A Cowboy's Tale- From the it only happens to me file

Something that happened to me almost twenty years ago that even sometimes I still can't believe happened.

            This is unbelievable; I can’t believe I just pulled this out from under my car seat.  What you may ask?  Well maybe I should go back, starting from the beginning to a little over a year ago where the story begins.

            It all began on a beautiful early September evening in nineteen-ninety, I was simply stopping by a friend’s house to say hello but as life sometimes goes those simple things turn into life altering events.

            I had known my friend Nikki since elementary school and thought of stopping by and surprise here while in the neighborhood.  When I got to Nikki’s she introduced me to Tracy, a friend she was spending the day with.  Nikki invited me to stay and hang out, with nothing else going on it seemed like a good idea.

            After conversing for a short time we decided to play cards for a while and then we would head to the community pool.  While in the middle of poker Nikki’s boyfriend, whose name I can’t remember now showed up.  Now he never really liked me, personally I think he was jealous of how close Nikki and I were. I believe this led to the argument they got into while Tracy and I continued talking and getting to know one another.  I had learned she was a senior in one of the local high schools and was joining the Army after graduation.  I by the way was 20 at the time and obviously out of school.

            Finally Nikki came back to the table and asked if we wouldn’t mind maybe taking a walk around the block while she and the jerk talked, now she didn’t actually call him that it’s what I call him. I of coarse didn’t have a problem with that after all it was such a nice evening and Tracy seemed really cool so we headed out. This was a pretty large block so the walk took us nearly an hour but it was ok because we were having a good time getting to know each and joking around that it didn’t seem like.

            Once we reached the house Nikki came outside before we even reached the front door.  She said that they still needed to talk and asked if I could please take Tracy home for her.   I had looked and saw him staring out the window at us:  I wanted so badly to go in and tell him off and maybe give him a bloody nose but I respected my friend and just shook my head and told her it wasn’t a problem.

            When we got to Tracy’s house she invited me in to meet her dad so I figured what the hell.  I ended up staying for a while. Before your minds wander nothing happened, it was all just talking.  I mean she was really nice but I had no deeper interest in her other than that of friend.  When I was ready to leave I figured I would give her my number, I mean what the hell she was pretty cool.  Damn the things we eventually regret.

            The very next day the girl was calling me five to six times a day saying things like “I’m on lunch at school and was thinking of you,” or “I just got home from school and was thinking of you.”  She even was calling on her lunches at work and before she went to sleep, boy what I wouldn’t have given to have caller ID back then.

            I didn’t know what to do at the time, I certainly didn’t want to hurt her so I would talk a bit then tell her I had to go figuring she would get the hint and back off, but no such luck.  The calling continued for nearly a month almost to the point to where I didn’t want to answer my phone but I still had a social life that I wouldn’t let that be interrupted.

            Then one day she had called for the fifth or sixth time.  I was actually busy working on my car at the time so I was able to tell I was busy without telling a little white lie this time.  Of coarse I didn’t tell her to call me later because it was a certainly a given she would anyways.

            That night I had planned that evening to go out to a nightclub that night with my friend Rick and a couple of ladies.   While I was finishing up with the car I saw Rick come home from work because he lived around the corner from me.  After I had finished, I got showered, changed and headed to his place where the girls were going to meet us.

            We began to games on the computer while we waited for our dates to show up.   The phone rang so Rick answered it. I heard him say, “Yeah he’s right here.”

            I looked at him puzzled but then he said “it’s Nikki.”  Rick is also good friends with her.

            I said, “Hey Nick what’s up?”

            “Just wandering what you were doing?” she replied.

            “Me and Rick are just waiting for Bambi and Rachel to show up so we can go dancing.”  Yes I knew a girl named Bambi and no she wasn’t a stripper nor did she ever become one.

            “Well what about Tracy?” she said with a bit of an attitude.

            A bit shocked by the question I stumbled out he words, “What about her?”

            “She says you have a date tonight.”

            Man I just about lost it right there.  “OK Nikki,” trying to keep myself under control, “you tell your psycho friend to stay away from me.”

            I went on telling her about all of the calls and told her “I don’t care what you tell her, get her to stop bothering me cause If I do it I won’t be nice about it.”

