Happenstance - The Glasses

 

It came to be in November of 2006, that in an effort to consolidate the wooing of my most lovely partner, Brooke, it was decided I would ‘meet the parents’. Now, in fact, I had already met them a couple of times, so they kind of knew me and, at any rate, that’s not what this story is about.

The plan was that Brooke would take the train to get to her parents who lived in Chaffey’s Lock on the Rideau Canal.  That meant traveling to Kingston where she would be picked up at the station by her parents and driven to the house. She would spend a couple of days there and I would drive up later for the revelation of my worthy intentions.  It would come as a bit of a surprise to mum and dad for various reasons. But again, that’s not the story.

Brooke caught the morning train and came to be sitting across from a bearded gentleman who was on his way to Montreal. They chatted about this and that until the train arrived at Kingston where Brooke said goodbye and disembarked. The folks were there to collect her as planned. On the drive to Chaffey’s Lock, Brooke realized that she had left her reading glasses on the train. A wave of panic flooded over her. Kidding, it wasn’t that big deal, they were dime-store readers, so she quickly forgot about it.

Then came the big day, I arrived at the house in my vehicle, pretty nervous about the whole thing. Brooke had already laid the groundwork for me, so it was cool, and Brad and Mary were welcoming but were giving me the once over with newly informed eyes. We went for a walk, and I blurted out this and that. They realized that I was genuine, so all went well.

Eventually, it came time to drive back to Toronto, so we loaded into the car and off we went. We decided to stop after a bit at a highway On Route gas stop and pulled into a space in front of the building. Just as we were exiting the car, another car pulled in beside us. The man in the car looked over for a few seconds and then rolled down his window. Brooke was already standing by our car.

“Hey there,” the bearded driver said. “I’ve got your glasses!”

Yes, it was the man from the train who had arrived in Montreal, spotted the glasses, picked them up, and I imagine intended to turn them in at the station but forgot and when he got to his car, probably just tossed them in. Several days later he drove back to Toronto and arrived at exactly the same spot and at the same time as we did. With the glasses.

Happenstance? It was either that or he had fallen in love with Brooke on the train and was stalking her. I prefer the former explanation.