“Double Date”

According to Urban Dictionary a double date is a social engagement like dinner or going to the movies that two couples partake in.

I think they need to relook the phrase. Or at least just give it a double meaning you know.

So there I am, casually hanging around at a Fred’s farewell party. Now, Fred and I have a long history of being friends, then not being friends, to being friends, to not being friends. Until one day Fred decided that he was going to stop being fake, and just be awesome instead.

From that day onwards Fred and I, we, we were like the Top Gun duo. Maverick and Goose. Taking the highway to the danger zone.

Anyway, back to the party. I was casually hanging around the bonfire, watching a bit of bush veld TV, when he approached me. Definitely having had one, or a few rounds too many, Fred actually had a good idea. Or, a not so good idea at all.

Fred knows Bailey, and Bailey knows Fred. Now it might seem cruel for Fred to suggest that he’ll bump Bailey into the swimming pool in the midst of winter, but hey, that’s the kind of love-hate friendship they had. Never a dull moment.

I tried to explain that it wasn’t worth it, but try telling him that. Especially when he’s drunk! So he just went along and did it anyway.

Splash! The time had come, she was now soaking wet. Freezing cold. And totally furious with Fred!

I had to be her knight in shining armour then. I helped her out of the pool and as our eyes met, there was a definite spark. Something that really can’t really be described. I’ve never seen something wet spark up the way it did that night.

I guess that was Fred’s idea of setting the two of us up.

Being the gentleman I am, it’s always handy to keep extra clothes in your car, for when the need arises. And so, I offered, well rather insisted, to bring it to her.

Bailey and I got to talking and sat around the bonfire till rather late, or should I say, rather early the following morning. Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?

Eventually everybody left and so we decided it was our cue to leave to. I got her number and we agreed to have coffee sometime in the near future. I couldn’t believe my luck, a farewell party with a happy ending.

A week later we go on the date and things don’t really seem as they were that evening. Something seems a little offish. No spark, no nothing. And like a friend of mine once said: “It’s that Sheldon Cooper type of awkwardness!”

Luckily we made it out alive and I am pretty sure we both left Starbucks thinking: “What the hell was that?” and “I don’t think we should go on another date.”

It’s safe to say there were no messages to be sent from that date onwards. We both lived happily ever after – without ever seeing one another again.

A day or so later my phone gets stolen, and it’s definitely not backed up. It’s one of those things where I will just do it next week. Next week comes and goes, and so forth. It just never happens.

I lose all my contacts, I didn’t have Facebook or any social media at the time. So it took time to get all my contacts back.

It was a few months later that I get a call from Carly. She’s in town and suggests we meet up for coffee. We agreed on meeting at Starbucks, and getting our names written on cups like any other stereotypical Starbucks fans. That’s the cool thing about Carly, she’s spontaneous like that.

We caught up on about 3 months worth of personal news, but somehow the whole story of Bailey slipped my mind. I completely forgot to tell her about it. How it happened I don’t know. We’re even at the same place the date took place.

But as Carly leaves, she’s like: “So I know this girl, and you two will definitely get along. So please call her”, she asks.

I’ve had nothing to lose, so I give her a call. It turns out her name was Bailey too. “What’s it with me and the Bailey’s”, I thought to myself. She even sounded familiar over the phone, but I must have heard her wrong. It couldn’t be the same Bailey, could it?

You guessed it!

We showed up at Starbucks wearing the exact same outfits as our first, first date. Bailey and I back at it again. Now our second first date. Is it just me or aren’t there a lot of humans that can honestly say they’ve been on two first dates with the same person?

The whole event made the mood so much lighter, we got along so well this time around. We had a good laugh and agreed that these events only take place in movies. The Barney and Bailey show was going to be an award winning show one day.

I wish I could tell you that from that day onwards we were meant to be, but we were co-scriptwriters, and best of all…

Wait for it!

Friends for life, nothing more and nothing less. So, there you have it folks, the official ending for the story of Bailey.

