, that is, then marriage would be a lot easier and much more pleasant!”

The young lady to whom I am attracted smiles at me from ear to ear, until the teacher asks her, “And what is your take?”

“I think what this he just said is very true and I totally agree with him!”

I begin to blush.

So does she.

We then bashfully smile at each other.

“That’s very profound,” The teacher says, then continues, “I think you will make an excellent contribution to this class if you decide to continue coming here.”

“Thank you, sir!” I tell the teacher.

Suddenly, the power goes out and the room becomes dark.

“Must be the snow, you know the grid down here can’t handle it,” The teacher says.

I reach into my backpack for my Streamlight Jr. tactical flashlight and I light up the classroom.

The young lady whom I am attracted to smiles even more at me.

“I like to be prepared for anything,” I tell the class.

The young lady giggles.

The young man from the couple says, “Oh man, I think you’re definitely going to fit in here!”

His wife adds, “Yes, I hope you decide to join,”

“I think I will,” I tell the class.

I can see the young lady smiling from ear to ear with the light of my flashlight.

We sit in the dark as the couple continues discussing their problems, but the young lady and I are staring at each other with increasing affection.

Then the power comes back on, just as the lesson concludes.

We then go into the fellowship hall and have our meal.

Because the power had gone out, they all took pizzas from the freezer and began to bake them.

I sit at a table and wait for the food to be served.

Suddenly another young lady comes up to me and says, “My roommate likes you and she says she wants to get to know you!”

“Who is your roommate?” She points across the room to the young lady to whom I am attracted.

As I look at her, she waves at me.

“What do you think?” The other young lady asks me.

“To tell the truth, I think she is really cute and I like her as well. We just had a class together.”

“Aw, that is so sweet. She is going to be so happy and I cannot wait to tell her. Please don’t break her heart though, she has been hurt before.”

“So have I, so I promise to treat her right, wherever this may go.”

“Awesome! I’ll go tell her.”

“Also tell her to come and sit with me, that is if she wants to.”

“I think she would love to!”

I watch her tell the young lady and how she smiles with excitement as she hears.

Now she is coming over to sit with me. I feel even giddier.

She sits in the chair next to me. We awkwardly but sweetly smile at each other.

At first, there is an awkward silence but then she asks, “Do you really like me?”

“I sure do!”

“And you really do think I am cute?”

I look into her eyes and say, “Most definitely!”

“Even though I am overweight?”

I hold her hands while gently looking into her eyes and then say, “May I confess something to you, and please try not to hold it against me?”

“Sure,” She says with a heavy heart.

I continue gently looking into her eyes and speak, “I think ladies your size are God’s most beautiful creatures!”

I then blush afterwards, but she giggles.

“You’re quite handsome yourself, you know!” She tells me.

“I have to tell you two things and you may not want me after hearing them,”

“Try me,” She says.

“Okay first of all I am mentally disabled. I am schizophrenic but it is well controlled with medication, though,” I humbly tell her.

“That’s okay, I am mentally disabled too. I have PTSD.”

“And the other thing, I was married before, to a Mexican woman who treated me terribly. Then I was in a relationship with another woman who led me on, just to dump me a little over a year later. I only slept with my ex-wife though.”

“That’s no big deal, when I was fifteen I was molested by an illegal immigrant from Mexico, hence the PTSD and my weight gain. I’ve talked to many other young men, but they always give up on me before doing anything with me because I don’t put out. After all, I want to wait until marriage, so you can kind of say, I only slept with one person too, though it wasn’t by choice.”

“We both have a past, but I guess it makes us stronger.”

“Do you still want me, now that you know this?”

“Most definitely. I hope you still want me as well.”

“Of course!”

“You’re at least twenty-five, right? I know age shouldn’t matter, but I would rather not date anyone under twenty-five, although I could easily make an exception for you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m twenty-eight-going-on twenty-nine. But how old are you?”

“Thirty-two-going-on-thirty-three. I hope I’m not too old for you.”

