Nine Years Ago

We celebrate nine years of marriage today.  Seems like a lifetime ago that I said “I Do”.  The years have been great for Jeremy and I.  We have had our ups and downs.  But the ups far outweigh the downs. 

We celebrated our anniversary this year a few days early.  It was nothing spectacular.  Simply a dinner and a movie.  Something Jeremy and I both enjoy.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Frankie’s, followed by “The Unkown” at the new theatre in town.  We even threw in popcorn as a special treat.  It has been nine years you know.  Nine years of marriage equals a little extra splurge.  Even better, we added butter!  By the way,  the movie was fantastic in case your wondering.

This anniversary reminded me on the one we celebrated three years ago.  It was incredibly memorable.  I’m not kidding.

We decided to celebrate our sixth anniversary in much the same way as we did this year.  The plan was to first go to a movie, then go to dinner.  Nothing went as planned.  There is a great story here.

We arrived at the theatre a little late. We got our tickets together, then I thought it would be nice for Jeremy to catch the beginning of the movie while I waited in line for the pop and popcorn. (Yes, we splurged on pop and popcorn all those years ago as well).  So, I sent Jeremy on ahead to wait in the theatre for me just inside. 

I finally got through the line and headed to the theatre will our pop and popcorn in hand.  I got to the theatre where “The Breach” was playing.  I walked in.  Expected to see Jeremy standing there, waiting for his Bride of six years.  Hmmm.  He wasn’t there.  So, I stepped back out, thinking that maybe he had gone to the washroom.  No Jeremy in the hall.  I went back into the theatre and quickly scanned the crowd.  Expecting him to wave at me, had he  gone and sat down.  Nope.  No Jeremy waving at me.

I stepped back out in the hall.  Pop and popcorn still in hand.  The movie had been playing at least ten minutes by now.   I was getting concerned.  Maybe he was sick in the washroom.  I went to the mens-room.  Stepped into the entrance and quietly yelled his name. (I think it was more loud than quiet)  No response.  I asked the ticket-taker if he had seen a tall guy in a white sweatshirt.  No, was his reply.

Then I started to wonder if he had gone into the wrong theatre.  So, pop and popcorn in hand, off I go into each and every theatre.  A quick scan of the crowd.  Expecting a wave.  Nothing.  OK. Now at least half an hour had passed by now.  So, all I could do was wonder and start to fume. What the heck?   Where on earth could Jeremy be?

I sat down at the little table with a Famous Players magazine.  I felt like an idiot. Sitting there all by myself at the lonely table in the hall of the theatre, with our pop and popcorn. I called my sister and told her all about it. What else was I to do to pass the next hour. She said the exact thing that was on my mind. “Why has he not come looking for you?” she said in shock.  I know, why hasn’t he, was my response.

So, the hour passes.  The time has come for the movie that I was supposed to be enjoying, to come to an end.  The crowd comes out into the hall.  And there comes Jeremy in the middle of it.

He sees me.  Comes over.  And questions me about why I didn’t come and find him in the theatre.   He had to sit all by himself.  And without his pop and popcorn at that. 

Pardon?  I couldn’t believe that he was upset with me!  I was the the one sitting at the lonely table in the hall!  I thought it was humorous until this point.  I’m at fault?

We walk out to the car.  Start driving in silence.  We pass Lou’s Bar and Grill.  Jeremy says to me, “Aren’t we going to dinner?” I lose it.  I shouted,  “Are you kidding me?  Do you really think that I want to sit across the table from you now? After you watch the movie while I sit in the hall?  Then get mad at me for not finding you?  And drive home in silence we did. 

Three years later I still laugh about it.  If it is ever brought up, it’s by him.  And we laugh some more about it.  It’s these memories that I treasure.  These moments that I chalk up to two people going through life together, sometimes not the same road, but always with the same destination.