Inconceivable: Rescued by Unconditional Love

By Paul Richards

Inconceivable is the story of a man and his wife who go through life with extreme high and low circumstances. They marry just out of high school and begin to raise their family. After ten years of marriage, they are given a special blessing from God that causes the next seven years to be a dream come true. But at the end of those seven years, an illness called bipolar disorder manifests itself in him and life quickly changes. Over the next twenty years, he fights his illness, going on and off his medication. The marriage relationship suffers great losses and nearly comes to an end. He reconnects through Facebook with an old relationship from high school, which quickly escalates into a heated affair. He decides the marriage is over, moves out of the home and files for divorce. His wife, who could have easily been ready for their marriage to end, began to pray for a Christmas miracle. Her faith in God allowed her to show unconditional love and forgiveness to her husband in a way that drew him back to her in an inconceivable manner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973628552

Paul Richards

Paul Richards was born in Brisbane and taught by an education system that ignored the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history of Queensland.As a law student, he wrote and directed in radical amateur theatre, which led to a chance meeting in 1968 with a powerful Nunukul family who educated him in that hidden history of Queensland.Their revelations of the appalling treatment of Indigenous people caused him to engage in a career spanning half a century in the pursuit of their civil rights and land rights. Initially, he assisted the Brisbane Tribal Council, black theatre and the Black Panther Party. That led to an involvement in the foundation of the Aboriginal Legal Service in 1972.In the following years he provided legal advice and representation to Indigenous people throughout Queensland in many aspects of the legal system. The later years of his career involved the pursuit of native title rights, which gave some recognition and rights to the First Nations of Queensland.Retiring in 2015, he then began recording these significant stories of his experience in those battles.

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Copyright © 2018 Paul Richards.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-2854-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2856-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-2855-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018905899

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/07/2018

CONTENTS

The Foreword (By Angela Richards)

The Introduction

Chapter 1:   Miss Goodie Two Shoes

Chapter 2:   The Kiss In The Corridor

Chapter 3:   Love Begins, At The Pizza Palace: 1972

Chapter 4:   Our First Date

Chapter 5:   The Double Date

Chapter 6:   The Encounter At The Park

Chapter 7:   Our Marriage Begins

Chapter 8:   Obsessions

Chapter 9;   The Denver Redemption

Chapter 10: The First Seven Years

Chapter 11: The First Manic Attack

Chapter 12: Oj Simpson - Death Therapy

Chapter 13: Manic Man

Chapter 14: A Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter 15: The End Of An Obligation

Chapter 16: Back To The Beginning

Chapter 17: Social Media Seduction

Chapter 18: Justification For An Affair

Chapter 19: The Secret Rendezvous

Chapter 20: Sunday Night Desperation

Chapter 21: Dinner With The Pastor

Chapter 22: The Mystery Meeting

Chapter 23: Let The Texting Begin

Chapter 24: The First Work Day At The House

Chapter 25: The Second Work Day At The House

Chapter 26: The Final Work Day At The House

Chapter 27: The Christmas Miracle

Chapter 28: Coming Home

Epilogue

About The Author

THE FOREWORD

(BY ANGELA RICHARDS)

This is the story of one man’s life journey. Paul was the youngest of three children and the only son of a devout pastor. He had grown up knowing God was real and desired a personal relationship with him. However, Paul had not yet embraced that relationship in his own life. As the story unfolds you will see the thread of God’s providence winding throughout the book.

I want you to understand that I fully support my husband in his desire to share his story or should I say our story. This has been a difficult journey at times. As you read the book you will come to understand, that while I fully support my husband it reveals how our story has been an emotional roller coaster spanning over 4 decades. At the end of each chapter I have written a few words as a reflection of how I was coping with that period of life.

It exposes hurts from decades ago that brought out insecurities and anger in me. However, through it all our HOPE is that you will understand how the power of God can bring repentance, forgiveness, redemption and unconditional love.

From the beginning of our relationship in high school we both believed God had orchestrated our love. There were times throughout our marriage that we doubted this, but God always made sure that one of us was holding firm to Him and our marriage covenant. God’s providence!

In these pages, you will read of my husband’s fight with his personal demons, bipolar disorder, emotional upheavals, an affair and imminent divorce. Names and places have been changed in the book to protect the privacy of all the individuals in the story however the events and the struggles are all true.

BUT the story does not end there! God’s promise in Philippians 4:19 My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory came to life in a real and exciting way. You will discover how God’s unconditional love, mercy and grace not only restored a broken life and marriage, but it TRANSFORMED it into something beautiful!

