A Wish

When one thinks that they may grant a wish

I hope that first they think to feel

To give rather than to receive

Of a heart that's truly real

 

 

Does this person matter in your life

To what do they construe

How can you show in your own way

How much they mean to you

 

---

 

 

I'd like to make a wish for someone.....

 

  
Her name is Ashley.  She is 23 years old.
 
A single mom with a 4 year old daughter.  They are from Ponder, Texas.
 
I met her last October, (She was 22, her daughter 3), when she came to work for a company that I had been with for 10 years.
 
An amazing woman.  Working 2 jobs just to make ends meet. (She took the 2nd a few months after I had met her - a friend got it for her).
 
She was quiet, introverted.  As was I at the time. 
 
At first I thought it odd that she would follow me like a puppy.  
 
I wanted to know more about her.  To break her out of her shell, I would have to break out of mine.
 
As I'd let her know, I admired and respected what she was doing.
 
I myself was in Faith's shoes, Ashley in my mother's.
 
I began to help her in her personal life.
 
We became joined at the hip.
 
I'd send her texts each day, which she'd admit to reading before going to bed for the night and then reading the next morning when she would wake.  (she kept them all in a folder on her phone)
 
Poetry. 4 lines each text.
 
She had inspired me. I was writing again after 15 years.

 

I'd like to share one of her texts.  I wrote it with her daughter in mind.

 

"Faith is in the knowing

Faith is in device

Forever keep FAITH in your heart

For Faith is most divine in life"

 

 

But I realized that it was more than being about Faith in her daughter.

 

It was about Faith in herself. (Mentally, physically, emotionally.) Faith in life.

 

 

Epiphany happened.

 

By restoring her Faith, she had restored mine.

 

We had brought each other back to God.

 

 

---

 
One day she I had her help a man in a wheelchair.  The two had a beautiful interaction.  She admitted to loving that feeling.  The feeling that she got from "helping".
 
Little did I know what the future would hold and how being "me" would inspire her.
 ---

Knowing she had an affinity for Almond Joy, I started "snack time".  (The first snack would be homemade peppermint chocolate, that was placed in a red takeout style box.  There's an entire backstory as to why-but I'll try to stay on topic.) 
 
Each day I worked with her I would bring in something Almond, chocolate, or coconut based.
 
I mentioned Ferrero Rocher and her eyes lit up. 
 
It struck me on the way home:
 
Raffaello.  That's Ferrero Rocher's version of an almond joy. And I noticed, it also comes in a takeout style box - white.
 
On Valentine's, homemade Rice Crispy hearts drizzled in chocolate for her and her daughter.
 
I continued this in the form of Almond crackers, protein bars, homemade Almond Joy cookies.  Even Thai coconut tomato soup, asiago cheese croutons (grilled cheese substitute) and Almond Joy Tasty cakes.  Dinner and dessert for her and her daughter.
 
Then I started to give her "moments to share".  Almond Joy pudding.  Chocolate Pudding cake with Almond Joy frosting.  (These she would take home and make together with her daughter.)
 
Even lending her my copy of Doggy Poo.  A short film that tells that God did not make a mistake, he had created each one of us to serve a beautiful purpose. 
 
I told her:
 
"When you want me to stop with the texting, just tell me." She smiled, "No. Keep sending them."
"When you want me to stop with the snacks, just tell me." She smiled, "No. I like it."
 
I started creating again.  I made sure to give exclusive interactions/snacks to her.  And I would give a different version of those for both her and her daughter to share.
 
I realized that I had created for them something I never knew possible.
 
Each time either of them recalls one of those moments, they create a new memory.  And from that memory, a new one.  And so on....
 
Infinite memory.
---
 
 
Then one day....
 
 
 
She asked to borrow $20. For gas and diapers.  She didn't ask per say. She said she needed to ask me something but was embarrassed to ask. She handed me a note.
She walked away and I read it. I went to her and took her into the back room. I pulled out the note and she said "did you read it?" I said "No."
"What's this?" I started to unfold the paper. I was being playful with her to make her feel comfortable and less embarrassed. "I'm opening the note. I'm unfolding it. I'm about to read it." Then I folded it back. "You know what, on second thought. Use your words." "I -" she replied. "Last chance." I opened the note and just scrolled my head up to look at her.

This is what it said:

Can I borrow $20 dollars until the end of the week?

