Friday, June 17, 2005

Marriage Proposals

Mrs. Linklater got to thinking about Tom Cruise's proposal to Katie Holmes on top of the Eiffel Tower the other night. Movie stars have a way of pre-empting all the good spots don't they? That got her to start reflecting on proposals she's received. Well, the ones she can talk about.

Probably the most interesting proposal -- of marriage -- occurred in a motor vehicle on the way to a Bears' game many years ago.

She was with a good friend she'd dated on and off for awhile. They'd met the old fashioned way -- in a bar. He thought she looked like Cher. [Remember this was awhile ago]  She thought he just looked hot. Plus he was very athletic.  

He was a teacher by profession. But his lifestyle was more vegetarian bodybuilder. Nothing like a big strong guy who lives on salads. A lifelong athlete, he had been all state in football and wrestling. He might have been all state in baseball, too, if he hadn't been benched by his coach for hitting a homerun, instead of bunting. No reason to play for that guy, so he quit.

All this time Mrs. Linklater thought he liked her for her willowy charms and witty mind, but it turns out he was more interested in her stats. Her throw to first. The power of her serve. Her bike speed. The stuff that really matters.

That day, somewhere on the road to Soldier Field, he got quiet and then, out of the blue, he asked, "If I paid you ten thousand dollars, would you have my baby?"

Mrs. Linklater, who normally can chat up a turnip, was momentarily stunned.  Have a child for money?  Be paid for carrying a baby? This was before surrogates made it possible to earn cash and prizes. She was aghast. But not stupid. So she replied, "Okay, but it would cost you $100,000 and you couldn't have it for a year because I nurse my babies."

Nice recovery Mrs. L. 

Actually she thought it was a rhetorical question.  No answer required.  So she gave a smartass answer, when she probably should have said, "Well, I'd like to be married first."

It wasn't until ten years later that she learned he really had wanted to get married.  He just had a funny way of asking. Or not asking. 

Mrs. Linklater didn't help matters either.  When he said he wasn't kidding -- he really wanted her to have his baby, she said, "I can't have any more kids."  She meant that she didn't want to have any more kids. Not that she couldn't actually physically have them. Not that she wasn't willing to discuss it, either, if marriage was on the table.

But none of those words came out of her mouth. Nor did she attempt to explain in any way what she really meant to say. Neither did he. So the subject was closed.  Until years later when he called out of the blue and they went to dinner.

"I was really sorry you couldn't have any more children," he said, now married and a father himself.

"What do you mean? I can still have kids," she said.

Silence.  And a look on his face Mrs. Linklater will never forget. Like when you bungee jump off a bridge and realize you totally miscalculated the distance.

Trying to help, but knowing she was way too late, Mrs. L said, "Next time if you want to get married, you might want to ask me the regular way."  

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

 

 

 

 

 

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Isnt it mad how we never really get to the point most of the time ....always skirting around the real words we want to say and replacing them with what we think we should say .
They should invent some sort of hand held translator that gives off a thousand volts straight to the brain everytime it hears crapola coming out of our mouths instead of what we really want to say .....bet katie holmes wishes she had one last night lol

Anonymous said...

Ahh, the face that could launch 1,000 bungee jumpers. Sigh. Wish I coulda, woulda, shoulda been there to see that.

Anonymous said...

Balk

Anonymous said...

Mrs. L, you always brighten my day.  You seem like the kind of neighbor who you sit on the back deck with on late summer afternoons sipping beverages and swapping funny tales and thoughts.
Chris
http://journals.aol.com/swibirun/Inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings

Anonymous said...

Hehe..that was a good story.  Oh how I wish that I could be engaged!
~Amber

Anonymous said...

So how did he ask for sex?

xoxo

Anonymous said...

OU-UWCH.  That landing must've been a doozey...
Anna

Anonymous said...

Oh yea!
I could feel that silence for sure!
LOL
Great journal Mrs. L
Love that humor...
Wishing you health, happiness and laughter.
TJ~
http://journals.aol.com/vaultofsecrets/MoonDancer/

Anonymous said...

"If I paid you ten grand, would you have my baby?"... Well, at least he was original.

Great entry! ~Ann

Anonymous said...

well, that was a near miss
Marti
http://journals.aol.com/sunnyside46/MidlifeMusings

Anonymous said...

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...  Two tears in a bucket...
Judith
http://journals.aol.com/jtuwliens/MirrorMirrorontheWall

Anonymous said...

Okay, so you made polite conversation during the drive, but WHO won the game?

http://journals.aol.com/cyndygee/TheRealWorldofcyndygee