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stone.com/rs Ten Today. Hey

1:05

folks, this is risk the

1:07

show where people child true

1:09

stories they've ever thought they

1:11

dare to share. I'm Kevin

1:13

Allison and every Thursday we

1:15

release these special episodes where

1:17

we look back at content

1:19

from the earlier years of

1:21

the podcast this week. it's

1:23

the best of love stories.

1:25

All kinds of love stories,

1:27

happy ones, bitter sweet wines,

1:29

and ones to grow on

1:31

in a little bit. We're.

1:33

Going. To hear from mean a

1:35

Davis and Madison Perry but before

1:38

that. Risks. On Story

1:40

Producer n one of our

1:42

trainers who does or corporate

1:45

workshops over at the Story

1:47

studio.org It's Brad Lawrence, you

1:49

can find it Brad Lawrence

1:52

storyteller.com and here he is

1:54

now with the story we

1:56

first ran in August of

1:59

Twenty Thirteen. A story

2:01

we call. Let. Me: sleep

2:03

on it. I

2:09

was a. Twenty. Three years old

2:11

and working at a bookstore in St.

2:14

Louis and one of the main features

2:16

of this bookstore was deserted grand stairwell

2:18

that connected the two floors. it was

2:20

really late at night made close the

2:23

store and after closing we were all

2:25

queenie are various sections when of or

2:27

else and I was assigned the Us

2:29

mystery section from said the bottom of

2:32

the staircase an and clean the mystery

2:34

section on the myself. And

2:36

I have this song stuck in my head

2:38

and so I am. Singing. To

2:41

myself as unclean section. Let

2:43

me sleep Own is Babe B.

2:46

Billingsley phone. Slimmest, The

2:48

bone in a give you an answer in

2:50

the moon and and I'm doing this when

2:52

of a sudden I hear from the top

2:55

of the grand staircase some one female voice

2:57

reply i don't I know right now you

2:59

love me and this is how I meet

3:01

Carry and I set up in the mysteries

3:04

x my look up and she's coming down

3:06

the stairs We proceeded do the entire duets

3:08

until we are all mean and the landing

3:11

at the bend in the staircase sort of

3:13

face to face during the it was cold

3:15

and alone is a good the entire. Nine

3:17

Yards. And as are doing this, our

3:20

fellow employees are now sir of picking

3:22

furtively up in the stacks of books

3:24

like forest animals and they're seeing us

3:27

do this and they're thinking what they

3:29

will be thinking the next three years

3:31

and that is when are these two

3:34

gonna do it. This

3:40

became inseparable friendship which is not hurt

3:42

at all. but the fact that Carry

3:44

kind of fell into exactly everything I

3:46

look for in a woman and it's

3:48

hard for me to say is Kerry

3:50

fit the ideal of carry made the

3:53

ideal the minute I saw her. She.

3:55

had a sort of holly golightly kind of

3:57

thing to her if i go why they

4:00

could potentially kick

4:02

your ass and make you feel bad about

4:04

yourself at the same time. She wasn't saccharine,

4:06

she was sharp and smart, and she was

4:08

not afraid of letting you know that immediately.

4:11

And this just set

4:13

me on my heels and kept me there, which

4:15

apparently was exactly where I wanted to be because

4:18

I followed her around like a puppy dog, and

4:20

she seemed more than content to have

4:23

me, and would in fact like

4:25

sort of arrange things for us to do

4:27

activities, mainly things that she

4:29

thought I would hate. She kind of seemed to

4:31

like to watch me get worked

4:34

up. Apparently I entertained her

4:36

most when I was angry

4:38

about what I had just seen. Performance

4:41

art is usually bad in major arts

4:43

capitals. By the time performance art, installation

4:45

performance art has filtered down to St.

4:48

Louis, Missouri, you're not

4:50

getting grade A installation performance art.

4:52

I barely remember what they did,

4:54

it involved people in tights. I

4:56

went sort of blind

4:59

with rage upon seeing

5:01

the people in the flesh tone tights. And

5:03

to this day I have like a real aversion to

5:06

anything that mimics skin. I

5:08

just find it horrifying. And

5:10

I think that's probably what I

5:12

was ranting on that made Carrie

5:14

think, we'll do this every weekend.