Our prayer is that as you experience Inconceivable you will be encouraged to seek God’s grace in your own personal struggles. Ephesians 3:20-21 Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or even think, came to life in a miraculous way in our life and marriage.

May God bless you,

Angela, the bride (Forever)

THE INTRODUCTION

I may not have gained a great deal of knowledge from attending Bakersville high in the 70’s, but what I got was worth more than you can imagine. Academics were not my strong suit, my talents rested more in sports and music. However, I believe God used both my strengths and weaknesses to design the plan for my future.

My parents were full time ministers of the gospel, so I found myself sitting in church every time the doors were open. Therefore, maybe I was being groomed to accept a calling that would someday be presented to me. I suppose it would be safe to assume that some of what my father said from behind the pulpit made an impact on me. Maybe it would aid God in His endeavors of recruiting me into service at the appropriate time.

God made a woman, He named Eve, from Adam’s rib because He knew Adam would need a helpmate. I believe God did the same for me. He knew I would be needing plenty of help to navigate life’s journey.

On the first day of school during my junior year at Bakersville High School, I met the girl who would become the Eve in my life. She would be my helpmate for years to come. We met in Algebra II class and as luck would have it, that turned out to be just the subject I needed the most help in. This girl who became my desk partner for the year would not only tutor me in Algebra II, but continue to be my copilot, my wife, the mother of my children and most of all, my soul-mate for years to come. She would help guide me through life’s difficult struggles and pitfalls. That journey began mid-way through our junior year when she became my steady girl.

It was God’s first step in placing a solid foundation under my feet. He knew I would someday accept a special calling He was designing just for me.

In my mind, my pretty Algebra II desk-partner, who I will call Angela, my Cinderella girl, was clearly out of my league. As that year began I had already been in a steady relationship for several months with a girl I will call Lora. Things had been going fairly well so I did not foresee that relationship ending soon. Therefore, a dating relationship between my desk-partner and me didn’t seem to be plausible. But, things don’t always go as planned and aren’t always as they seem. Through an unusual encounter, I began a sexual relationship with an older girl, I will call Grace who was engaged to be married to someone else. Shortly after that began, I broke off my relationship with Lora, and I was about to have my first date with Angela. I had become tightly tangled in my first love-triangle.

I had never dreamed of being involved in a situation like I now found myself. I had always been the type of guy who had one steady girlfriend not dating more than one girl at a time. But, the devil being as sly as he is, knew God’s plan concerning my desk-partner, Angela and me. He moved in to stop it before it really began. It seemed he had cleverly devised a diversion by using the not so conservative, older girl who was engaged to be married. I believe he tempted me into the sinful relationship for the sole purpose of derailing God’s plan with my Algebra II desk partner.

There’s no question about it, my relationship with this upper-classman was rebellious and displeasing to God. But now, when looking back, it is easy to see how that connection played a larger role in our lives, far more than one would imagine.

By God’s intervention, and the help of Angela, my desk-partner, I found my way back onto solid ground and avoided any permanent mishaps. With a simple kiss on Angela forehead, I knew that true love was within my reach and that made the world right again. God was arranging what would someday become a beautiful love story.

While doing time at my old high school alma mater my Cinderella girl was not the only good fortunate that came my way and changed my destiny. Although those other life altering opportunities were paled in comparison to Angela. One of the major opportunities was a football scholarship I received as a wide receiver. I accepted the offer to a college in the mid-west 300 miles from home. I decided I would only accept the scholarship if Angela would agree to go with me. She accepted my proposal and our wedding day was planned and executed to perfection only three months after graduation. Immediately after our wedding and lovely honeymoon, I was most happy to escort my Cinderella girl into the future.

Because of my lack of enthusiasm for school and the fact that college football was not what I wanted, I gave up my scholarship and left college early. I wanted to get out into the real world and do it my way.

The thought of being back in Bakersville seemed good to me. Therefore, I suggested to my bride of six months that we move back to the small, rural town we grew up in. I felt more suited to make a living with my hands rather than my brain. So, we began raising our family in a meek and modest way. When opportunities for growth arose, we took them.

After several years had passed, and our marriage was a decade old, the relationship between my wife and I had slowly taken a back seat to the things that held my attention. I found myself involved in self-fulfilling activities such as weightlifting, softball, tennis and of course, my intense drive for music and recording equipment. These things had stolen my heart away from my first love. But, there was another major change on the horizon.