Next week’s coincidental encounter is under construction and will be released 27 January 2019 😉

The very first date

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Take a second to envisage a shy, young boy who needs to ask a girl to go to a Valentine’s Ball with him. It could go one of two ways: wrong or terribly wrong.

I’ll leave the answer up to you.

I am sure a lot of you will relate to not wanting to tell your brother or sister, and definitely not your parents about your first date. They just won’t understand what you’d been through and apparently they always know what you could’ve done better.

So here it goes:

In the midst of summer 2015, with temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius the date was scheduled for 15:00. The only way of actually getting to your date without anyone knowing?

A bicycle ride.

Please bare in mind that this date is about 7km from where you stay and the elevation is like having to climb Mount Everest. Just with the heat of the desert.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters, you are going to be sweaty, not just because you are nervous but also because you barely survived the immense heat that hit your face every time you peddled a peddle further. The effect of this? An odour even Shrek would be afraid of.

Then, well, you could’ve guessed it. It’s quite simply very easy to fall off your bicycle. But would that happen to an experienced rider like myself?

Bruised, battered and sweaty I finally arrived at the coffee shop 10 minutes ahead of time. Plenty of time to gather my bearings after all the trauma I’ve been through.

That would’ve been nice, but true as Bob and just my luck. There she was. Already seated in her beautiful summer dress, just staring at what looked like a catastrophe.

We greeted one another (the first time in like 3 years), and the first and only words that I could manage to mutter out of my mouth were: “Would you go to the Valentine’s Ball with me?”

The only thought going through my mind was, who could possibly say yes. Fortunately she found all the events leading up to the date so comical, that she couldn’t say no.

Before I forget to mention, the Valentines Ball ended up being one for the books. It was a night filled with fun and lots of laughing.

Smiley Miley

A simple smile, that’s all it took…

For a few months I walked by the same stores, in the same ordinary buildings at the busiest of times. Each person living the same typical day over and over again.

Must be boring, don’t you think?

But then about a two months ago something extraordinary happened. I walked past the optometrist’s. And as I walked past, there was a dazzling smile from a stunning girl. Not a scene commonly found in those ordinary buildings.

For the next three weeks it continued. Every time I’d walk by, there was a smile. From the same stunning girl. Then the smiles transformed to smiles, waves and silent hello’s.

But then one day I was so overwhelmed at work and needed an escape. An escape to an imaginary planet. I guess that’s why I went to Starbucks with only pen and paper that day. No leather laptop bag, no distractions.

But for me to escape reality music is a necessity. It was just my luck. When I got to Starbucks I realised I had forgotten my headphones in the car. I quickly ran to get them.

I had already walked passed the optometrist once on my way to Starbucks. Needless to say she smiled. But then I passed a second time. This time it was a smile and a wave.

As I sat at Starbucks I kept thinking about this incident. It’s amazing how one person’s smile can turn your frown upside down. It had made my day, and as I always do, I had to thank that girl.

I put my pen to work and wrote a small thank you note. A note stating the obvious:

Dear …

I wish I already knew your name, but hopefully now I would.

Thank you for smiling at me when I needed it most. You absolutely made my day and I just wanted to thank you for it.

Regards

Heinrich

I had remembered I still had a vintage envelope in my jean’s pocket. Which was fortunate, because it meant I had something to put the note in.

Nervously I walked to her. I handed her the envelope and for a brief moment there was plenty confusion. She looked puzzled. A stranger handing her a vintage letter. That couldn’t have made sense.

But then I explained that everything would make sense if she read the letter and when asked when she should open it I simply replied: “Whenever you feel like it.”

She told me to have a seat as she introduced herself as Miley. She said that she’d read it immediately. My heart rate spiked and it felt as if my heart was soon going to explode through my ribcage.

As she read it, the power went down. There we sat, in the dark, but she kept on reading. She smiled and thanked me for the letter. She asked if I’d like to stay and talk to her for a while. I had no-one to see, nowhere to be and nothing to do. I couldn’t see why that could be a problem at all.

We talked and we talked and we talked. Before we knew it an hour and a half had passed and it was time to return home. It continues to amaze me how my life changed from that day onwards. I realised how much it meant to be kind.