5:22

We were spending all of our time together. And

5:25

all of this brought about a kind

5:27

of two person language, a sort of

5:29

code, a set of nods

5:31

and facial expressions and inside

5:33

jokes and little gestures. We

5:36

both knew what those things meant. And

5:39

this made us insufferable

5:41

to be around for

5:43

anyone else. I mean we'd go out with

5:45

other people, we'd go out with co-workers and

5:48

our friends, and they would be like,

5:50

you guys are so annoying. And

5:52

by the way, when are you going to just go

5:54

ahead and do it and get it over with so

5:56

all this annoyance you've caused us will pay off. And

5:59

my friend. would say, you've got to crush on Carrie. My

6:02

girlfriend, Lee, would say, you've got to crush on Carrie. And

6:05

I would say, I do not

6:08

have a crush on Carrie. Carrie's my friend.

6:10

We're just friends. I don't have a crush on Carrie.

6:13

Relax. And I would think to

6:15

myself, I

6:18

am so in love with Carrie that

6:21

I don't know what to do. And

6:24

I know that that went both ways, because

6:26

that tension would build. It would

6:28

build to the point where, separately,

6:30

on two separate occasions, both of us started

6:33

fights with one another, just

6:36

so we could get away from the situation. The

6:39

fights were started over ridiculous things.

6:41

Because at that point, you've got to

6:44

do something. The tension is built so much, and

6:46

you either have to commit and do what you

6:48

really want to do, or you have

6:50

to allow yourself to escape and stage

6:52

a conflict that allows you to run away. And

6:56

both of us did that. And we didn't speak for

6:58

a month each time. And

7:00

then that month would go by, and one

7:02

would call the other, I'm really sorry, I

7:05

really miss you. There's a foreign film

7:07

you'll hate. Let's go see it next

7:09

weekend. And so off

7:12

we go. And

7:14

this was the pattern of things,

7:16

if not particularly satisfying. It

7:19

was sustainable for a while. And

7:21

then at some point, but my girlfriend, Lee and I, we hit

7:23

the skids. This dovetailed nicely

7:26

with the fact that Lee's work

7:28

was transferring her to Michigan. And

7:32

it came down to the point where we'd been fighting

7:34

for months. But we both knew she

7:36

was going to leave soon. And I

7:39

don't know the logic behind not

7:41

breaking up. There's

7:44

a sort of secret agreement we both

7:46

kind of hold on until she left.

7:48

And then we wouldn't have to do

7:50

anything painful. We couldn't forgive one another

7:52

for. And here

7:54

we are, it's about three days before she's going to

7:56

leave. And I go home.

8:00

out with Carrie and you would think if it really meant

8:02

something you'd be spending all of your time with the person

8:04

who's getting ready to leave. But no,

8:06

I'm making time for Carrie. He'll still be

8:08

here when Lee's gone. And we go

8:10

out and we see a movie and we have dinner and

8:13

we drag the evening out as we always do. We

8:16

end up in a park. We

8:30

hang on a park in the middle of the night and have

8:32

this long conversation. And

8:34

there was something in the air or

8:36

maybe some, you know, Lee's impending

8:39

departure. I don't know what it was, but

8:41

for some reason this conversation

8:44

suddenly took a turn towards

8:47

what was really going on, what was really there. A

8:50

turn we had always avoided

8:53

and it just kind of comes out. And how

8:55

it finally comes out is we've walked the

8:57

entire park. We've worked our way back around

9:00

to our cars and we're standing by the

9:02

cars and I finally say

9:04

to Carrie, it's

9:07

just when

9:09

you know that there

9:11

is something else, someone

9:15

else for you, do

9:19

you know what I mean? And

9:22

Carrie looked me in the eyes and

9:25

she said, yes, I do. And

9:28

that's it. Everything had fallen away.

9:30

All of the maneuvering

9:32

around this we had done for

9:35

three years suddenly just

9:38

dropped. And there

9:40

is this one foot of

9:42

empty space between me

9:44

and her. And

9:47

all I have to do to have everything I've wanted

9:49

for three years is

9:52

reach through that one

9:54

foot of empty space.