At the end of 1983, during the Thanksgiving holiday something amazing happened. The plan was finally being revealed. I was certain that everything in the past had led us to this very moment. While vacationing in Denver Colorado, God spoke to me in a way I had never before experienced. It was more than just random thoughts or some wild dream in the middle of the night. I had been thinking of where my life was headed, and I had made a commitment to God to change. I was tired of the distance I had put between God and me for so long. That night was the first of several prophecies I would receive. For the past few years, I had allowed myself to get caught up in the things of this world which once again led me into sin and further away from God’s plan for me.

After Angela and I had gone to bed, I began to hear words in the back of my mind. The message was as understandable as if it was spoken audibly. As I sat there in bed, this voice began to show me things about my life; past, present and future. First, the voice talked to me about my relationship with my father. I had resented God for years because of my father’s battle with depression. As I listened that night I began to understand and experience a sense of freedom and confidence I had never known before.

Next came the prophecy concerning my future. I was told that my life, over the next seven years, would be blessed dramatically by God. He reminded me of the Old Testament story of Joseph. Joseph went through many trials and tribulation but trusted the Hand of God and never blamed Him for his hardships. And because of that, Joseph was used by God to save the world from a devastating drought and famine that affected all of Egypt.

Joseph was an interpreter of dreams and interpreted a dream for Pharaoh about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. I felt the voice telling me that my life would be similar to the life of Joseph. That God had seven wonderful years for me to learn to study and follow His Word. That I would be blessed beyond measure but then there would be seven years of famine. Something beyond anything I had ever experienced before. As I sat there in my sister’s basement bedroom dumbfounded I could hardly believe what had happened, but something reassured me that it was all true.

Once, the voice that had held me spellbound was gone, I slowly laid down on the bed next to Angela. As I tried to fall asleep, I continued to think about what I had just heard. The words kept playing over and over in my mind like a broken record.

The next morning when I awoke, I remembered everything that had been said the night before. At first, I felt a little anxious, but I realized I was not responsible to make it happen. I just needed to wait and see what God had planned. I felt different on the inside, that was for sure. I believed with all my heart that this was all real and from God. There was a surge of confidence radiating within me as I thought about the next seven years. I found myself filled with an unusual excitement. Somehow, I knew that the activities that had drawn me off course were no longer going to be a problem. God had taken care of it all.

A few days after we returned home, I knew I had to share this all with Angela. I knew it would be the most important talk we had ever had.

I told her everything that had happened in the basement that night as vividly as I could. It was obvious she was genuinely excited about what I told her. I also shared with her the things that had been going on in my life behind her back. Things that I knew would be hard for her to understand. Amazingly enough, she had already sensed a difference in me and she believed that God was in control now. We stayed up all night talking about our life and our wonderful future.

By the time morning broke I could see a difference in Angela’s eyes. There was a sparkle of love that I had never seen before. I couldn’t help but believe that God had placed it there. From that night on, our life was never the same. It became a common occurrence for us to sit up and talk all night about scripture and what God was doing in our life.

It was the beginning of the first seven years and it was becoming anything but mediocre. There was a definite change in our relationship and in our family. It was new and fresh, and we anticipated miracles in the next seven years, and God didn’t disappoint.

In those seven years, I realized just how much Angela meant to me. Each day, it was clearer to me that Angela was someone extra special. I would think back to that Algebra II class and how I almost past her by. She was my helpmate and spending time with her was all I wanted to do. It was a different kind of love than we had experienced the first ten years of our marriage. It was true love and it was a gift from God. It wasn’t difficult to believe that we had been placed in our own Garden of Eden.

In the first several months after this encounter, we traveled around to nearby churches and preached the Word. I had thoughts about going into full-time ministry, but I just didn’t feel that was my calling. As I took the pulpit, I thought about my father and the hundreds of times I heard him speak. It seemed strange that I was following in his footsteps. Before this, I could never speak in front of an audience, big or small. Therefore, being able to do it now only established that God was already performing miracles.

After two years, we took on a major building project together and began the construction of our 3500 square foot all concrete dream home. I had been employed at a concrete company for the past twelve years, so it seemed fitting to build the house entirely out of concrete and block. To make the project even more of an experience, Angela and I decided to build it ourselves. Of course, I will admit, it was against the advice of most of our contractor friends. The house took three years to build while I was working full time. A year after it was completed, I felt God was impressing me to step out in faith again. This time it was to start a brick distributing business. I had been the top brick salesman at another company for many years, so I felt I was ready to go out on my own. Getting it started was a series of miracles. Completing our house only a year before, we didn’t have the money for another project like this, but God assured me He would make it happen.

