The Sainthood Application

Thursday 18 February 2010.

Daniel called me that afternoon and invited me to have a coffee with him at Maccas. Well, there is no dating boys at my house, so I lied--outright--to my parents and told them I was going to my friend Karina's house. I have never ever done that before. I felt like a criminal.
If only you saw me sneaking around the shopping centre, hiding, poking my head out from behind display racks...it was like something out of a Meg Ryan movie.

He called me at about 4pm and said "Let's make it dinner?"

Subway. We had Subway for dinner. Good thing I didn't dress up.

We then drove to Maccas in my Cherry Tomato car and had a coffee.
He was so funny....and handsome. Dimples, crystal blue eyes, a strong cleft in his chin...I was able to really study his face over the small, measley table at Maccas.

We were talking about canonization a bit since Mary MacKillop was nominated as Australia's first saint. We decided to do something, really, only teenagers would think of.
We took a McDonald's employment application form and transformed it into a Sainthood Application.

We were almost peeing our pants laughing the entire time. I had not laughed with a guy like that EVER. I thought, "Cool, I can act like an immature kid and this guy is laughing too...wow."

We were so laughed out by the end of it. We kept telling each other that we have never laughed that much with anyone before. I can honestly say that was the most fun I had ever had with a guy.

It was getting late so we started walking to the Cherry Tomato. There was some guys parked next to us who could not get their car started, so Dan jump started their car using the Cherry Tomato. They were very appreciative. Dan and I felt very good helping people out. I was proud of the Cherry Tomato for being useful to the community.

I left Daniel, having had the best time I'd had in a very, very long time.

Of course we texted when we got home...and we began to play a game...a game that threw my "good girl" rule book out the window.

The Encounter of Two Weaknesses

It was Sunday 14th February 2010 -- Valentine's Day

I woke up to a text from Daniel. It was historical information about how Valentine's Day came about. His text mentioned a story of a young man named Valentine who was imprisoned when Claudius II outlawed Christianity. The Emperor declared Christianity treasonous by definition, since no Christians would worship Caesar as Lord. Like other Christians, Valentine was imprisoned for his faith. But, while in prison, he continued to minister the Gospel of Christ, even to his jailors. He befriended one jailor, who asked him to pray for his blind adopted daughter. Valentine prayed for the girl and she gained her eyesight. Valentine had the opportunity to witness to the jailor and his whole family and a large number of them believed in Jesus. When the news reached the Emperor that Valentine was making converts even while in prison, he had Valentine beheaded. According to the story, young Valentine sent a note to the healed girl just before his execution, signing it, ” from your Valentine”.

I thought it was hilarious. I didn't want to read into it though. He seemed like a very intelligent type of guy, so I thought he would just be sending it to inform people of Valentine's Day.
When I wrote back to Dan we talked for a bit about meeting. He kept putting himself down, saying how unattractive and overweight he thought he was. I said not to worry about it because I felt the same way. He mentioned he was home alone, not doing anything in particular. This sat on my mind.

My sister and I went to see the movie, Valentine's Day, and then I was planning to help film a documentary for a friend. I decided to ask Dan if he would like to join us. He said he wanted to. This was a bonus for my friend and I as Dan is a sound guy. So we agreed to go and pick him up. I excitedly waited out the front of his house. When he came through the front gate I was blown away with his good looks...he was definitely exaggerating about his weight too...I thought he was a lovely looking, nice seeming bloke. We got in the car and headed to the beach and shot the docco.

Afterwards we went to get an icecream and the three of us were talking about life and love etc. He was all heartbroken and I was like "*SIGH* well I'm still single." He kept saying stuff like, "don't worry, you'll find someone," and "someone will come along." To be honest I was a little put out that he was saying that. It gave me the signal that he was not attracted to me and that I need to keep my distance. Besides, I had just met him, he had just broken off from a very long term, very serious relationship. I felt like I should not intrude, I should just stay away and let him be. Just be a good friend Janah...just let him have a friend for a change. I kept telling myself, Back off Janah...back off!

Who is this Girl? (The Guy's Perspective)

Janah... Such an unusual (but pretty) name. Mum (Jenny) had told me about this girl that worked up the road from her. She was young, pretty and a day dreamer. At the time I didn't pay to much attention to what Mum was saying about her, I mean why would I? I was engaged.

