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“Why don’t you tell me what happened when you met Adam for dinner?How did you tell him that you couldn’t go with him?”
“That’s just the thing.”Maureen sank into her chair with a sigh and let her head drop back.“I didn’t.”
Thirty-Seven Years Ago
Time seemed to speed up in the days since Adam announced he’d been accepted into the program that would take him to Africa.Maureen spent most of her time staring at the clock, wishing for time to slow down.She needed more time.
It was an impossible decision to make.
Especially considering it was one that she had never dreamed of.Her whole life, there was one path.She would go to college and earn a diploma or certificate in business administration or education or nursing.While she was there, she would meet a nice boy from a good family with excellent job prospects and they’d get engaged.Probably in her senior year because it was important for Maureen to finish her education, even if she wasn’t sure about what kind of career she might actually want to have.
They’d marry in the summer after graduation and settle down in a little house not too far from where she grew up.Her best friend Sue Ann would move in next door, or maybe down the street so they weren’ttooclose, and then Maureen and her new husband would start a family.She wanted lots of children.Three girls and three boys.She would spend her days baking cupcakes and helping with homework.When the children were older, maybe she’d go back to work part-time or find a charity she was interested in supporting.
And every summer, Maureen would take her little family to the lake, where they would spend their summers.
It was the only life she’d ever dreamed of.It would be a quiet and happy life.
In all her daydreams, she had never one time dreamed of leaving her family and friends, abandoning her education, and moving to Africa.Not once.
Adam told her to think about it before she answered him, and that’s exactly what she did.It wasallshe’d done after leaving him that night.She barely slept and after the second night, Maureen woke early to ask her mother for her car keys before her sister got the chance.And without even eating breakfast, Maureen was gone so she could be at the Cedar Springs public library before the doors even opened.
For a town so small, the library was surprisingly well stocked and the librarian was eager to help in Maureen’sresearch project.“I need everything you have on Africa,” she told the portly woman whose glasses continually slid down her nose.“Especially anything recent, like a magazine article or newspaper story.”
“Absolutely.What part of Africa are you interested in specifically?”
The question jolted her.“What part?”
“Yes.What part of Africa?Is there a country specifically that you’re interested in?It’s quite a large continent.”
Maureen felt the flush wash over her cheeks.In all of their conversations, she had never asked Adam what country he would be going to.But there was a flash of memory.“I think maybe South Africa.But could we maybe start with a bit of everything?Would that work?”
“Absolutely.”The librarian shoved her glasses up her nose.“Let me see what I can find for you to get started.”
Maureen spent most of the day at a table in the back of the library, reading every single thing she could find aboutAfrica.She read about the wild animals, the different tribes that occupied various regions, and the bigger cities like Johannesburg.She scanned articles about civil unrest and wars.She learned about the independence of many of Africa’s nations and the political changes.And when she was done learning everything she possibly could about a part of the world that still seemed so wild and foreign to her, Maureen left the library and walked down to the lakefront.
She wasn’t sure what her research would reveal, but on some level, deep down, she’d been hoping for some nugget of information that might make her decision obvious.But ultimately, there was nothing in any of those books or news articles that could have helped her make up her mind.
Choosing Adam would mean giving up everything she’d ever known.Her family, friends, and home.College and her dreams for the future.
It was unthinkable.
But so was not choosing Adam.
It was both an impossible decision and an easy one.
She knew what she had to do even though it would break her heart in a million different ways.There was only one choice.
Maureen walked to the end of the beach and found an old log to sit on.She pulled up her legs and rested her head on her knees.She sat that way for hours, staring out at the lake until finally, it was time to go home and get ready to meet Adam for their dinner date so she could give him her decision.
They’d agreed to meet at the restaurant.A quiet bistro set back from the busier Main Street, with candles and fresh flowers on every table.It was romantic and intimate and absolutely the perfect place for Maureen to tell Adam of her decision.Her body vibrated with nerves.After tonight, everything would change and as much as she wasn’t quite ready for that change, Maureen knew there’d be no going back from it.
“Right this way.”The hostess greeted Maureen and led her to the table in the back of the restaurant.“I’m afraid your date isn’t here yet, but can I get you something while you wait?”
Maureen took her seat and smiled at the woman.“Two glasses of lemonade, please.”She ordered what had becometheirdrink.Ever since the night of the summer solstice dance when Adam had bought her a glass of lemonade and changed her summer.And her life.“I’m sure he’ll be here any moment.”
The drink was cold and tangy on her lips.She sipped it slowly and mentally prepared herself for what she was going to tell Adam.There’d been no doubt in her mind about what she had to do.It sent a cacophony of nerves and excitement through her that made it almost impossible to sit still, but she was one hundred percent sure of her decision.She was going to go to Africa with Adam.
And she couldn’t wait to tell him.