During this time God blessed us with two additional children. I had decided I did not want more children after our second son was born premature. But, with so much love and excitement in our lives, we ended up adding another son, and our only daughter to complete our family of six.

After our first sixteen months in the brick business, we were near the end of the first seven-year prophecy. Life was enchanting, just as I was told it would be, but I was certainly a bit nervous about what the second seven-year period might hold for us. I tried hard not to imagine the change that might be coming. I told myself that maybe I didn’t hear it correctly. Maybe it was only the devil who wanted us to think things were going to go bad.

With only a few weeks left in the first seven-year period, I began having an eerie feeling about the future. I knew I needed to be as close to Angela as possible, and of course to God, so I began praying more intently. I began thinking and meditating more about spiritual things and reading more scripture.

I read the first chapter of James over and over because it tells us to be joyful when tests and trials come our way. I was preparing myself. I would keep myself before the Lord like never before.

At the end of the first seven-year period, life changed overnight. It was the beginning of what seemed to be a never-ending road of fear, panic and devastation. Satan attacked with unbelievable force. It was obvious over time that it was the devil’s goal to destroy the strong marital relationship that God had created in us. He would be relentless, and he would not give up. This beautiful love story designed by the Lord was something Satan hated with a passion.

In the next couple of years, I realized how much I desperately needed Angela. She was literally my everything. No, she didn’t coddle me, she actually pushed me even harder, but that’s what I needed. I could have easily been caught up in self-pity that would have undermined any success I might have had. It was tough being admitted into three separate mental hospitals and diagnosed with a textbook case of Manic-Depression, or Bipolar Disorder, as it’s most commonly referred too.

I spent thousands of hours thinking about how different our lives were in the 90’s compared to the 80’s. Whether it was luck, sheer genius on my part, or an act of God, when I graduated from high school and walked out of those swinging doors of Bakersville High, I had much more than just a diploma clutched in my hand. I had a beautiful, intelligent, girl who wanted to become my bride more than anything. But, she couldn’t have pictured our lives now.

It was no secret, I was not the same man. Everything about me was different, but not in a good way. I was afraid of my shadow and couldn’t leave for work in the mornings without a pep-talk from Angela. At times, I wondered whether God even existed. I had to reassure myself constantly that He did, and that somehow, someday, He would deliver me from whatever hell I was in.

I didn’t think the police would ever burst into my home, or that the SWAT team would surround my house, or that I would be taken to the state mental institution to be held on a 96-hour court order. But this was my life, July 7th, 1995. It wasn’t too difficult to believe that our life as we knew it was over.

I could not understand why God would want us to go through this. I could no longer read my Bible or listen to praise and worship music that was so much a part of my life in the 80’s. It literally made the hair on my arms and neck stand on end. It was the freakiest thing I’d ever experienced. I asked a million times why manic was being allowed to take us over and tear us apart.

By now, our marital relationship was frazzled, to say the least, and each time I stopped taking my medication, things just got worse. After a few years had passed, the fear and panic that made life unbearable, gave way to the illusions of grandeur, and I actually loved it. For nearly twenty-years, beating the illness became my highest priority in life. I was sure that when I accomplished my goal, I would be rewarded with a life that would surpass them all. I would become an example and write a book about how to accomplish this goal.

Five years into the second seven-year period, the company where I was employed suddenly went out of business. On the surface, it couldn’t be explained. I began applying wherever I was qualified but was unable to find a job. Losing my job and not being able to find another comparable one caused a ripple effect and we lost our beautiful dream home. It was now the end of the second seven-year period.

We now had little to show for our lives other than an old Lincoln Continental that took us 300 miles across the state to the same place we had gone after we first married. This would become our new start in life. It had been twenty-four years since we had moved there the first time. We were trying to be positive, however we had all but forgotten how to accomplish that.

Life continued to be a constant roller-coaster ride even after the second seven-years had ended. We had good days and bad days however there were no more police, no more SWAT teams, or out-of-control nights, I felt I was close to a miracle. Yet the mere mention of being off the medication, sent Angela’s mind into a panic. I felt that this woman whom God had sent to me all those years ago, no longer had my best interest at heart. With resentment building up over the last several years, I began thinking that love had passed us by and our lives together were beyond repair. In my mind, we were no longer compatible and could never have the relationship we once had. This woman I once depended on for life, had now become almost a hindrance to the mission I was called to do. She insisted that I take the medication. She caused wars between us because she refused to see God’s plan like I did. She went behind my back and talked to those on the outside. She was trying to undermine my plan and gain control. Being off my medication was not what she wanted to hear, but she had to deal with it over and over. Finally, she began to wonder how much more she had left.

