Blast from the Past

Sometimes I don’t understand why things happen to me. It must be the Universe just sending me good material for stories. Because you just can’t make this shit up. I guess someone really creative could, but with the shenanigans I get myself into, no creativity is necessary — just a transcript of events [with my own commentaries, of course].

The following is a true story. Names changed to protect the guilty.

Last night I got a text from a number I didn’t recognize. It was a 646 area code. I don’t even know what that is. It said:

Mystery Person: So you out tonight?

I racked my brain. 646? Who is that? I on a quasi-insane whirlwind of cell phone address book deletions one afternoon a few weeks ago. Did I know this number? I thought of ignoring it, but decided to write back:

Me: Who is this?

Mystery Person: N* [also known as hot bartender I hooked up with in July]

What!! I had deleted his number, and wasn’t even entirely sure he remembered my name. Now, over three months later, he’s texting me randomly? I had to find out why.

Me: Holy shit! Thought you forgot about me! Nah i’m home studying. You?

N: out for a few

Me: What made you decide to text me? It’s pretty random.

N: Is it?

N: Wait, maybe i got the wrong person, where did we meet?

What!! Wait. Didn’t HE text ME? How could he be confused on who he texted? Are you fucking kidding me with this?? I decided to end this trip down memory lane:

Me: Hahaha…take care N.

N: Don’t do that, it’s a simple question

Me: Well who did you think this was?

N: Wow, getting complicated. It’s no big deal. Wanna tell me or no?

Now, I am not the one who made things complicated. I was perfectly content to let N remain one of the One Hit Wonders of Summer 2008. [Sadly, I avoid his bar now, one of my favorites, missed especially on Thursday nights when a fun 90s cover band plays.] But he came out of the blue with that random-ass text. Now he’s trying to insinuate that I’m making things complicated because he won’t tell me who he thinks he texted??

So I left it alone and did not respond.

But ah, you think the story ends there? We are talking about me here. Of course there’s more!

This afternoon, while I was in class, I got a text message…and a missed phone call:

N: So? Can you refresh me?

At this point, I had no clue what to do. Apparently he really wanted to know who I was. He even called me and obviously listened to my outgoing message…which says my name. So I finally decided to go ahead and give him a run-down of our night together three months ago:

Me: It was july. You couldn’t maintain an erection. Does that ring a bell?

N: To often, ha ha ha

Umm…wow. I’m speechless. So I didn’t say a thing, thinking, again, maybe he’ll just leave it alone.

Of course not:

N: I’m sorry you must be cute though, i’m thinking i met you through your guy roommate?

True story! It seems like maybe he actually put the pieces together. Probably still doesn’t know my name, but he knows the connection. Nice choice of specifying the gender of my roommate — if he didn’t I would have suspected that he was just fishing.

Me: Bingo! Irish dude. Sadly he’s back in ireland now. Still don’t understand — you have number but don’t quite remember me?

N: out w a couple of friends, wondering if you’re out bring some friends

I am absolutely beyond confused. Why would you booty text someone you don’t even quite exactly remember? Either way, I am totally not interested in hanging out with someone I kind of, awkwardly, erectionlessly slept with this summer and who may or may not be drunk texting random numbers in his cell phone address book that may or may not have the correct names attached to them.

Though it would make for a better ending to this story…

No. No real ending necessary.

More Relics.

While searching for some coin wrappers in my everything-drawer, I found a card. It was from my ex from this past Valentine’s Day. Two emo-looking people cut-outs grace the front, along with the text “I got you babe.” Inside he wrote this:

Love,

Even though the crazy people on the front look nothing like us (with their black hair…and their drugs), they convey the message true.

I love you. You are a light in my life — one that I don’t want to go without. So, I write it and say it again: I love you! I love you.

Muah — [name]

My response upon reading the card this morning: “Hmmm.”

He wrote this a mere three weeks before we broke up — before I found his little email conversation with another woman [who has since become his girlfriend] saying, “I’m not sure if I’ve ever loved anyone besides my family. I don’t know, maybe I’m just skeptical,” before I begged him to reconsider our separation, to give it another chance, and responded to my tears, “No. It’s over.” Does anyone wonder why I felt so betrayed, so fooled? He just wrote me that card, professing his love — what changed so quickly?

Maybe nothing changed. Maybe it was all lies to begin with.

But, doesn’t matter now. The past is in the past. And my present is much happier. It’s just interesting how sometimes you find traces of a former life, and the emotions those relics stir.