9:59

And instead. I

10:03

looked at her and I said, I cannot do this right

10:05

now. I have to end

10:07

things the right way with Lee. And

10:12

this is blinding stupidity. I

10:16

can't do this right now. If not right now,

10:18

when? Three years. And

10:21

if not right now, now's

10:24

it. Now's the time. But

10:27

I say this thing and when I say it to her, I see

10:31

Carrie's eyes drop. And I know, I know

10:33

for a fact in this moment that

10:36

this is the last opportunity I

10:38

was ever going to get at this. This is the

10:40

last opportunity I was ever going to get with Carrie at all

10:43

in any way. Because I know right

10:45

there in that moment I know I've lost Carrie.

10:47

I know her very well. And

10:49

I know she has this kind

10:51

of rom-com

10:53

idea of romance that she

10:55

uses as a shield. And

10:59

she's a smart woman. She knows it's bullshit.

11:03

But she also knows that if she has that

11:05

up, if someone

11:07

can't complete the rom-com perfect

11:10

moment romantic formula, that

11:13

they don't do that, then she knows she's

11:15

never making a mistake. And

11:18

the thing that Carrie dreads the most is making a

11:20

mistake. And

11:22

she let her guard down and

11:25

it turns out to both of

11:27

our horror that I was

11:29

a mistake. I know

11:31

she can't have that. I know I've lost her. And

11:33

I'm right. Because I see

11:35

Carrie one more time after that. And

11:39

I never see Carrie again. And

11:42

this haunts me for Years.

12:00

I. Think back on.

12:02

carry on. that one moment that night

12:04

in the park and I screwed that

12:06

moment up. And why tell myself in

12:08

those dark, dark nights when I am

12:11

so alone and sad? Is. That the

12:13

reason I'll be so alone and so sad for

12:15

ever and ever neighbors Because I had to the

12:17

one. She was right there within my reach and

12:19

I fucked it up. And

12:22

because I fucked it up, I'm

12:24

doomed. And.

12:27

Then him in a girl with them in the mirror. I

12:40

met while was wearing a dress and she was

12:42

wearing a mummy outfit on that she was actually

12:44

stepping out of to go dancing in A. I

12:48

determined not to him the answer

12:50

until I was really getting drunk

12:52

and I have really good and

12:54

drunk and she he humor me

12:56

She consented to go on a

12:58

date and the rest really is

13:00

history. Emea a day was just

13:02

sort of a new you find

13:04

someone to rearrange your entire world

13:06

and you know introduce you to

13:08

a whole different side. Of life

13:10

and you realize oh this is

13:12

what I've been looking for the

13:14

entire time. He stop dwelling on

13:16

every mistake you've ever made and

13:19

start thinking about every possible realize

13:21

the for you. That's a huge

13:23

difference. I had that now and.

13:25

It. Was wonderful but then face book does of

13:27

the a facelift us. And

13:30

suddenly. Thanks. To the

13:32

Internet I have reason to think about

13:34

Kerrigan had not thought about carry the

13:36

not think about my mistakes. But.

13:39

Now thanks to Facebook and confront him with

13:41

as an amateur think about carry again. And

13:45

I'm thinking about her. Behind

13:47

thing about or is changed because

13:49

my mistakes or not. They

13:52

don't have romantic comedy steaks

13:55

anymore. Because. I'm

13:57

not. Living. That fantasy.

14:00

Nowadays. When I

14:02

make a mistake, shut the back

14:05

up and try again until I

14:07

get it right. Never make or

14:09

break. But two or

14:11

three months and has been together for at

14:13

a bar and she was talking to a

14:15

guy I knew they had gone a couple

14:17

sets. And then

14:20

when I walked up to

14:22

say hello centers me as

14:25

her friends and. It

14:27

loses his he fit. Let's

14:31

be frank. It

14:33

was an unseemly seem. And

14:37

I marched out all indignant, certain I'd

14:39

been wronged. Basically in reality she loves

14:42

the guy. similar discuss her guy relationship

14:44

or how they go about us. He

14:46

was like being polite getting else I

14:49

walk and for like a tail end

14:51

of that, take one thing wrong, have

14:53

a fit and see. Basically this kind

14:55

of watched me spin my wheels. Let.

