[story] Meeting and tracking down, previous post-related

[wispfox]

As requested, the story of how I met, and then tracked down, R. (mentioned without initial in the previous post)

At the time, I was living in Concord, NH. I was coming up on the bus stop for a bus that goes to Laconia, NH (where I did most of my growing up, and where my parents still live). I was startled/pleased/charmed to hear what sounded like a flute, or similar instrument, and slowed down my pace to locate it.

Sitting at the bus stop, waiting for it to arrive, was a woman of about my age, apparently playing for no other reason than to pass the time while waiting. I listened for a bit, until she stopped playing - probably because she noticed me just listening. I don't remember what I said (probably related to my surprise and delight at her playing), but we then started chatting until her bus came. I don't remember all of what we talked about, perhaps unsurprisingly, but I _do_ remember having asked where she was headed. She mentioned that she was going to visit a friend who owned (or did she say worked at?) a Native American store in downtown Laconia.

I believe we stopped chatting because the bus arrived. I'm not even sure if I'd managed to remember to get her name, and I _know_ I didn't manage to get anything written down.

So all I knew was the place where she was headed, when later I realized that I _really_ wanted to see her again.

I don't remember how long it took me, but the next time I visited my family - which was a less than 5 minute walk from Laconia's _really_ small downtown area - I decided to try to find that store.

I think I didn't even consider the idea of using a phone book, and either just wandered around downtown until I found it, or I asked someone. I probably asked my mom, knowing me.

So. I found, and entered the store, and successfully overcame immense amounts of shyness and nerves so that I could talk to the only person in the store. I probably started with (as I often do in such odd situations) 'I have a really strange question to ask you'. Thankfully, the (as I later determined) owner was a helpful sort of soul, and gave me a reaction that didn't scare me away and cause me to give up.

I then proceeded - I believe without even knowing her name - to explain how I had met this woman who mentioned having a friend who worked in this store, including the part about where I met her, and the flute playing.

And I found out that she had mentioned me, as well. And he gave me her name. And her phone number (I think she had a phone...?). And her street address in Concord, NH. I think I gave him the appropriate bits of information for me, a well, but am not sure.

Knowing that she had mentioned me as well, apparently in about as glowing terms as I had remembered her, helped a lot. I believe that I am the one who called her (if she had a phone - I might have just stopped by). And we met up, and the 2 week relationship was started.

I spent a _lot_ of time with her during those two weeks (I do, in retrospect, wonder how my boyfriend at the time handled this. I mean, I know I told him about her, but I was _not_ very aware of the kinds of things I should have been doing at the time. I might also have started to realize that I needed to leave him by then - even if it did take me another year+ to actually _do_ it), and she broke up with me three times in two weeks, I believe not including the final time.

She was not having an easy time with me being bi, and I suspect the fact that I was poly and also dating a guy did not help with that. I told her as much before we started doing anything, but that didn't change the fact that I was the way I was, and she was not really entirely comfortable with that part. I know that these were the reasons that we kept attempting to just be friends for a while. But she appears to not have been (perhaps still would not be!) someone I could do that with (mind - it was certainly not just me!).

My time with her was... intense. In all sorts of ways, really. There's almost certainly no way that could have lasted for very long, even if our contact had not ended, I suspect.

Comments

[regyt.livejournal.com]

I really adore this story.