It wasn’t two days later that I walked passed the store again. This time to find her jumping from her chair when she saw me. Never had anyone been that excited to see me!

What happened next brought me to tears. Miley had written me a letter. I couldn’t believe it to be honest. It was the sweetest thing ever.

Miley and I had developed a great friendship, and as I walked by the store almost everyday we got to see each other rather often.

That was only until a few weeks later when Miley got an offer to fulfil her dream job and become an interior designer for the Red Leather Company. The only problem was that the Company was based in Florence, Italy.

It was a no brainer she had to take the job. Who would say no to traveling and designing for a world renowned company? And I knew her well enough to know she wanted a new start. This was going to be it!

Anyway, Miley and I are still great friends, and phone one another weekly.

Till next time guys!

The one in a million rose

Friends don’t let friends do stupid things. Alone!

Rick, Dawson and I have a very special bond. We’ve come a long way. From tiny toddlers, to irritating primary schoolers, to being too school for cool in high school to eventually becoming lifelong friends.

It’s safe to say we’ve pulled off some weird stunts throughout the years. One of them being a dare that each of us have to give a random girl a rose (the catch being; you are not allowed to say a single word). And it needs to happen on Valentines day. Not a day before, not a day after. That day!

So one year we met up at the local florist at 08:00 on Valentines day and each bought a pink rose. Why not a red one?

Pfff, we don’t fall in love that quickly 😉

After we met up at the florist each of us went on our own quest to find the perfect candidate for the rose. Each of us with our own game plan and to me it was kind of like playing deal or no deal.

There were plenty of risks involved in such a stunt. Especially when the wrong girl received it and gave you flat hand across your face. That happened to Rick.

And what happened to Dawson was even funnier. He had made one crucial mistake.

One thing you need to know about Dawson first; he can’t swim, not even to save his life. Which would make sense, because if you can’t swim you will inevitably drown, wouldn’t you?

He gave his rose to a girl at the river. How romantic! But I guess we all know where he ended up. Yes, he ended up in the river. And yes it was a stupid thing to do, but luckily he survived the incident. Thanks to the fisherman who reeled him in to shore. I am sure he was quite the catch.

What happened to me though?

I was on my way home from the florist, when I had seen the perfect opportunity. At the time I thought: “If I give to a girl handing out flyers alongside the road, she couldn’t do anything to me, and the chances of me ever seeing or even recognising her again were going to be slim to none.”

The traffic light was red when I approached it. There were no cars behind me and I had a feeling that as soon as I were to stop it’ll change to green. And so it did. I had opened my window, gave her the rose and drove off. No name, no number and definitely left plenty of words unspoken.

Surely at the time she thought: “What in the world just happened?” – that’s what I would’ve thought.

But it was the perfect plan, and when Rick, Dawson and I reviewed the dare, I came out on top. No harm was done and the stories that came from that day were hysterical. Hysterical I tell you. And still they follow us around, whenever someone needs a good laugh.

18 months later…

I got an invite to go watch a show. A show a friend of mine was performing the lead role in. A show at the Atterbury Theatre. How grand?

And you wouldn’t guess what they performed?

They performed the show of “The three musketeers handing out roses on Valentines day.”

Nope! Just kidding, but it would’ve been so cool though.

They were performing “The Greatest Showman”, and I just so happened to love “The Greatest Showman”. It was going to be a great experience. Seeing my friend perform one of my favourite musicals – and just all the excitement around being at the theatre.

It. Was. The. Greatest. Show. Ever!

But what happened later that evening no-one could ever explain. I got invited to have a drink with the crew after the show. I had met my friend’s co-star, Olivia. Between the two of us we had finished a bottle of wine, as we just talked about life and how crazy it became at times.

We had an immediate connection and I am not talking about the Wifi. For a moment we had stared deep into one another’s souls. So deep it could’ve been Wimpy’s famous bottomless coffee.

I thought I had to ask her to get coffee with me sometime – it’s funny, it always comes out that way. Like: “Do you wanna get coffee sometime?”

