Earlier, in the summer of 1987, after his senior year of high school a guy named Kent, who graduated at the top of his class, was in a devastating car accident while driving in the pouring rain on the way to work. The Corvette he was driving lost traction and slid into an oncoming car that broadsided him on the driver side. His head cracked the driver side window. He suffered a closed head injury and four broken ribs that punctured his left lung. Then as he fell across the seat the steering wheel broke his left leg. Unconscious, Kent was sent by helicopter to the hospital in Austin.
Kent ended up in a coma that lasted for six weeks. Calls were made and prayers went up all over town for Kent. Word got around, and my mom came home from her church one night and told me about a young guy who was in an accident whose family was asking for prayer for him. My heart went out to him, as I prayed. But I had never met him, nor did I know just how important he would be in my life.
“When I saw you I fell in love and you smiled because you knew.” William Shakespeare
In the fall of 1987, my Mom updated me about Kent’s amazing recovery. “Remember that guy I told you about? The one who was in a car wreck and in a coma and we prayed for him?” “Yes,” I nodded. “Laura, it’s so amazing! He came out of the coma and is recovering miraculously. He’s still having to relearn everything though, like how to balance and how to walk again. He has a limp and slurred speech but he has improved so much since the coma…It’s amazing! He has been coming to my church with Bobby who has been assisting him. I think you should meet him. He really needs friends.” (Bobby was a mutual friend with whom I had grown up, and was Kent’s best friend.) My mom continued, “I showed him your picture, and he said you are pretty!” I saw her wheels turning. “Well, I don’t know…I mean, we don’t even go to the same church. I don’t know when I would ever meet him.” I exclaimed. Mom rebutted, “But he is so sweet, Laura, … and so cute …and he wants to meet you.” Sighing, I breathed, “Well, I guess, I’ll meet him then…if I’m ever at your church.” I felt mildly flattered that he had told my mom I was pretty. I just did not want to be pressured. I had been so preoccupied, in school, youth group and with friends. I didn’t know when I would actually come to her church to visit. So, I was off the hook, at least temporarily.
About a month later, the Sunday before Christmas, December 20, 1987. My mom knocked on my bedroom door early. “Hey do you want to come to church with me and sing in the Christmas cantata? You already know all the songs from last Christmas, and we really could use an extra voice. We need all the help we can get!”
In the holiday spirit, I mused, “Sure, why not?” It’s Christmas after all. “Well,” she said. “We have to leave soon to get there early enough for choir practice!” Feeling a spark of Christmas excitement, as she left the room, I mused, “What should I wear today? …My red satin tartan plaid blouse?” But I opted for something much simpler. I slid on a fitted black pencil skirt and soft black pullover sweater. Then I put on my trusty patent leather flats that had grosgrain bows. My grandmother had loaned me her beautiful set of three stranded pearls. that looked so elegant against the soft black sweater. “Perfect!” Thick pearly beads against a simple black background were striking. (And very Audrey Hepburn-ish even though my hair was long and straight with light fringe bangs.)
Before the service, during choir practice, I sang with all my heart and energy. I noticed a nice looking young man come a few minutes early and sit near the middle row. I looked around the nearly empty room and then at our early guest and our eyes met. Throughout the service, our eyes seemed to meet every time I glanced in his general direction. I wondered to myself, but knew in my heart that this was the guy mom told me about. Somehow, I managed during the singing, to give him a great big smile, and he smiled back at me. We were introduced after church. Kent was really handsome. He also had a very pleasing voice and a kind way about him.
He called that afternoon and asked me to go out with him the next Friday night. My parents wanted him to come visit us at our home first so they could be better acquainted. He was one year older than me and a college guy after all. But Kent never minded hanging out with the family. Or looking at old photo albums, or scrapbooks or being serenaded by my mom and me at the piano. He loved music. We just clicked and fell headlong in love.
I wonder if I would have been so coy if my mom would have shown me his picture first.
If you would like to hear more of the story, please subcribe to the blog! I am releasing short excerpts from my memoirs of our love story. You can also start at the beginning by clicking here: https://copseandspinney.com/category/love-story/
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