A few weeks ago I wrote a post about missing my ex-boyfriend and having no idea where in the world he might be. Having exhausted all on-line searches, and with the exception of hiring a private detective, I was left with one option: calling his mom. Regardless of the awkwardness involved in calling her, just knowing that I could comforted me a little. However, after 19 years of not having any contact with her, I wanted to keep this option in my back pocket.
But a couple weeks after my post, and just a few days ago, I found myself picking up the phone and dialing his old number. The same number I’ve been carrying around in my head since I was 15 years old. The number that has graced my debit card codes and passwords. It was a pretty nostalgic little finger dance on the dial pad. I wasn’t even nervous. I guess when I did it I didn’t over think it first. Which helped. A lot.
I got an answering machine with a man’s voice. This normally wouldn’t be strange but his mom is a lesbian so I new something was wrong. I checked Canada 411 and did a reverse search by number. Yep, no Benjamin’s mom at this number, plus the address for the number was in a completely different spot. Frantic, I checked for new numbers under her name and came up with… nothing!
All this time I thought she would never move. I had counted on it. And now both of them are lost.
And you were expecting a happy ending weren’t you?
Okay, well I have some other news too.
Last night the phone rang. I picked it up and amidst all the noise in the house I assumed the man on the other end of the phone had said “Hi, this is Brad.” I guess I was expecting a Brad to call me back, so my response was pretty neutral. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“Wow. I thought you might be a little more excited to hear from me,” said my caller.
I just about fell off my chair!
“Jeff!!!!!!”
No, not Benj. Not my long lost love. But his ex-best friend. My old best friend too actually. Jeff was even part of the reason Benj and I had our falling out. He and Jeff had their own falling out a few years later so Jeff can’t be any help in my search, but regardless, I haven’t talked to this guy in well over a year. It was awesome to talk to him again. You know, I think a part of my missing Benj so much lately has been partly due to not talking to Jeff in such a long time either. Even though there is no present connection I can feed off of, the shared history of loving the same person has always kept me warm. Plus, by his own merits, Jeff is a pretty fabulous guy.
So there is a happy ending – just one that I wasn’t expecting either.
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That’s so random! Aren’t long-lost connections fun? I mean, sometimes I guess they aren’t, but I love it when you have that sense of instant familiarity and things falling back into place. Glad you had a good moment!
.-= Lauren @ HoboMama´s last blog ..Recent posts not around these parts: FeedBurner tips, prizes, and seeking sponsors =-.
How cool!!! I have recently connected with an old friend via facebook. One I cared for very much when I was young. And there is something about reconnecting with old friends, friends from our younger days that is so overwhelming and emotional. I am glad your friend called you. But why did he say he was Brad at first? I think I missed some kind of inside joke.
.-= Upstatemomof3´s last blog ..A Year Ago =-.
That is too neat! I’m so happy for you! Guess what?! I just entered to be in a breastfeeding calendar for NM next year. All WIC offices will be giving them out. Cross your fingers!!!
@Upstatemomof3 – Sorry if that wasn’t clear. He said “Hi, it’s Jeff,” but for some reason I heard “Hi, it’s Brad.” It was noisy and I was expecting a call from someone named Brad about daycare so I just assumed it was him. I said “oh, hi” or something very nonchalant and there was a moment of silence while I waited for “Brad” to tell me the answer to the question I had left him and his wife a message about. When I didn’t fill the silence and he didn’t there was confusion on both ends I guess and that’s when he said “Well, I expected you to be a little more excited to hear from me than that!” and that’s when I knew who it was.
So did you connect with the old friend you lost who was in the forces then that you mentioned last time?
.-= Melodie´s last blog ..Update: My Long Lost Love =-.
Crazy!! I think it’s foreshadowing that you’ll be back in contact soon. I don’t think I commented on your first post (but I read it) – I always wonder about people from my past too. I am horrible at staying connected, so I would fall over if someone ever called me out of the blue
.-= Dionna @ Code Name: Mama´s last blog ..Sweet Little Parenting Lies + Wordless Wednesday =-.
It’s a small world! I love making old connections.
.-= Darcel´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Bubbles! =-.