As I began to feel less and less connected to the woman I once loved so desperately, I began thinking that maybe it was truly over between us. I had made the announcement to stay on my medication two years before, and I had been successful. For those two years I had tried hard to pull our marriage back together, but still, Angela and I were making little or no progress. Maybe there was nothing we could do.

At this point, we had been married for thirty-nine years. During the last half of those years we had many struggles. The more I questioned our relationship, the more I was drawn elsewhere. After seeing a picture on social media, I began an internet relationship with someone from my past. She happened to be the temptress from my junior year in high school. To make a long story short, after a few weeks, I filed for divorce. I was convinced this new woman was going to make a wonderful change in my life and give me back the love that the Bipolar Disorder had stolen from me. I eased my guilt, by saying I was giving Angela the chance to make a clean break from me. She would be better off without me.

I knew that having an affair with this lover from high school, had surely locked the door to any possible reconciliation between Angela and me. I had come to terms with that. I wanted to be free from the guilt of the past twenty years and this is how I would do it. But, things are not always as they seem.

Even though, I had betrayed Angela by having an affair and making plans to be with Grace, she was determined not to stop being the helpmate that God had called her to be. In her heart, she was sure my newly found relationship with Grace was strictly a demonic attack. She believed God told her it was up to her to save me. She began to pray like never before. A few weeks before Christmas Angela made the direct move to ask God for a Christmas Miracle. She even announced to the world that she was praying for a Christmas miracle by posting it on social media. In turn, her friends, aware of the situation, told her she was crazy for believing I would come back.

God knew what He was doing when He put us together in Algebra II class in 1972. It began when the prettiest girl in class sat down beside me the first day of school. But, now, after nearly forty years of marriage, it certainly appeared to be over. Maybe, holding on to what little she had left seemed impossible, but something inside of her caused her to try. Her steadfast dedication to the Word of God and believing that our life together meant too much to throw away. Somehow, God with her help began to weave us back together a little at a time. Because of that effort, our marriage was restored much like our relationship of the 80’s. It was beautiful once again.

In December of 2012, the devil had done his worst in our lives and it appeared it was finished, he had won. Then God the Father stepped in and turned things around. A beautiful and wonderful story of the power of God and unconditional love is in the pages of this book we entitled Inconceivable. It has been created by the story of our life together and ends with the full story of how Angela, with God’s help, loved me back into her arms. Being a Christian isn’t always getting what you pray for, it’s being ready to follow God wherever He chooses to take you. Sometimes it seems like the last place you think you want to be.

CHAPTER

ONE

Miss Goodie Two Shoes

A ngela and I met in 1971 at the beginning of our junior year in high school. It was the first day of school in Mr. Henry’s Algebra II class. I had walked in that morning and took the first available desk. There was a little time before class began so I sat down, leaned back in my chair and began to daydream.

The dream started with me riding on a horse and I don’t even like horses. I was one of the knights at the King’s round table which I knew nothing about. But now, just like that, it was like I knew everything about it. It was obvious that I possessed great courage and I feared nothing, something I had always desired.

I had been called on a great mission and it was of utmost importance. I had been summoned to rescue a princess, imagine that. This princess had been taken to a nearby village and her name was, Miss Cinderella. I was riding like the wind on this magnificent steed. It was a majestic black stallion and I could barely wait to get there so I could fulfill my duty and save the princess.

In no time, I could see from a distance the castle where the princess was being held captive. This tower of ancient granite and stone was owned by the meanest and most wicked villain in the entire country, but still, I was not the least bit afraid.

When I arrived, I cleverly found a way to breach the entrance to the castle and made my way to the stairwell at the end of a lengthy passageway. Then, I meticulously made my way up the stairs as fast as I could, knowing, with no doubts, that I would soon locate the princess and be the hero.

Just ahead, I saw two armed men guarding a large door. Therefore, using my stunning intellect, I knew this was where the princess was being held. I easily overtook the guards and pulled down the eighteenth century solid oak door with my bare hands and trusty sword. I entered the room with considerable caution, I had no idea how many men the evil villain had positioned in place anticipating my arrival. The room was very large and when I scanned its length, I saw a magnificent antique bed with a canopy draped across it of white linen. Sitting upon the bed was the beautiful princess. She obviously had heard the commotion when I bested the guards and ripped the door from its hinges. She immediately knew I was her knight in shining armor.

