Life Changes

The Importance of Phone Games

The first thing Anna, when we made it through the gate, was jump into line at the nearest vendor.

"All I want is cheese curds."

"Okay", I said with humor in my voice.

As we waited for her cheese curds, I took notice of the people around us. Beautiful teenage girls. Attractive young men. Having just come from a football game, I felt neither beautiful nor attractive.

Once Anna received her cheese curds, we began walking through the fairgrounds. We took note of one of the closed buildings as we walked through the neighboring building. This building was exhibiting local 4-H animals.

After exiting the building, we continued through the grounds, past the largest building. This building contained single, local vendors; as well as a stage, and the Boy Scout ice cream stand.

We passed this as well, as we re-entered to were the rides and games were, I noticed a game that was like that of a phone game Anna and I both play. We walked over to it and Anna pulled two dollars out of her purse to trade for quarters. As she did that I was focusing on other attractions.

Anna slapped my arm, and began walking to the other side of the game. As she played, I talked. I talked about my heart break, kind of, more of how frustrated I am to have so many memories. I guess that you could say that I collect memories. It is rare to find me without some sort of camera in my hand. If I am not photogenically capturing the moment, I am writing about it are memorizing it. I have an entire shot glass collection dedicated to my memories. When I say that I collect memories, I mean it. You don't know when something is going to happen, rather it be age or a brain injury and you can't remember. I have been there, both age and a brain injury. I would rather have the memories, both good and bad, than have nothing to learn and grow from.
Anyway, I was just making random conversation to fill the silence being filled by screaming and laughter. It just so happened that the man working the game happened to be listening. As the night went on and we continued playing the game. He noticed me looking at a certain stuffed animal. With the stuffed animal in his hand, he asked me if it had been what I was looking at.

"Yes" I said blushing.

"Here, it's yours." He handed me the stuffed ball giraffe.

Twenty minutes later, as I handed him five dollars in exchange for coins, he handed me a small, folded slip of paper. I didn't have to open it to know that it was his phone number.

After those coins were gone, Anna and I decide that we would go get some ice cream and then return.

As we began to walk away, he called us back. And told us to choose another stuffed animal. Which Anna then forced me too. This time it was a stuffed Chewbacca that rolled into a ball.

I know that as we walked away from him, I was beaming. But as we made it to the ice cream shop, I began to doubt everything.

"He probably does that to all of the girls. It wasn't true."

"Then why would he give you his number." Anna gave me this looking that told me she thought that I was being ridiculous.

"It probably doesn't even have his number on it", I said as I fished my wallet out of my purse, the place I had safely stowed it.

As I unfolded it, I felt a pit of dread building in my stomach. My heart began to beat faster. I was excited because what if it did have his number written on it, then maybe that meant that somebody could actually be interested in me. But what if it didn't? If it didn't, then I'm just an idiot.

As I looked down on it, I instantly smiled. It not only held his phone number, but also his name. Tyler.

As happy as I was. As right as Anna was, which was written all over her face. This was also awful. I was leaving in one and a half days. And even if I wasn't, he travels for work. There was just no chance of anything working. But even knowing that, we still went back and played more. And at the end of the night, before Anna and I left, he chose another stuffed animal for me. This time, it was a bear.

"If you don't like that one, there's one with hearts or..."

"It's perfect, I love it."

Anna and I bid Tyler goodnight, and began heading back to her car. She stopped at the Farris Wheel for us to take a photo.

Once we arrived back at her car, I took the stuffed animals out of my purse. Anna pulled out of the fair grounds, and we began our less lost trip back home.