14:58

It all sort of peter out,

15:01

told me everything I've just told

15:03

you and then waited for me

15:05

to grovel the appropriate amount. And

15:08

it was done and it was over and we moved

15:11

on. She was entirely coffin. I had learned whatever lesson

15:13

I need to learn. Nothing

15:15

was gripped asunder for all times

15:17

Because mood to move forward? And

15:20

so now. Confronted with face

15:22

and carry again and sort of

15:25

thinking about that life and that

15:27

time and that night. I

15:30

don't think about it in the same way. Because.

15:33

Nothing I didn't understand when I was

15:35

making that horrible mistake. Is

15:38

that real? Loves about being allowed to make

15:40

mistakes? And. Anything else

15:42

is just. And

16:13

when I was in fifth

16:16

grade on Valentine's Day, On

16:19

recess three girls walked up and in

16:21

the field and one of them was

16:23

Dj. and Dj had been hoarding my

16:26

son for the last few weeks. She

16:28

presented me with a chocolate hearts and

16:30

it was a big chocolate are. As

16:32

probably that the size of a system

16:35

like an adult sisters very big in

16:37

a wasn't hollow. It was solid all

16:39

the way through. Is

16:41

wrapped in red foil and on the top

16:44

and in pink lettering it said will you

16:46

be my Valentine And as I looked at

16:48

them and and she was kind of shyly

16:50

looking away in her two friends were staring

16:53

right at means grinning ear to ear and

16:55

I looked back down at the chocolate and

16:57

I don't know why but I ripped open

16:59

the foil. And. Proceeded to shove the

17:01

entire thing into my mouth except it was

17:04

such a big piece of chocolate a wouldn't

17:06

really sets I just had to non at

17:08

non and then start to liquefy as I

17:10

could continue to push the chocolate hearts into

17:13

my mouth and they just sat there and

17:15

watch me while I tried to eat this

17:17

chocolate. About. Three quarters of

17:19

the way through the chocolate, I realized I

17:21

wasn't gonna be able to finish it. I

17:24

could barely breathe. Oh so clogged up with

17:26

chocolate in so I spit it out on

17:28

the grass right there. This giants are gelatinous.

17:30

Luigi came out of my mouth and just

17:32

stirring all the way to the ground and.

17:36

Census I stood up to scratch effort and

17:38

she looks him and she said so you

17:41

go out with me now and I said

17:43

no and and when played. So

17:48

that. Night. My mom and dinners as guys

17:50

did said what happened at school today honey

17:52

and I told her that of girl had

17:54

given me a chocolate hard. To

17:59

know that. What did you say? I

18:02

told her no No, that means you

18:04

have to give the chocolate back. That's how

18:06

that works and I said I

18:08

can't And she said why

18:10

not I said I ate it What

18:13

do you mean? When'd you eat it? I said right

18:15

after she gave it to me So I said let

18:17

me get this straight. She gave you the chocolate you

18:20

immediately ate it and then you told her you

18:22

wouldn't date her Yeah, that

18:24

was pretty much how it went I said and

18:27

so she said she made me promise that I would

18:29

apologize the next day. So Because

18:32

I thought I knew everything I figured

18:34

I'll solve this instead of apologizing. I'll just

18:36

go out with DJ that will fix Everything

18:39

so I asked her out by

18:42

which I mean I told my friends to tell

18:44

her friends to tell DJ that I'd go out

18:46

with her so we were going

18:48

out and so the next day I

18:50

went to school and Kind of had that

18:52

nervous feeling to see DJ and

18:54

before we got into class my my good friend

18:56

Brian grabbed me and he said I have Something

18:58

to tell you but I can't tell you here meet

19:00

me at the soccer field at recess So

19:03

at recess I walked out there with him and

19:06

we made sure he's alone He said I

19:08

just talked to Michelle last night and she

19:11

told me DJ at a

19:13

sleepover party stuck a tube of chapstick in

19:15

her vagina And I

19:18

didn't I didn't quite know what a vagina was

19:20

but I knew that was not good and And

19:24

you know a story like that has to be true So

19:27

I immediately decided I have to break up with DJ

19:29

So I told her we couldn't go out anymore by

19:31

which I mean I told my friends to tell her

19:34

friends to tell her we weren't going out anymore, so

19:37

That was my first relationship. It lasted about 18

19:40

hours. I think I

19:56

Month Before I turned 14, it was. waiting

20:00

for me, It

20:02

was somewhere between as a direct.