I said yes.


I took her up to the cashwrap and prepaid a pump for the amount she asked (not really) so I could cash it out and give it to her. I said "Here ya go." She stood baffled before me.

"I don't want to hear you say I CAN'T or THANK YOU. And No, you don't have to pay it back." And then I walked away.

She stood with $60 dollars in her hand.

I went to the back to count inventory.  I look to my left and she is standing in the threshold.
 
I asked, "Yes?"
 
She took a few steps forward and she wrapped her arms around me.  She began to cry.
 
I told her, "If there's anything you need, just let me know."
 
"Thanks." She squeezed me tighter.
 
 
 
---

One week later (at a meeting) she asked "Can I borrow $10 more?"

I said "I'm not your ATM, do not treat me as such."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"The answer is yes. But see this from my perspective. You barely talk. And when you do, it's to ask me for money. Think how that looks to me.

"Yeah."

"So...what did you do with the other money?"

"I took her to McDonald's."

She was so happy about that...she was teary-eyed.
---

I don't know exactly how I helped, but it meant something to her.  That's when I realized, she wasn't asking again to take advantage.  She was asking because to celebrate what that amount of money did for them, she took her daughter to get a happy meal (complete with toy) with the remaining money.  A mother/daughter moment and a new toy for her child.  I'm not sure, but I think she asked for the additional money, due to she celebrated, not realizing she would need that extra money for something else.
 
 
Gossip and rumor spread around the workplace about the two of us.  And gossip about the times she'd have to call in and what she called in about.  They started to make her hate it there.
 
I stood by her, and in doing so, saw the ugly truth of the company to whom I had given so many years.  (That's a whole other story to tell.)
 
She was my enlightenment.  There was no mistake of why, in my 11th year, that a single mother would walk through that door.
 
And during this time as I was helping her, construction began in our area, and our business began to slow.  As to the present day, it is stagnant.  Barely scraping by...
 
I believe this was divine intervention.  I believe God sent her to meet me.  As I was supposed to meet her.
 
She was ready to give up on her life.  I had been the same way.  We helped each other.
 
She said I inspired her.  When in fact, it was she who inspired me.
 
But inspiration has to come from somewhere.
 
To inspire another, you must first "be inspired".
 
 
So, by being who she was, I was inspired.  Which in turn, inspired her.  Which in turn, inspired me.
 
Infinity loop.
 
 
She loved the way I interacted with others and she wished to do the same. 

---

 

Due to the "issues" going on at work, our last day together was not

 

She took four steps towards the door, then she paused.  The right side of her mouth produced a smile. She turned her head.

 

"Bye..."

 

She lowered her head and walked out the door.

 

That was on a Friday in June.

---

 

I would leave to go on vacation as of leaving work on Monday.  (We go Tuesday to Tuesday on our schedule.)

 

I showed up to the meeting the upcoming Sunday (even though I was on vacation) because of something I "felt" inside.

 

She wasn't with the group. 

 

I checked the schedule and her next day was the Monday following the meeting.  I came back to work that day as well.

 

She wasn't there.

 

I checked her login time.

 

And what I discovered "hurt".

 

 

 

She had left on Wednesday............

 

 

of the previous week when my vacation began.

---

 

That's why the "bye".  That's the last time we'd be............................................

 

 

I found out that she had said she was moving. 

 

She never told me.  She didn't want to have that goodbye moment.

 

 

 

I understand.

 

It's no mystery why your friend would decide not to share this information in particular with you"and it's not that you would be the only one who felt sad about her impending departure.
 
It's that your being sad matters to her, whereas other people's feelings don't. That's the thing about really loving someone, whether it's a friend or significant other or family member: it really hurts to see them hurting, and hurts even worse when you're the one responsible.

 

I wouldn't want to have that goodbye either.

---

 

Month's passed and then October came...

 

 

Something said Oklahoma...too many signs given to me.  A message? I had to know.  The week that transpired, well....(another story for another time).

---

 

The vacation I'd taken to Oklahoma had held many clues for me. 

 

As the bus stopped, in Ardmore, to check in, we were allowed  a few minutes for a break.  (At the time, I didn't know she was in Ardmore).

 

Thinking about her, I bought a king size Almond Joy and a bag of Doritos Chile Limon Dynamitas.

 

I recall buying a bag for her and us trying them together.

 

I asked, "What do you think?"

