My First Evening With An Angel

The following is from an e-mail that I wrote today to a pen pal named Becky in which I take the time to describe my first evening with Denise, which began 'My Second Vocation In Life' in 1988.

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I think that I told you that my first evening with Denise was the most magical that I've ever spent with a woman, and I think it is safe to say that over 90% of all men will never experience such an evening with a woman. I will describe the most moving part of that evening to you.

Mernell moved out in September, 1987, leaving me to raise Johnathan, 6, and it was a very lonely winter, spring, and summer of 1988 for me. On July 10, 1988, on a very quiet Sunday morning, I was reading the Poplar Bluff newspaper and on the front page was an article with the headline:

Area Woman Waiting
For Heart-Lung

which, of course, was about Denise, 22, in dire need of a heart-lung transplant operation. As I read the article, I felt sympathy for Denise, in which she told the reporter that she believed that God would come through for her with a new heart and lungs "at the right time."

I thought Denise was a bit naive to say this as I knew firsthand of how life can be full of bitter disappointments. I noted that Denise's mother was quoted in this article and that she had Denise's same last name and, thus, Denise was not married, though her photo was one of a very attractive woman. I wrote a letter of encouragement to Denise through a women's club who sponsored a trust fund for Denise's health expenses (in which I sent $50). I received a letter of thanks from Denise and her very intriguing account, which led to my writing her again. This led to my getting a call from Denise on August 12, 1988 which greatly surprised me and we talked to each other as if we'd known each other for years. Denise invited me to a family function the next day in Fredericktown for lunch, which I eagerly accepted, and then we all went to Cape Girardeau to Show Biz Pizza (now called Chuck E. Cheese) and while Denise was playing one of those games (throwing that ball up the ramp into those hoops), I spotted a sparkling diamond ring on her left ring finger and I thought, "Denise is engaged. What in the world am I doing here?!"

I asked her, "Do you want to sit down and talk?" which Denise agreed to do.

After we sat down, I then asked Denise, "Do you have any boyfriends?"

Denise took a deep breath and told me that she was engaged to a man (named Rick) but when her health problems came up a year earlier, he was having trouble dealing with them and they just call each other 'friends' and added that she wore her engagement ring as a shield to keep from getting involved with other men.

I simply replied, "I don't know why you need a ring for that," which I would later learn gave Denise much pause for thought.

I would eventually drive Denise to her parents' home where she lived and when I parked my car in front of their home at about 11 p.m., I lowered the front seat divider down between us, hoping it would give her security. We talked about many things and we had many laughs. But I was very mindful that I was with a dying woman who I was getting very close to. At one point, I tried to be philosophical and, looking over my steering wheel, I told Denise, "Those people laying in the cemetery were just like us. They thought that they would never die."

I then turned towards Denise and heard her say, "I'm not afraid to die but I am afraid of how my family and friends would take it if I were to die. But the one thing that I am afraid of is when I need someone to be there to give me a hug, that no one will be there." (I would learn later that she was meaning a boyfriend.)

As I was quietly listening to Denise's strength, from out of the blue, Denise starts crying very hard and I realize that I have a crisis on my hands!! Thinking very quickly, I leaned over and I gave Denise the hug that I'd been wanting to give her all evening long and I told her, very gently, "I'll give you a hug."

I then straightened up and I whispered, "I'll be your friend."

Fighting through tears, Denise told me, "Thank you."

I then stroked Denise's left hand resting on my car seat with my right hand and, although I remember talking to her at length, I cannot recall any of what I said to her-----I just recall feeling that diamond rock on her hand!!!!

At about 3 a.m., when I felt I'd better let her go to her home (where I'm sure her parents were wondering what in the world Denise was doing with this relative stranger in her life), I told Denise, "I was pretty sure, barring some unforeseen catastrophe, that we'd have a pretty good time."

Denise exclaimed, "I can't believe you!"

After I walked Denise to her door, I simply shook her hand with both of mine and I then drove the 70 miles home in wonderment of the events of that preceding evening.

It would be two days later when Denise gave her engagement ring back to Rick. And exactly three weeks after Denise and I met, she beat the odds and received a successful heart-lung transplant operation on September 3, 1988.



And now, Becky, you have just read a very small part of my manuscript.

Well, I need to close. I think that I'll copy and paste this e-mail and include it in "My Favorite Vignettes" on my blog page.

Have a great weekend.

Greg

P.S. As you may recall my telling you before, Denise passed away on June 2, 1993 which I would learn about on July 6, 1993, which was about 1 1/2 months after I began writing my manuscript. In the dedication in the front of my manuscript, I wrote:

To Denise:

Thank you for the best time that
any man has shared with any woman.