20:05

Threat. We. Were

20:07

moving into succeeded as a

20:09

New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale.

20:12

Or my mom decided that she went to

20:14

collapse of the Jersey Shore and say goodbye.

20:17

To some really close friends.

20:20

And so we arrived in the

20:22

night I'm in July. Third, And

20:25

we must have gotten are so late that

20:27

items of member coming into the house. And

20:30

What? I woke up in the morning. Families, so

20:32

much money coming into my

20:34

bedroom, just swimming and and

20:37

mother demands tonight and stores

20:39

and I went and I

20:41

stood there are only to

20:43

see. Ocean Song. I

20:45

got to a silly thing because

20:47

of lawlessness twitter and I would

20:49

say there was a huge go

20:51

on the porch anything second small.

20:54

Pond and a surge of was

20:57

kinda sat. There with

20:59

the house right next door and a

21:01

boy was coming in with his hands.

21:04

I. That sounds the bad and the mistakes as

21:06

is a sense to me. He

21:08

had left his house and was walking across

21:10

the beach. Was not there. Right in the

21:12

middle. Between the two homes

21:14

and. We just stood

21:17

there. And this

21:19

was the most beautiful boy I

21:21

had. Ever seen he

21:24

had talks with

21:26

last year wage.

21:29

And she was a little

21:32

bit taller than I was

21:34

a him. She was solidly

21:36

built and we've just. Stood.

21:39

There. Looking at

21:41

each other and. He loses

21:44

his father had just. Come

21:47

down from the sky or

21:49

and surrounded us in this

21:51

nothing around. Us was happening week

21:53

of look at each other and and

21:55

we were total strangers. To each other

21:58

said he says he's p. At

22:01

ease, Ceiling.

22:03

And then. From

22:05

to first as a

22:08

bass franco. Was the

22:10

son of my parents close? As far as

22:12

we were the exact. Same age

22:14

we have. Essentially grown

22:17

up together and he

22:19

was so excited! And

22:21

is there for the day and he can

22:23

move towards us and he said mean I

22:26

mean at this is David Seasons this is

22:28

Nina and wounded and do so that he

22:30

goes to jail. Without

22:32

oh the things that we were going. To do

22:35

and say that in his eyes are

22:37

just. Standing there.

22:40

Staring into each other's eyes

22:43

and I swear I south.

22:45

And since I was falling in

22:47

love. Prior

23:01

to this point in my life,

23:03

as far as coins were concerned,

23:06

I had boy oh boy did

23:08

I liked. I was so awkward

23:11

and and clumsy and none of

23:13

this was happening with. This

23:15

Friday that I felt manners

23:18

that I was. Nervous

23:20

I said so com and

23:22

in unison as from fall

23:24

in the jabbering away leisure

23:26

time and we walked towards

23:28

the ocean and I know

23:30

it from who try to

23:32

keep up with a spoon.

23:34

I think he was actually

23:36

sat by an elbow. Any

23:38

eventual just wasn't very missouri

23:40

and will lead to the

23:42

ocean. To school

23:44

said days it ever said to me. Were

23:48

which twenty one of those. And

23:51

they said. He doesn't matter. And

23:55

because that was July forest people

23:57

were setting up. Their barbecue.

24:00

The beach they were seeking. answers

24:02

are places even that early in

24:04

the morning and we were wonderful.

24:06

Moved to the next and still

24:08

be really welcoming and tell us

24:10

to come back later I did

24:12

You ever going to be serving.

24:14

Em and pretty sure that see that new.

24:16

With these people because of

24:18

the summer for a few

24:20

this was sleep is. Worse

24:31

than that day. Each

24:34

other's company is. Hop about

24:36

everything talking about off the years

24:38

have dreams what we wanted to

24:40

be when we can last a

24:42

day that knew that he wanted

24:44

to do something with music because

24:46

when he had gone back to.

24:48

His house has done his Guitar

24:50

Hero sides. Play for me and.

24:54

He was unbelievably talented.

24:56

Any sign that said,

24:58

He could play it. and

25:00

he had the most beautiful

25:03

furies. Finally,

25:17

We have some time. Where.

