Feb 09 2008
Down and Out and Movin’ On Up
(Are you playing Soap Opera Sunday too? If so, enter your link here! To find out more about Soap Opera Sunday, check here.)
After that first date with Blake, I went back home to Cedar City, but I didn’t stay there for long. I was in the middle of an absurd relationship (remember Ben?) and had already been tossed out of SUU (apparently I was really good at getting thrown out of school…) and when I broke the “yet-another-school-just-threw-me-out” news to my parents (you can only imagine how… um… proud they were…) I also announced that I was cutting myself off: Daddy was no longer allowed to pay for my living expenses or schooling (assuming I’d ever go back to school). I knew that if I did it on my own, I’d finally take things a little more seriously. Plus, I wouldn’t feel so completely guilty every time I screwed up if I was now only reporting to myself. Plus, I wanted to cut myself off before Daddy cut me off. Surely he was about to. Ahhhh, I felt like such a grown-up. A very poor, very aimless grown-up.
So I got a job.
It was while I was at work one morning in Cedar City at my important $6/hour telemarketing job (SO glamorous) that my head began to throb. This wasn’t just a headache, this was a “holy-crap-I- think-I-might- be-dying-because-my-head- hurts-so- frickin’-brackin’-bad- and-I-have-to-go-lie- down-right-this-second” headache.
So I went back to my apartment and lay down. As suddenly as the headache came on, it went away. And in a moment of absolute clarity, I knew what I had to do.
I had to move back to Provo.
Provo was only about three hours away from Cedar City, but it seemed like a whole different universe. I packed up all of my stuff and told my roommates that I was moving out. They were really broken up about it… because the TV was mine, the stereo was mine, the microwave was mine, and all the cute clothes were mine (and, um, all the cute boys were mine too…). They were going to miss me so much.
My parents were in Chile at this point (and would be for a couple of years) and had rented out their home here to my brother J and a few of his friends… including Blake. That meant, among other things, that there was no where for me to stay as a free-loader. (Which was fine, because I was a grown-up, remember?)
Now I needed a place to live— and it needed to be cheap. And I needed a job— ANY job— in order to pay for said cheap place.
As unbelievable as it sounds, within a day of arriving in Provo I had a place to live (which was an absolute HOLE, and could be the subject of its own soap opera saga. But hey, it was home), I had a job which was way better than I deserved (thanks to my sister who had climbed the corporate ladder and heard of an immediate opening and got me right in— I totally didn’t deserve that job and within two hours of my working there EVERYONE knew it. But it was too late. I was there and I was earning money, and slowly but surely I was learning the ropes)…
AND… I had reestablished a connection with Blake, who had, of course, been in the back of my mind throughout this whole move, though I would have sworn up and down that I didn’t move to Provo for him. I was NOT that kind of girl— the kind who picked up her whole life just to see how things would work out with some boy I’d only been on one date with. Still, he was on my mind. A lot.
Blake and I were still… well… a bit too different. And while that made for a lot of lively conversation, it also made any kind of long-term relationship seem impossible.
But I just couldn’t seem to stay away from him.
(…to be continued…)
Another brilligiantly written segment - who coined that yesterday(?) - what a great phrase for you!
Anyway, great story, but also fascinating how you handled yourself in those days. I did something similar around that age - best thing I ever did. (But I moved to the opposite coast of the country from my parents, lol).
Ahh, my darling. You had me at the correct usage of lie/lay. (Not that I would have expected anything less.)
We’ll have to do some serious, side-by-side ‘girl on her own adventures’ comparison at some point. The parallel tracks are intriguing….
You are terribly intriguing. And you have me so curious about what happens next.
Oooo…that was deliciously tantalizing! I’m so sad though, that I ran out of SOS fodder so very quickly. Alas, mine has been a rather uneventful life.
So far.
You independent gal! I “leaked out” of the tight bonds my father imposed on me here and there as I could (and under the radar so my escapades weren’t detected)–but rarely too far afield. My “escape” came by getting married–which is NO escape at all, of course. So I got out on my own, when I was in my late thirties–talk about a day late and a dollar short LOL.
Great to read about your adventures–I’m looking forward to next week already.
Can’t WAIT to see what happens next…looking forward to it.
Is it hard to get the linky thing up to host SOS?? I would certainly be interesting in being a guest host…but I have to mention I am sorta computer stupid..lol.
Anyway, looking forward to next Sunday.
I can’t believe I have to wait another week for the next segment! Great story!
Wow, you were so brave (and young) - I can’t imagine. And I can’t wait to hear more about you and Blake.
[…] For more soapy goodness, please check out brilliant Brillig’s blog. […]
I’m so wondering about this Blake. Last week I started to wonder if he was just testing you with the hair and the campaign sticker and the bluegrass and all. We shall see now, sounds like he’s for real. If my parents weren’t there, I probably would’ve been heading back to Chile to check up on a million interesting people at that point. Probably wouldn’t have found a job that quick though.
I decided to play your game. I hope I don’t regret it
Great post. I lived in Provo once. Okay, twice. Orem once. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Brill, you ave had such a life. No wonder you write so well. Can’t wait to read more.
Holy cow! That’s a story and a half. What an interesting life! I’m intrigued… want more….
You do know how to drag out a story my Darlin’! Ever hear about 1001 nights? You could do 1001 SOS stories and keep up all enthralled. OOOOhhhh!! that’s what you’re doing! Now I get it!!
Great SOS!