 

She replied, "It's really good!" 

 

I said" Alright. I'm going to leave them right here for you."

---

 

Along the way I ended up helping several others. 

 

The next stop, a woman was going to be left behind, yet I made the bus driver wait for her.

 

After getting lost and asking for directions, I was sent 3 hours out of my way.  Only to find, later that evening, that I was 10 minutes from my destination.  I walked past a hospital and the building across from it, a marque in bold blue - Ashley.  Something inside said go left.  I did.  A sign in a yard in bold black - Faith.  I stopped to ask for directions once more. As I reached where I was going I met a woman and 2 little girls. There was a white suburban speeding their way. ( I stepped out in traffic). 

 

A burn victim who was being discriminated against.  I engaged with him, then others followed suit. 

 

I'd learned she was in Ardmore.  The same place where I had bought my 2 snacks. As I exited the library with this information, a mother and a baby were crossing the street. The stroller got stuck in a pothole. There came a black truck speeding down the road. (I stepped out in traffic again).

 

(There's more that happened. More people I helped.  But as I said, a story for another time.)

 

Going back to Texas, we made an unscheduled stop.  The bus had already been 30 minutes off.

 

There was a Valero, a Shell, and a Pizza Hut.

---

 

I knew these things:

 

There are only 2 Pizza Huts in Ardmore. One down commerce.  (Down from the station where I got my 2 snacks on the way in).

 

The other Pizza Hut was here.

 

Her other job was a Pizza Hut...she could have transferred to one of these 2 when she got here.

 

Something said "write".  So I did.  On the white wall of the Shell station in red gel ink.

 

The owners walked outside.  They stood, along with everyone from the bus.

 

And this is what I heard: 

 

"That stays."

 

I expected to get into trouble.  Instead people liked reading the message I left for her.

 

I got on the bus which was headed for home. (1 more person was helped before I stepped off that bus).

 

And come to find out...

 

Ten Star Pizza Kitchen

Mazzio's

Pizza Hut

 

These are the only Pizza places in Ardmore.

 

I keep Faith that she is going to see this message. 

--

 

 

From the information I have been able to gather:  
 

She is now training at DJK enterprise in Ada, Oklahoma.  She is in HTS/MAT.

She lives in Ardmore, Oklahoma.  I just don't know the whereabouts.  I'd get ahold of her, but:
 
My Facebook was compromised and her Texas phone number will not work in Oklahoma.  (My sister had the same issue with her phone number when she moved to Warr Acres, Oklahoma.)
 
 So I plan to move in with my sister for awhile as I continue to make my search.

 

I've even written several stories about single mothers.  One is about the many faces (occupations) a mother wears.  I had her in mind when I wrote it.
 
 And I am looking for a publisher to turn my writings into illustrated books.  

 

There has to be some way to send her a message.

 

I just want to say "Hey". (It was our thing.  We could just know what the other was thinking.)
---

 

I want to make these books a reality.  And I would like to dedicate a very special book to a very special person. 

 

Until I can make that a reality, (and I have to), I would like to see if KLTY could help in some way.

 

I'd like to send a Christmas Wish to Ashley Nicole Nunns and her daughter Faith.

 

Because of what we shared, we both have a future now.

 

This next year is going to be a struggle as we both are learning to hone our crafts.  Yet, I know that God will be with us wherever we go.

---

 

I take joy in knowing that I could help someone in such a way by simply being "me".

And that they would in turn, even without knowing that they did...help me.

 

 

That's a bond that only God could create.  That's Faith in the knowing.  That's God at work.

 

Now we are both on paths where we can help more people each and every day.  Almost as if a certain someone had planned this all along.

 

God Willing, I will find her.

 

Right now, this wish will help Ashley and Faith in so many wonderful ways.  And I at least get to say "Hey" even though I'm not physically near.

---

 

So I'd like to ask one thing...

 

 

If she is given the wish, tell her this:

 

"Take her to McDonald's".  ....(wait for her reaction).... "Faith is in the knowing".

 

 

 

 

 Just wanting to say "Hey".

 

---

 

 

So, if you by chance see her in passing, please remember these few things...

 

 

Faith is tattooed on her left wrist which is accompanied by a red star.  There is another tattoo across her collar that says Family.  And she has a scar (a true beauty mark) running vertically upon her nose.

 ---

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your time,

 

Zachary Levi Foster