25:19

We work bumping into other people on

25:21

the beach and we ended up on

25:24

A.were There was a light at the

25:26

end of the doc so we weren't

25:28

in the darkness and we got to

25:30

watch the fireworks go off and we

25:32

were in each other's arms and we

25:34

had been kissing. And kissing all

25:36

day in the most natural way.

25:39

and she was holding me and

25:41

plane his guitar to seem to

25:44

with. He was holding a me

25:46

and. Is is is this

25:48

we just couldn't get and most of

25:50

some sleep. Hush hush

25:53

in our fingers together

25:55

And as some say,

25:57

I realized I. truly headphone

25:59

and one And I wanted to

26:01

make love with him. And

26:05

it would have been my first time. And

26:07

I told him so. And

26:09

he said, Nina, no. No,

26:12

no, no. First of all,

26:14

we're in the dock. Anybody

26:16

could walk down this dock. And

26:19

it turned out that he had already had sex.

26:22

And it hadn't been this wonderful,

26:24

loving experience that

26:26

it should have been, because the girl and

26:29

he were not in love. And

26:32

he said, your first

26:34

time, it should be so wonderful.

26:36

And you're leaving. You're moving to Fort Lauderdale. And

26:39

I may never, ever see you again.

26:42

This is not the right time and place for you.

26:45

And he said, but I wanted to give you something.

26:48

He said, I want to give you this

26:50

song because you're going to need this song.

26:52

This song will be your song. And

26:55

this song will help you and

26:57

protect you. And so

27:00

he sang me Cat Stevens' Baby, Baby,

27:02

It's a Wild World. And

27:04

then that was my

27:06

song. And I had

27:08

given him something, too. As

27:11

the sun went down, I

27:13

had given him my jean jacket to wear. And

27:17

eventually, it really was time to

27:19

say goodbye. It was 1 o'clock

27:21

in the morning. We had spent

27:24

the entire day together since

27:26

about 7.30 in the morning. And

27:29

I knew my mom was frantically looking for me.

27:32

And I said, tell me

27:34

your last name. And I will never forget

27:36

it. And he said, Rhinebeck,

27:39

it's David Rhinebeck. And I said, OK.

27:42

And we hugged one last time.

27:45

I got into the back of my mom's car. And

27:48

I said, David Rhinebeck, David Rhinebeck, David

27:50

Rhinebeck, all the way home. After

28:02

that, we moved to Fort

28:04

Lauderdale and many Fourth of July's passed.

28:08

And I started to measure all

28:10

of the years by the Fourth of

28:12

July. And so eventually

28:15

I was up north again. I

28:17

was going to college. I

28:19

spent one weekend driving down to Pennsylvania to

28:22

see my father. And he

28:24

told me that of all people, Franco

28:27

was going to Penn State. And

28:30

I was so excited because I never

28:32

stopped meeting with David. And I knew

28:35

that if anybody knew where David

28:37

was, Franco would be that person.

28:39

So I called him up. He

28:41

came over to my dad's and

28:44

we're sitting across the kitchen table in

28:46

my dad's kitchen, just Franco and I.

28:49

And he's very, very handsome. And

28:52

he knows how handsome

28:54

he is. But

28:56

to me, Franco and I might as well have

28:59

been cousins. I mean, we'd known each other forever.

29:02

And I could see some

29:05

disgruntledness as we were talking,

29:07

because what I was talking about was

29:09

how I had fallen

29:11

in love at first

29:14

stage with David that

29:16

summer. Franco

29:22

was so not interested.

29:24

This story had nothing to do

29:26

with him. So

29:30

when I asked him if he knew how

29:32

I could get a hold of David, he

29:34

sort of smirked. And

29:36

he told me that he heard

29:38

that David had been

29:41

in a terrible boating accident, that the engine

29:43

of the boat had exploded and that he

29:45

had been severely burned and he thought that

29:47

he had died. And I said, Franco, how

29:50

do you know this? How do you know

29:52

that he died? How do you know? And he

29:54

said, I don't know. If

30:00

he died okay a bitch a know

30:02

that he has to be crippled in

30:05

he has to be some know the

30:07

difference. And. I pressed him for

30:09

more information because the terrorists it was

30:11

deformed or crippled. He was

30:14

alive and that is all

30:16

I cared about. and from

30:18

homeless. And not for sending with

30:20

any information. but I twisted and I

30:22

believe he knew nothing. is I mean

30:25

this was essentially. A family

30:27

member to me. And that

30:29

was that. And then. Made

30:31

me more foods of July's

30:33

went past and the internet

30:35

started and you could search

30:37

for Fifa any point in.