Anyway I’d asked her and she didn’t hesitate when she answered:”Yes!”

I could’ve been the wine talking, but it sure didn’t feel that way.

Barely a week later we found ourselves in my car on our way to Vovo Telo. I can’t quite remember how we came about the topic, but we were talking about random acts of kindness. And she started telling me this compelling story of a random guy in a white Volkswagen Polo handing her a rose on the Valentines day the year before.

“On the corner of Lynnwood and Glenwood”, I had asked her.

Shocked she had replied: “How did you know that?”

Then I told her the compelling story of the three musketeers and their little adventure on Valentines day the year before. Both of us were in total shock! It was a moment of total chaos in my mind, and I couldn’t find a word to say. Never-mind finding it, I probably wouldn’t even have been able to buy it.

Of all the people that could’ve ended up next to me…

Who would’ve thought that it will be the girl who I had randomly given a rose to 18 months before? I mean what are the chances of it ever actually happening?

We had so much to talk about during our coffee date. But we did however end up only talking about the rose. And in all honesty the only real talking that had been done was by the wine on the night of the show.

But there is nothing to whine about now. We became good friends, and have a surprisingly amazing story to tell everywhere we go.

Next week’s story is still a blank canvas, but before you know it the week will be over and the story on the blog. Till next week then 🙂

I only called her one time, maybe it was two times…

Don’t think it was three times, can’t be more than four times?

I think we need to rewind.

It was the summer of ’17 and my mother had just moved to Oudtshoorn. Even though we expected it, we didn’t realise just how much we were going to miss her. Until one day, I needed a cup of coffee with my mother, just to vent you know? Yet I had to travel a 1181km just to see her. So that wasn’t going to happen.

The next best thing I could think of was going to our favourite coffee shop, Starbucks ( I know, I know. All my stories take place at Starbucks, or well 90,1% of them) and writing her a letter.

Old school, but hey, we’re cool like that!

So I get my cappuccino from my man Marvin and we share a laugh about how I am the typical cliché writer in a coffee shop. But I like that, being part of cliché really ain’t that bad. Especially an authentic one.

After all the fun and games, I find a table outside. I just find that I am much more creative outdoors. There are cons too. Like the wind – but only when one writes on paper.

I take out my vintage note pad and start writing my mother the first letter of the year 2018. I get about five sentences on the page, just to crumble it up and start again. I just wasn’t perfect enough. Take two will be better though.

Eventually I finish the first page. As I start writing the second one, the wind starts to pick up. The gust was so vigorous, it even blew the three little piggies’ house away. The wolf wouldn’t have been able to match that.

The consequence being, my letter floating away like a boat on rough seas. So I do what anyone would do, get on my rubber duck and start chasing after it.

But before I knew, it was safely in the harbour of someone else’s hands. Gently handing it back to me.

Hands accidentally touch, and causes an intentional connection.

By now we all want to know her name, if I am not mistaken?

“I think this belongs to you”, Katy said sincerely.

I thanked her, and asked if she’d like to get on the boat and join me for a cup of coffee. I figured I owe her that much for saving the boat from sinking.

She agreed and we made our way over to Starbucks.

The moment she ordered hot chocolate, I knew. I knew we were going to get along just fine. And it turns out we had a lot in common. Important things too, like a love for stationery, vintage pens and writing handwritten letters.

The “date” lasted a few hours. It got late and it was time to get home. I just couldn’t let her leave without getting her number, and so I got it. It was such a wonderful evening and I just knew I had to see her again.

So I only called her one time, maybe it was two times, don’t think it was three times, can’t be more than four times…

All went to voicemail. I just left it at that.

It was about 4 months later. I had just finished another letter. And there she was, two tables across me. I couldn’t believe it! I mean, what are the chances? I got up, to greet her and she immediately told me to have a seat.

It turns out minutes after our first date, her phone fell, broke and she’d lost all the info she’d on it. Coincidentally her number also changed when she took out a new contract for her phone.

Anyway all was understood, and we became great friends. She did however move to the USA soon thereafter.

Good things take time – please tune in next week for the fourth instalment.