The Virtuoso: Three Stories

Ever since I was very small, I have known I have a good friend out there, even if we haven't seen each other in years. The Virtuoso is the son of my mother's best friend from childhood, and every time we traveled back to the breadbasket town whence came my mother, we went to go visit. Of course, this being something in my life, most every time we have met up has been strange enough to warrant a story.

When I was scouting universities, we went to visit my parents' alma mater, which, not so incidentally, is also my mother's best friend's alma mater and employer. Of course, we visited with the family as well. The alma mater is in a place where, unlike my hometown, it snows in the winter, and it was about to be winter, but it was not supposed to snow until after we had left. I adore the snow, so I was very disappointed.

The Virtuoso and I were discussing a mutual passion, fencing, and we decided to go outside where there would be space enough to demonstrate. When we walked outside, it had begun to snow.

We promptly abandoned the idea of fencing and ran to acquire sleds. It was my first time actually sledding; we had a great time. But as we returned indoors, I realized I had lost my favorite necklace, a pendant of a cat with a purple globe. I was sad, but it was worth it; the Virtuoso, however, decided to put some time and effort into finding it. After scanning the yards and roads all along the hill we sledded down, he actually found it right in his own front yard. He put it in an envelope and sent it to me.

It never arrived.

The next oddity was about five years later. I was living back in my hometown, working and plotting ways to come back to places where it snows, when one Saturday I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize. When I picked up the phone, who should it be but the Virtuoso?

"Hello, I am in your town visiting my girlfriend! We are going to see the Christmas Revels in an hour, and we have a spare ticket. Want to come?"

I used to go every year with my best friend; of course I was going! But I was rather shocked. I was especially shocked to realize that his girlfriend and her family lived a mere three streets away from me!

Between then and yesterday, I hadn't heard from him and didn't particularly worry about it. In that time, I moved across the country and settled in. In fact, I'd been here a full year when I noticed late the night before last that the Virtuoso's Facebucket status mentioned he would be here for an event. Naturally, I sent him a brief message, hoping we could meet up, and got a real surprise.

He wasn't coming here; he lives here. In fact, he lives about a ten minute walk from my apartment. After a few brief messages yesterday, he showed up for my weekly game night!

Who knew.