30:39

My life I had fallen and

30:41

month many times I've never fallen in

30:44

love at first sight for I had

30:46

fallen in love with a man and

30:48

mess. To. Be very happily married

30:51

and has a son with him

30:53

so I was not mooning of

30:55

retail. Had to make sure it

30:57

was okay up there and then

30:59

I would feel okay. Said.

31:02

Nothing would ever come up and

31:05

licensing. Fees.

31:10

And guess so. Soon to

31:12

be my. Friends on

31:14

Facebook. It was

31:16

from club. So. This time

31:19

I've seen as a little bit more full.

31:22

I explained it emails with

31:24

him for about three weeks.

31:26

Same. Way long conversations on

31:29

the phone. And

31:31

thought maybe he a month

31:33

or two months of says.

31:36

I felt like I wouldn't scare him

31:39

away by asking about the that and

31:41

I said front that. On

31:44

the beach that boy days it

31:47

rang that. I. Never

31:49

stopped thinking about his, can

31:51

you remember anything about his

31:53

mom's kinda sad to think

31:56

of any way that I

31:58

have signed him? Edmunds

32:00

volume at his name was is

32:03

outdated. Flying back is David Have.

32:05

Bought. A said

32:07

i think she's into and

32:09

rock opera. As a

32:11

crate first about his music. Second

32:14

of all, if so esoteric I know

32:16

the other find him so a thing

32:18

for you both and I start searching

32:20

Oliver again and. Since queries but

32:22

I signed his, he hasn't

32:24

sat at. The tourist on

32:26

a woman's that has his

32:28

rock opera C on her

32:30

own website an eye contact

32:32

have a safe house. And

32:35

I tell her all of

32:37

that monitors Satan has sanctioned

32:40

senses to the Fourth of

32:42

July and she's was destroyed

32:44

and she says this is

32:46

so amazing Me that because

32:48

it's. Easy. Leinbach lost my

32:51

fancy months ago and he

32:53

moved to Fort Lauderdale and

32:55

my heart skipped city. Or

32:59

he says. He

33:01

thinks you're day that because he

33:03

was sworn in a to send

33:05

each race. I. Think hundred

33:07

and thirty five years old and it's.

33:09

Just like I think I'm about forty nine

33:12

or fifty. And. I

33:14

said oh. This is

33:16

my my days as. And

33:18

I sent her and and were

33:20

saying good bye to each other.

33:22

She says we'd we'd only I

33:25

think I know who you are

33:27

looking for. The zoo has his

33:29

name wrong she said is David

33:31

rhyme West Indies does do rock

33:33

opera. Sell. A

33:36

center I hung and. I started

33:38

to search again an unbelievably

33:40

I found a Zdf other

33:42

man. Claimed. The

33:44

tar and dancing and he had

33:47

long. Hair

33:49

and Major Attack Sauce

33:52

with Black Death. Fangs.

33:55

I took my fingers and

33:57

they locked out peace. And

34:02

I saw David, and

34:04

I was so relieved. He

34:07

was alive. He looked

34:09

pretty happy. He was

34:11

playing music, and I

34:14

only took it one step further. I Googled

34:17

his name in the white pages, and there

34:19

was a phone number, and

34:21

I called it, and an answering machine

34:24

came on, and it had his

34:26

voice. And I

34:29

left a message. I said, Hi, this

34:32

is Nina, and I have

34:34

a story for you. And

34:36

then I forgot about it. It was

34:38

maybe nine o'clock that night when the phone

34:40

rang, and the last thing I was thinking

34:42

of was David, and I answered

34:44

the phone, and I said, Hello? And

34:47

there was this voice that said,

34:49

Hi, this is David, and

34:52

I understand you have a story for me. And

34:56

I could not breathe.