            Well what ever she said to her, it had worked because I never heard from Tracy again.  The next time I talked to Nikki she had told me that she informed Tracy I had gotten back with an ex.  She also told me that Tracy was going to go in the Army now so she could stay here with me. 

            Now you may think the story would end there because I never heard from her again but once again, in my crazy world that’s not my luck.

            Fast forward to the summer of 1991, I was looking for a used car to replace my piece of s**t that broke down.  Eventually I found a nineteen’84 Ford Mustang.  For the age it was in really great shape, the lady said she was selling it because it was her daughters, and she had just went off to college.

            Now like many other out there the first thing I did when getting it home was washed it up real nice, then naturally polished the dashboard and vacuumed it out.  While I was vacuuming it out I also checked under the seats to make sure no trash was under there.  Not really sure why because I have always been one to let the trash pile up in my car, I guess I wanted a fresh start.

            So anyways there I was checking under the driver’s seat when what do I pull out, unbelievably it was Tracy’s senior class picture. Damn, I mean of all the things I could have pulled out from under that seat, what are the odds of it being a picture of Tracy.  I tore that picture up so fast; I should have burned it as well but was afraid she’d appear out of the smoke and ashes.  With my crazy life maybe I should have seen it coming but I guess I just never learn.

           

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Gandré]

Hello Dale I enjoyed reading this. I hope I ll never become such a fatamorgana to anybody and well i d never call a man again after I see he wouldn"t have time for me. You wrote this nicely for us and also thx for your kind words on my profile. I m on the way to a concert and this Bberry is slightly damaged forgive those flaws. Thx for liking me. Regards and hug l.

[Angi]

It's a small world. A small world world where boys buy their stalker's Mustangs! Ha! Funny, funny, Cowboy! Angi~

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

It was certainly funny in a very strange way... but that is how my life goes.

[Rita L. Sev]

The Universe can be quite the comedian, as this well-written piece shows. I enjoyed this little trip to your past, and found myself thinking the same thing about that picture - you should have burned it! :) Enjoyed this read, Dale!

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

I have always said God has a sense of humor. Thanks you

[SyberRose]

Its a good thing it didn't turn into a fatal attraction...Did you feel like Michael Douglas??...Enjoyed reading Dale...:)

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

Haha, well luckily my rabbit wasn't boiled.

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

This was well done... I enjoyed the story and the picture that you painted with your words. You have such a unique voice, and it really showed in this piece. Sometimes the old things that come back to haunt us come back for a reason, though, at just the right moment in our lives; perhaps finding that picture sparked something within you that was a ripple on the lake of life, you know? if nothing else, it gave your inspiration for a truly enchanting tale. Cleverly written.

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

You got a point there, thank you so much for taking the time to read and respond.

[AYVID N]

Funny how some people do scare the **** out of us. Weird is what I would I would call it. Maybe it's loneliness that drives them to such desperation. It was really fun to read.

[The Rock And Roll Cowboy(REBEL WITH A CAUSE)]

That is so true... it was the coincidence of finding her pic in that car months later that got me.

[AYVID N]

Wanted to smile but this space is asking for 10 characters. :)

[Kenneth The Poet]

Yeah, stuff like that has happened to me but in smaller ways. We never seems to escape these strange connections we make with people. Nice work, Dale. I enjoyed this piece.

[THERISA]

Somethings in life, one can't find a rational explainaton for, what happens, and this is certainly one of those times. Hope this was the last time, you and Tracy met up. Thank you sharing a part of your past with us.

[Marie Anzalone]

and why is it that you can never find the snapshot you are actually looking for, because you are thinking of something you WANT to remember? Seems like the army was the best place for this gril, sad as that sounds. Good thing you destroyed it. Someoen like that collects pieces of other people's souls from being too lost to hold on to their own.

[Through the Gateway]

Well...at least you had something to remember her by. ;)

I can relate to this...for reasons I'd rather not discuss without checking with my analyst first. A nice snapshot of Cowboy's life!

[.Bunnie.]

LOL!! Cowboy you are so rotten!!! :P I can't believe you never gave that poor girl a chance! She was obviously CRAZY about you! ;)

C'mon, that's FATE if I ever heard it!! You didn't even know when fate jumped up in bit you in your plum bare arse! :P I vote you should call her up and take her out to dinner! :D That is, IF you're single. C'mon, I mean, a long time later and you buy HER car???

Coincidence? ^.^ I think NOT!!