Love Happens

"If a man dumps you, don’t rush to cry over him. You don’t know who’s lost yet…"

When I came home and went into my bedroom, I saw a creature, remotely resembling an alien: pale, with puffy eyes, throwing looks at me from under the blanket. It was my friend from Saint-Petersburg, sinking in her own tears… I knew that there was drama in the house. So, I bought a comforting bouquet of flowers, but that made the situation worse, and causing more tears. Fortunately, having a hysterical - sprightly character, I always have a couple of packs of valerian root and pack of sleeping pills, and a bottle of whiskey in store. We survived the night... And in the morning I made my girlfriend try a true Los Angeles cure for all mental injuries - Hiking. Perched on a hill, she physically wasn’t able to cry, barely walking on her feet. Looking at such a view, how one can possibly suffer over a bad guy from Russia?

As we very well know, our pain gets tiny and insignificant only in moments of vigorous activity, and has the ability to grow at gigantic amounts as soon as we cross the doorstep of the house and be within the four walls. "How is it possible? How could he? Break the relationship via text! After two years of relationship" - sobbing, curled up into a ball, a successful lady sociologist from St. Petersburg. And really, how could he? They lived together as a perfect couple: chat with friends, dinner with the parents, movies in bed, picnics on weekends in the countryside. Time peacefully passing, slowly bringing them to the moment of planned vacation in America. For two weeks she had planned to stay at my house with me and other two weeks were to be spent with him, surfing open spaces of California on rented cabriolet. Palm trees, sun, with your beloved one - the beauty of romance. But it turned out that he only nodded agreeing on plans that they had made together, without any intention of following them.

On the second day, of her arrival to the United States, she received an text message, that read: "I think we should break up". TEXT MESSAGE! A stab in the back always hurts more… “Did he wait for this moment on purpose, when I would be across the Atlantic, in foreign country? Could not he tell me in person, or at least, call? How can you break up like that? How?” - that justifiably puzzled her. I did not know how to help. Seemed like everything was clear, who needs a guy like that, and so on, but it hurt... In addition to everything, before coming to the United States, my friend, quit her steady well paid but boring job, in order to let herself into something new. Naturally, the decision to quit was discussed on the family board, and was fully supported. Why he couldn’t tell her about that he was planning to break up during the family meeting as they were discussing global things as leaving her job, they had lived in his apartment after all? Where was the basic responsibility and humanity?

I just advised my friend to dramatically restructure and move on, because at our age we can no longer afford the luxury of a long-term suffering. Of course I did not expect that it would happen so fast... In couple days, she honestly shocked me. Yes, she’d still cry into pillow at nights, but the plans did not tear down. They had planned to drive through all California, she decided to achieve those plans and travel with or without him. He has already broken her heart, but there still was the rest of her vacation in her hands. During the proceeding, I watched wide-eyes open, speechless and applauding. In fact, in our long-term friendship I used to be a "cuckoo" and she eternal pragmatist, planning the action a few steps forward. But at this time, I was a spectator, and she was a smartly improvising actor.

After signing up for some website for single travelers, she met an Australian man, who flew to the U.S. for a month, not knowing a single soul, searching for cheerful company to explore the countryside. "Are you sure it's okay?" - I asked her when she told me that she was going with him to rent a car and go through the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas and then to San Francisco. "Yes, he is a sane guy, we met yesterday for tea" - she assured me - "We will share the car rental, gas and stay in different rooms at hotels". It should be noted that the last five years, my girlfriend was diligently building a serious career, while I supported the status of a "playboy", but the upcoming ride with a stranger even for me seemed out of a box. " Well, at least send reports from wi-fi spots, since leaving with a stranger " - wished her good-bye ...

Two weeks later, I couldn’t recognize my friend. She returned to me a whole new person. Lost weight, sparkling, full of happiness eyes, wearing sexy mans shirt. "Are you in love?" - consequently I wondered. "I do not know ... tomorrow I have a flight back to Russia ." And she flew...

It has been six months, and they are still together. Now they live and work in Thailand, having in their memories a trip to Italy and the Crimea. Their love has overcome language barriers, financial issues and distance. And now it's frightening to imagine that all of these precious moments could not exist, hadn’t she received that text message from the one, who remains in the past now...the guy from St. Petersburg.