My new friend

It was towards the end of August 2006 when Jason called and told me he and Jerid we're heading up to Idaho to pick up Jerid's new car. I told him to have a safe trip and asked him to bring me back a lottery ticket and I would give him the dollar when he gets back.

Midnight rolls around and I hear a car pull up outside my house so I looked outside and seen this really nice car with Jason getting out of the passenger seat. I walked outside to talk to talk to him with my dollar in hand and I noticed someone else getting out of the car. The driver’s side in fact and I didn't want to get too close. I'm actually very shy believe it or not and do not like meeting new people cause of it. Jason turns to him and said "Jerid this is Rachel. Rachel this is Jerid." Nice to meet yous were exchanged and there was the awkwardness back again. I hid in the dark of the night avoiding any possible light from the street lamp. It had been a long and hard day between work and trying to keep things at peace at home. I do have to admit I was trying to see the face that I talked to on the phone once and the name I heard about so many times. It is nice to put the name and face together so you can visualize who someone is talking about.

After that meeting Jerid had started coming out to the school to hang out with Jason. I would see him a lot because Jason and I would hang out together. Jerid was a nice guy with a great personality, dark brown hair with eyes to match and he was very tall. Well I'm only 5'2" so anyone taller than I am I consider to be tall. Jerid had a knack for making people laugh. I thought he would be bitter and stand offish because of his disease but I was so wrong about that. Very wrong.

Jason told me that Jerid was interested in dating me. I thought to myself, "Oh great! That is the last thing I need with the divorce going on." So I kept that on the down low. I didn't need that going around and spinning into a rumor. It gave me a headache just thinking about it. I told Jason I was never going to get married again. I was done with the whole relationship stuff. It'll just be me and my kids. They complete me and they are all I need but if Jerid wanted to be friends that would be great. God knows I needed them, especially at that time!

I can't lie here, I had found Jerid to be a very handsome man and his personality was different from anyone I had ever met. We had talked online and through text messaging getting to know each other and building friendship. That was all I wanted. He had other plans though and waited patiently until the time was right.