Dating in College

Let me give you a little dirt!

In College Simon had a whole book of come on lines.  IDK where he got them but they were gooooood.  There was one line I totally got suckered into.  I'm about to tell you his dirty little secret... Simon- "My parents will never let me marry you unless your pregnant!"  Me- "Why?"  Simon- "Because your white."  Unfreakin believable, right?  What a line!  I'm not gonna lie,  I was CUTE!  He wanted me something fierce to come up with that one! lol  But really? I was so DUMB to believe it!

3 months went by and I wasn't pregnant. And Trust me, it wasn't for lack of trying!  The end of the semester came to a close and we were headed back to SLC for the summer.  Simon told me his parents were going to ship him off to Tonga to get ready for a mission.  I found that awfully confusing, since we were not living a righteous lifestyle by any standards.  I couldn't understand why he wouldn't just tell his parents he didn't want to go on a mission and wanted to marry me.  It's been over 20 years and I'm still trying to figure out his Tongan culture.

Anyways- we packed our bags and caravan-ed up to SLC with my favorite roommate, Molly.  Molly and all our stuff was jammed into my Suzuki Samurai and the gold Honda.  Simon's rusted out Honda Civic made it to the exit of Redwood road and then died for good.  My dad came and helped tow his car to his house.  His family lived in a little dilapidated house on Lucy Ave., by the Bees stadium.  His parents were kind and thanked us for the help.  I went home to my family's house by Skyline High School with a pool and Millcreek stream flowing through the back yard.

It wasn't a week later that Simon told me he was moving to Reno to help his sister and work construction with his brother-in-law.  The day he left I went to Planned Parenthood and had a pregnancy test.  The result was positive.  I was shocked!  I muddled around with a college friend named Stacy for most of the afternoon and then started calling his sister's house in Reno.  I called a few times and left a message with his sister Loisi that it was super important that he call me-asap.

Late that evening he returned my call.  The conversation was brief and full of emotion.  I told Simon the news and his reply was only this, "I'm on my way home."  Loisi told me many years later that after that brief phone call he told her he was going back home.  She asked "Why?  You just got here and I need help with the kids."  His Tongan reply is translated as, "My heart hurts."

The next day we met for pizza.  I remember sitting across the red and white checkered tablecloth from him as he asked, "What do you want to do?"  Are you kidding?  I was screaming in my head, I thought this was the plan!  Instead, I smiled and said, "Get married, duh!" His answer was simply a huge smile and, "Then we'll get married!"   That little memory of my proposal is what I hold dear to my heart.

I can still see the fear in his eyes.  Fear of being a father, a husband and most of all, fear of telling his parents.  His parents thought I corrupted their son that was going on a mission.  I'll never tell them it was the other way around.  You know why?  Because I  feel the exact same way about Simon that they do.  He is my everything, he is perfect!  He is the greatest father.  He loves his kids with everything he has!  He is also an amazing husband!

Fakapale is what we both received when we decided to spend the rest of our lives together in that little pizza joint.  I can't imagine our lives any other way and wouldn't want anything different.  Well, I may have some doubts about the proposal, but nah- it wouldn't be as great of a story if it was all  fairy tales and roses- now would it? lol