“Nope, you’re perfect for me-I think four years is the ideal age difference and that is what we have!”

“Wow, you are wonderful!”

“Thanks! You’re making me blush though!”

“I know but it’s so cute!”

“Do you really mean what you say about treating a significant other with love and reverence?”

“Yes, I am serious as a heart attack and honest as a robin about that!”

“Awesome, do you think you could feel that way towards me?”

“I sure could, and more than anyone else I ever met!”

“Wow! Where have you been all my life?”

“In another town, unfortunately.”

“Do you want to know what my unspoken prayer was?”

“Yes.”

“Well, first let me say that I thought you were very handsome, like the moment I saw you walk into the classroom, and I liked you ever since then, but my unspoken prayer was that you would somehow like me too!”

I then hug her tightly. She steals a kiss.

Then she says, “Sorry, but I’m crazy about you!”

“Nothing to be sorry for, I feel the same way!”

“So, are we a couple?”

“If you want to be we are!”

“Then, yes, we are!”

“Finally, I think I have found someone wonderful!”

“I’m so happy, it’s as if all my prayers and the prayers of several people at this church have been answered!”

“Mine has been too. I used to meditate on the perfect lady for me and you fit the description exactly!”

She kisses me again.

We then exchange phone numbers and addresses.

It turns out we live within walking distance of each other.

Our pizza is then served and we happily eat.

We spend the rest of the fellowship time holding hands and falling more and more for each other.

“Are you able to drive?” She asks.

“I have my license, but I no longer have my car. I’m more focused on paying for my house.”

“That’s fine. We can walk to each other. I have a license, too, but was never able to buy a vehicle.”

“If I ever, get a car again, I can teach you how to drive.”

“That would be awesome!”

All too quickly the fellowship time is over.

We share a hug and a kiss, then I ask, “May I call you when I get home and also call when we wake up tomorrow!”

“Of course!”

“Yay!”

She then gets in the car with her roommates and I get in the van with the couple who invited me to church.

“Seems like there was strong chemistry between you and her tonight,” The man says.

“There sure was,” I reply.

“She has a very good heart, but sometimes she has some serious mental issues. However, if you’re patient and understanding with her, she will love you like there is no tomorrow!” The lady says.

“I can somewhat relate because she and I have plenty in common,”

“God definitely put y’all together, I can see that!” The man adds in.

“I think so too, honey!” His wife adds.

Soon we are in front of my house.

“We will pick you up Sunday Morning.” The man says.

“Sure thing,” I reply.

I then get out of their van, grab my backpack and close the door. Afterwards, I enter the gate of my cyclone fence, walk across my front yard up the steps then unlock and enter my front door.

I sit on the sofa and call my girlfriend.

“Hey, you!” She answers.

“I was calling to let you know I safely arrived home and I need to take my medicine.”

“Awesome, I’m glad you’re safe. We’re walking across the front yard now and I need to take my medicine too!”

“My medicine makes me sleepy, what about yours?”

“Yes, mine does too.”

“Well then, we both need our rest, but how I long to be able to hug you tightly and sweetly give you a good night kiss! I must also confess that I wish I could cuddle you in my arms throughout the night as well! But my prayer is for God to look after both of us until we see each other again and I equally pray for our peaceful slumber!”

“Aw, that’s so beautiful, and, yes, I have those desires as well!”

“Then if you want we can exchange these words every night!”

“I would love that and I can tell you’re going to make me very happy!”

“And you make me happy as well!”

“Yay!”

“Now we both need to take our medicine, so let’s hang up and take it!”

“Okay, I cannot wait for you to call me tomorrow,”

“I promise you, I will as soon as I wake up. Please don’t ever think that I am going to ghost you!”

“I know you won’t. I am never going to ghost you either!”

“Just making sure!”

“You’re so sweet!”

“So are you!”

“Okay, let’s take our medicine and I will tell you good night!”

“Good night!”

I take my medicine and then soon fall asleep happier than I’ve ever been!…

Back to “Second Chances”