The thing about my engagement though is that it was falling apart. My fiance' and I had become two very unhappy people. We had been together for 4 years and 3 months (1 year and 3 months of engagement) when it happened. She finally made the decision to end the relationship.

I was a broken man, devoid of all happiness, lost in a world of despair which I had helped to create. I drowned in my self pity for a while, but soon realised that I wasn't doing myself any favours by doing this.

So in the words immortalised by Austin Powers, I thought "That means i'm single again! OH BEHAVE!".

Of course I wasn't looking for another relationship, really just friendship and new people. Mum still swears that she wasn't trying to set us up, but she mentioned this Janah girl again and said that we had so much in common and that I should catch up with her one day. So I did what any normal young person does... I added her on Facebook.

At first I searched for "Jenna Upton" and come across some rather, how you say, unattractive search results. This is when Mum corrected me and said "No its Janah. J, A, N, A, H". So I give that a try and bang, first person that pops up, this cute dark haired girl in a floral top. I said to mum "Is this her?" and mum said "Yup!".

So I add her, and a few days later she accepts my friend request. I think "Okay cool" and then soon realise that she wasn't on Facebook very often.

Thursday 11th February 2010 (Your dates are wrong sorry Jan Jan)

After Facebook stalking her photos for a few weeks (which I couldn't help because she was so pretty) I finally see her online. I was in Bundaberg for work and was staying at a really nice hotel with internet access. So lying in my hotel room in Bundaberg, I type the first fateful sentence that started a romance so wonderful and complicated that even we have trouble comprehending it sometimes. These fateful words were "So... Mum tells me you're quite the singer...". I can't remember her response, but I remember that I held my breath waiting for the reply.

So we chat, and chat... and chat... and chat... And finally she says she has to go, but not before leaving her number. I was feeling pretty good at this point. I'd chatted up a girl and got her number. I thought that was a pretty good achievement for a guy who hadn't flirted with a girl in over 4 years.

Friday 12th February 2010

So we start texting on Friday, just short texts, silly texts, texts I can't recall, but texts non the less. I'm feeling really good at this point, i'd actually found a girl who had heaps in common with me.

Saturday 13th February 2010

So its the weekend, i'm minding my own business, thinking about the meaning of life when I decide to text Janah and see what she's up to. She tells me she's going to Brisbane for a wedding and is really looking forward to it. So we start sending more random texts and I soon realise that she is texting me when she's supposed to be in the middle of a wedding. She eventually texts me and tells me that they missed the wedding! I was feeling sorry and humoured all at once.

Anyway, tommorow is the best part. That's a different post though!

Who is this Guy? (The Girl's Perspective)

Daniel...I had heard the name from Jenny's mouth so often I felt I knew the guy. Jenny is Daniel's mum. The company I worked for worked closely with the company she works for. After a couple of months we became good friends, calling each other "love" and "sweetie" and putting the little hugs and kisses (xo) at the ends of our emails. This went on for over 12 months.

Jenny would update me on her family and how things were going. Dan was engaged, Michael was looking for work, and Amy was miserable at work.
It was in January that Jenny told me that Dan was having relationship issues and it wasn't looking good. Of course I listened intently as Jenny told me Dan was a "church person" like myself.

Then it happened. Jenny told me Dan's wedding was off. She went into a little detail. She said Dan was in pieces; a shattered, broken man. There was no sparkle in his eye and no joy in his heart anymore.
A few days pass and I find myself visiting Jenny at her office once again. She tells me Dan is regaining himself, setting new goals and growing from his ordeal. She is a proud mother. A good mother. She told me she asked Dan if he knew me as I was a "church person" like him. She showed him my picture on Facebook. He did not recognise me, but he added me sometime later that week.

Friday 12th February 2010

On Facebook, minding my own business. A little chat message pops up, "So...mum tells me you're quite the singer..." The name "Daniel" was on top of the message.
Assuming it was another mate I was going to reply, "What the heck are you on about?!" but noticed, "hang on this is a different Daniel...Jenny's boy!"
We chat...for hours. He was encouraging me, and I was trying to encourage him.
Yes, i gave him my number if he ever wanted to chat. He was a nice guy!

Saturday 13th February 2010

So it's the night after our first cyber chat. I'm on my way to Brisbane for a wedding. I get a really lovely text message--from DANIEL!! Yes we text pretty much all day. Just random stuff you know?! This guy is super nice!

Anyway, tomorrow is the best part. That's a different post though!