Second Chance

Second Chance
By Amelia

The first time I met Chaz I was recently divorced with three children. I was going to community college, working weekends at a coffee shop from midnight to 7A.M. There was not a lot of time left for me. Chaz was managing a band that played at "The Rooster" a club I occasionally stopped in. It seemed that every time I walked in they played "Joy to the World", the Three Dog Night version not the Christmas song. We dated a few times, then went our separate ways.

Fast forward twenty-five years.

Thru the years of single motherhood, bad marriages, worse divorces and terrible boyfriends. Thru college, cancer, good jobs and lost jobs. I hit a bad patch, thank goodness for the "Zoloft hug". I was functioning, but not really living.

As with most good things, unexpectedly, I saw his name and information. I was working in a mental health emergency room. He was not the patient but the contact listed on the admit sheet.

I called the number. He answered, the years melted away. When he asked,"Who is it?" I just said,"A voice from the past." He gave me his E-mail address so we exchanged E-mails, phone calls and photos. He hadn't changed much, still the smile to light a room, still the twinkling chocolate brown eyes to drown in,still the jokes. That he is a salesman is no surprise, he could charm Eskimos into buying ice cubes and they would thank him. He still has his love for music even though the band has long ago broken up.

The weeks that followed made me feel happy once again. I really laughed and it sounded good to my ears and felt good too. He made me 3 tapes of music to play in my car. I said I liked the company work shirt, and he gave me his.

If this were a fairy tale I'd say we were still together and all was great! But, even a work of fiction has some truth. It didn't work 25 years ago and it didn't continue now. I know beneath his Scaramouch exterior is a very special man. That even with my back to the doorway I can tell when he enters the room but we are not meant to be.

I will always be thankful to Chaz for bringing me out of my darkness, so I can laugh and love again. To see, hear, feel, taste, and smell the beauty around me, for giving me back my smile. To live, not just function. Thanks for the second chance to enjoy life.