The first time.
The first time I met my wife, in person, not on the phone, or online.
As you should when meeting someone from the internet for the first time, we met in a public place, with mutual friends about. We met on the platform of Maidstone train station. At the time I lived in Cardiff, so I had to catch a train for a two hour ride into London, cross London and catch a train to Maidstone. Surprise, surprise, I took a book to read. It was one I had read before but liked anyway, Alistair MacLean‘s Fear Is The Key. I had difficulty reading it as my mind kept being distracted by what lay ahead. I can remember the train journey to Maidstone from London. I hadn’t travelled that way before so I spent a lot of the time looking out of the window seeing what was what. The train carriages were the old style ones with very springy seats that bounce you like a toddler on their
mother’s knee.
I was seriously nervous when I stepped off the train onto the platform. A quick glance up and down failed to spot anyone I should recognize, including this girl I had travelled to see. I would mention that I had travelled nearly three hours to see her but since she had travelled more than 3000 miles to see me, I won’t. At the exit of the platform she stood there. Looking younger than the picture I had seen of her, wearing an Adidas jacket and jeans, she wasn’t who I thought I was going to marry. Both nervous, we hugged, and then proceeded to walk around the town of Maidstone. At some point we started holding hands, I don’t remember when but suddenly our hands were together.
I do remember the first kiss though. I kinda walked us off down a side street and then stopped, turned to her and we kissed. It wasn’t the greatest kiss we have ever shared but it definitely wasn’t the worst kiss I have ever had. A bit later once time had started moving again, we stopped off at a pub to grab a drink before meeting a mutual friend at the train station. I can remember the pint of Fosters I was drinking, and how much we were smiling and giggling.
We met with nothing garunteed other than a laugh, and yet it was the first time I met the person who would become my wife and mother of my two children. It definatly didn’t say that in my horoscope that morning but I am so glad we met.