I could tell the princess was quite a charming creature. This young maiden who was about sixteen years of age had long blonde hair that flowed back and forth as she rushed to reach my safety. But suddenly, something began to go wrong. To my dismay, the harder we ran to each other the further away we became; I was perplexed.

I tried desperately to reach out for her, but it was to no avail. When the princess realized I was drifting away, her eyes began to dim and the smile on her face faded. I knew I had failed.

As I sat there in Algebra class, I began thinking about this wild dream I had concocted in my head. It seemed so real that it sent cold chills running up and down my spine. I was able to locate the castle, find the Princess inside, do away with all the guards yet was not able to rescue her. How disappointing and almost depressing.

Daydreaming in class wasn’t something I did often, however what transpired after this adventure of mine, totally blew me away. During this mysterious daydream, in a far away fairytale land, I hoped I hadn’t made any unusual gestures while sitting in the classroom

My first inclination after I returned from the daydream, was to look around the room and see if any classmates were laughing and staring at me. But, it appeared the custom designed journey I took to save the princess went undetected and I breathed a sigh of relief. As I was scanning the room, as inconspicuously as possible, something rather amazing happened and it took my breath away. A girl I had never seen before walked into the classroom. This girl had long blond hair and was extremely pretty, but the most interesting thing was how much she looked like the princess. Of course, I realized it couldn’t be her because the princess was only real in my daydream.

This Cinderella girl was tall, slender and beautiful; just like the princess I was unable to save. As she confidently walked into Mr. Henry’s class, I noticed her hair was silky blonde and curled slightly at the ends. As she entered the classroom, her hair bounced up and down just like the shampoo commercials on TV. I knew right then, that having her in class had to improve my earlier not so high expectations of this course. I must say, I was spellbound.

This certainly wasn’t something I expected on the first day of school, although, I admit, it was making things interesting. The other students, who were still meandering around, began finding their seats, it was almost time for the bell.

This was the start of my Junior year and all the butterflies in my stomach were alive and well. I was not in the mood for chit-chatting with friends, the butterflies wouldn’t allow it. The first day of school was certainly not my favorite day of the year. I had my mind on two things. First, I was curious about this Cinderella girl who looked so much like the character in my dream. And second, I was curious to see who would end up sitting next me.

The desks in Mr. Henry’s class were larger than most, but two students were assigned to each desk. It was obvious that your desk partner would be a very important factor on whether you enjoyed this year long class or not.

For a second time that morning, I was fortunate enough to get goose bumps. I was stunned and wasn’t positive that what I was seeing was actually happening, but it later proved to be true. The girl, whom had just taken my breath away, walked across the room and sat down in the empty chair beside me only inches away. I almost went into shock. Instinctively, I glanced across the room wondering if anyone else was seeing this? I was wondering if I had started another daydream.

Even though, I was ecstatic that this Cinderella girl sat down beside me, I didn’t want to appear overly enthusiastic about it. I was already in a relationship with a girl named Lora and had been for about six-months. I was sure that most of my classmates were aware of that, so I did not want to appear unfaithful.

As the first few days of class got underway, I noticed that my Algebra desk partner was quite the talker. She didn’t necessarily partake in conversation with me, but she certainly did enjoy visiting with her friend, Linda. Linda sat directly in front of her and they engaged in lengthy conversations while Mr. Henry demonstrated his skill in algebra on the board. That seemed to be a real passion for him. I think he actually thought his students paid attention, but probably not. Since I was only sitting inches from Miss Cinderella, I assumed that what they talked about was open conversation, so I would listen as often as possible. They talked mostly about what they thought of certain guys they knew and silly things like that. Once they began describing their actual dates, I thought it was going to get exciting. But, after listening to a few episodes of the dating habits of Mr. Henry’s Algebra girls, I was a little disillusioned. I had high hopes of hearing about some wild times, but I discovered very quickly it was all G rated. Their conversations could have easily been given as book reports in class, they were that squeaky clean.

Their tales would usually consist of information about the restaurants they went to and the movies they saw. Most of what they said was pretty boring, but there was something of interest. When they began critiquing the guys they went out with, well, that was usually worth the price of admission. They would tell each other their opinion of these guys