Cemetary Walk
We drove through the hills and woods of northeastern Connecticut. (yes, I still live in Texas) It was chilly and grey with just enough rain to keep the roads wet.The objective for the day was wineries and a hot air balloon ride.I wasn’t surprised by the suggestion of touring the wineries, but the hot air balloon ride was a shock.The weather wasn’t perfect and the thought of it made me nervous but I said I would go when I was told of the plans.I wasn’t about to look like I would back away from a challenge.
The drive was beautiful.Every road seemed to go though an old growth forest; the only towns were tiny and looked like a picture book. The wineries were fun, though the wine varied from undrinkable to fairly good.Much of the wine was sweet and made of berries and pears rather than grapes.I enjoy the variety and the opportunity to see something new.It was turning out to be a lovely relaxed day.
Angeles drove.My job was navigation.It’s a surprising talentthat I never knew I had.We were making our way from one winery to the next when the call came.We had made it to 3 or possibly 4 wineries when we received the call that the balloon ride had to be cancelled due to the weather.I breathed a sigh of relief.“Well I don’t know what to do now” said Angeles.“Well you said the wineries were open until 5 pm.Can’t we just keep on our tour longer?”He had mapped out 10 different wineries and we had made to 4, it was already 2 in the afternoon.”He agreed that we were already having a wonderful day and more of the same wouldn’t be a bad thing.I knew we were staying somewhere north of where we started and where we were at that point and that we had dinner reservations somewhere so there was nothing reason to be concerned with making our way back to anywhere.I marveled at the planning but I wasn’t surprised by it.But still Angeles seemed concerned.
We turn toward the next winery and on the right side there appeared a cemetery.We had seem them all day.The cemeteries here all looked older than you find in the south and interesting.I had teased Angeles earlier in the day that he always promised to stop but he never did.Abruptly he said “hey! A cemetery! Do you want to go look around?”Anyone who knows me knows that I love to look around cemeteries but I never got to answer, instead he answered himself.“I will if you will” he said as he turned in.
We parked out of the way about half way back and I got out of the car and lingered waiting for AngelesHe told me to go on and he would catch up and that he was looking for a vitamin since he was feeling tired.This wasn’t unusual behavior for Angeles so I began to walk up the hill and look around.The section were we had parked wasn’t old, just from the early 1900’s but it was clear where the older stones where so I headed that direction.Angeles caught up with me and I began to point out interesting stones and carvings.We walk along for several minutes that way, he seemed to lag slightly behind, thought I assumed it was interest in the headstones that kept him distracted..
I was several feet in front of him and walking towards some now forgotten destination when I heard him say “You know I am madly in love with you”Its not usual for either of us to skip the formalized “I love you too”.“Scary, huh? “ was my somewhat flippant reply as I walked on.
“You have no idea”he caught my arm and turned around.He looked terrified or distraught wasn’t sure.He was fumbling aboutin his jacket for something.Before I could say anything or be completely certain what was going one he dropped down on one knee and held a small polished wooden box up to me.“I have never been as happy as I am now.Will you marry me?”I started to cry.I didn’t expect that people actually were surprised by this sort of thing.I thought I would always know when it was coming.But there it was, out of the blue..He had opened the box and something sparkled inside.“You said you would never buy one of these” was all I said referring back to a conversation of over a year ago.“I never found anyone worth buying one for” was his answer.By nowhe had gotten up and was removing the ring from the box which dropped and had to find in the wet grass.He slid it on my finger, it was loose like it would fall off.“its not a ring, yet” he said.He slid it on my finger and I realized it was some sort of a temporary setting.I was still crying trying to sort it all out in my head.“Are you going to leave me hanging here?” he said.He was cryingnow too.“yes, I will marry you” I managed to get out between the tears.
There it is….
Still getting use to the idea.I thought I would never do this again, but I gave a good friend some advice a few months ago.“Never let one person pay for the sins of another, even if the that other person was you” | 
