The sounds of a text rang out, she casually picked up her mobile, checked the message and her heart felt like it had stopped. Her vision began to darken, she could hardly breath, she just couldn't believe it, he'd dumped her over text! In hindsight she should have expected it, he'd dumped her after dating for 2 weeks via text, he'd even proposed to her over text, so it was kinda fitting he'd finish with her the same way.
As her vision cleared she grabbed the phone & rang him... immediately it went onto answer phone. She tried again, and again it went onto answer phone, she yelled down the phone, how could he dump her like that, what a spineless chicken he was not to at least give her some respect by saying it to her face. With her head still a blur she quickly got hers & her sons coats & shoes on before hurridly leaving the house. It was the house they'd shared for 5 months .... it hadnt been the easiest of months. He expected her to be the perfect housewife, either that or get a night job, it was the first house she'd ever tried to maintain, the first time she'd had with her 3 year old without the support of family living with her, it was a big learning curve.
He had told her they couldn't afford to live together, that the money just wouldn't stretch - out of blind love she believed him, even with him buying videos and going out on the odd evening, she WANTED to believe him, and naivety let her do just that. She had text him that day, saying that she felt he was being distant & what was up, of course she got her answer, very clearly.
As she rushed over the bridge towards where her Mom lived an embarrassed, indignant anger washed over her, how dare he be that unfeeling, that much of a coward, with such little respect for her. So out came the mobile again, she didnt want to talk to anyone but she wanted everyone to know what he'd done before he got the chance to sweet talk his own story to them. Everyone on her contacts list received a text which simply said "He's dumped me, over text! Again!!". It was her way of grabbing some sort of control again, making him pay a little bit for what he'd done, right now she needed to feel that ounce of control, even if it was in the tiniest of ways, as she felt like her entire life was falling apart.
She sat in her Moms kitchen, on the old rocker that could no longer rock, and cried, her son sat in the lounge oblivious to it all. He was almost 3, hers from a previous relationship, and she really didnt want him to see her so distraught. She begged her Mom to have him for a few nights, just until she'd calmed down, got her head a bit more straight. Her Mom agreed.
Alone in the house she cried until the tears would no longer fall. Everywhere reminded her of him, so she grabbed a black sack & began filling it with his things, gifts he'd given her, photos, everything.
That night her mobile once again rang, it was a friend of a friend, they'd spoken upon occasion but didn't really know each other. He had just finished his shift & was worried about her after the text he'd received. They chatted for a while but she wasn't really in the mood to chat.
The next few days were hard but she made her way through them. She went with a friend to drop all his stuff off at his parents, he refused to speak with her. That night he had rung her, he wasn't happy she'd let everyone know before he had chance to explain to them, he was actually quite angry over it which amused her no end. He told her that he was gay - something that she later decided was purely to ensure she wouldn't try to get back together again, Bi-sexual, yes, she'd always known that, but he used the same line on another girl a few months later. He let that her know he'd had fun going clubbing, something she'd never really enjoyed being more of a pub goer. She missed him, but also began to see the arrogance in him, she began to see clearer & spot the things which weren't right in the relationship.
Later that night her friend of a friend rang again, he rang on almost a nightly basis after he'd finished work. She began to look forward to his calls. They chatted easily, & he always made her laugh. She casually invited him over one day, while she was decorating the house. Decorating was her way of putting her own stamp on the house, especially with hers & her sons hand-prints as a border in the kitchen.
As the days went by she thought less of her ex & began to enjoy life again. For once she had money, something her ex wouldn't let her have, she went out with friends, out for walks, enjoyed playing messy crafts with hers on.
Her friend of a friend came round on a regular basis & she found herself falling for him, but she wouldn't let herself totally fall for him, or make a move, not yet, just incase he rejected her, just incase she was on the rebound. But after 4 months it was clear, these feelings were not rebound feelings.
They've now been engaged for 7 years, added another child to the family.and shall be celebrating being together for 10 years in July. He's made her so happy over the years that the things that happened before they met are barely more than a bad dream. It certainly taught her what kind of a relationship she didn't want to be in. 10 years ago she thought her life had fallen apart, little did she know it was just the start of a beautiful new rebuild.
This true story was brought to you inconjuction with Story telling Sunday over at From High in the Sky