34:59

Oh, I was trying so hard. I

35:01

was trying to talk, and I was stumbling over my words, and

35:03

he said, Whoa, now wait a

35:05

minute. When you left the

35:07

message, I couldn't understand your

35:10

name. Could you just repeat your name for me?

35:14

And I took a really deep breath, and

35:16

I said, Nina, my

35:20

name is Nina. And

35:24

there was this silence, and

35:29

he said, Oh,

35:31

Nina, I

35:33

kept your genesight for so

35:35

many years that I could

35:38

smell you. And

35:40

I felt

35:42

so validated. I felt like, wow,

35:45

I had made this human

35:47

connection, this incredibly intense connection

35:50

so many years ago, and he

35:53

had two, and it was super Complicated.

35:56

He Had never forgotten me

35:59

either. We're.

36:02

Happy to. Talk

36:05

to. Me and he had

36:07

a hot summer of that day on

36:10

the fourth of July and this turns

36:12

out that I have reason to be

36:14

worried about him all as as years

36:17

and concerned that he was all because

36:19

he hadn't been an. Insect

36:22

then they say started. He

36:25

didn't even make it through the exposure. He

36:28

left home. He ended up

36:31

in New Orleans. He will return

36:33

The street. To time. I

36:36

was a heroin addict. And.

36:39

He eventually made his way to New York

36:41

City. And is Angela

36:43

the mayor? Came up

36:45

to him one day and sad. I hear

36:48

you plan on the time. I

36:50

wasn't aware that your material.

36:53

And. David says I was on my

36:55

thoughts at all Mine. And

36:57

the man said i such as a come with

36:59

me. And. He took the

37:01

the to. A very prestigious music

37:03

school and the Murphy. The

37:07

interview desert and they offered him

37:09

a full scholarship. Earnest.

37:13

And they took it away. Just as that's

37:15

when they found out that he had never

37:17

finished high school. So. They

37:19

even went back. And he got his

37:21

act together. He's such a. Heated

37:24

in a T V on that back to

37:26

that school and he got his degree

37:28

of music. And. Wonderful

37:31

beautiful woman to some was

37:33

listed marry him. He had

37:36

beautiful children. And

37:38

anything. He

37:42

was lost. Someone

37:45

was taking chairs and it

37:47

was the best news. And

37:50

I said have heard. I

37:52

was just so happy as

37:54

someone. That. I

37:56

have cared about so deeply

37:58

for only had. They had

38:00

everything had and. D Turn

38:03

down a wonderfully. When

38:22

I think it is so interesting

38:24

about this story is that. I

38:27

think when people hear it

38:30

v assume they know where.

38:32

It's going and how it's

38:34

fine and does that even

38:37

in Iowa. Ride off into

38:39

the sunset. Five Damage. Never

38:41

my intention when I contacted

38:44

him, I. Like

38:47

playing chess. Needed to

38:49

see and see. As

38:52

she was okay and you

38:54

find out this you plan

38:57

to loved and to see

38:59

pictures of his kids and.

39:02

One of them was exactly see this

39:04

did when he was from the team.

39:07

I. See

39:09

movies to see the spirit.

39:13

She's. Truly

39:15

truly. And

39:17

keeps it is indeed. Any.

39:56

This is risk that was mean

39:59

A David. with a story called

40:01

Remember You Like a Child that

40:03

first ran on risk in August

40:05

of 2013. Before

40:08

that, we heard the ChapStick

40:10

Twist that first ran on

40:12

the podcast in November of

40:14

2009 by

40:17

Madison Perry, who you can

40:19

find at madisonperry.com. We

40:23

hope you enjoyed these love stories.

40:25

If you've got a story about

40:27

love, pitch it to us. Hey,

40:29

even stories about deep

40:32

friendship and especially

40:34

stories about relationships that

40:36

hit the rocks and

40:39

very nearly ended forever.

40:42

But somehow the connection was

40:44

mended and the ship sailed

40:46

on. Everything you

40:48

need to know about pitching us

40:50

is at risk-show.com-submissions. And

40:55

for all our other special series,

40:57

like the Best of Risk Happy

40:59

Stories or Scary Stories

41:01

or Funny Stuff, go

41:04

to risk-show.com-submissions. Folks,

41:10

today's the day. Take

41:12

a risk.