* * *
Back in her Ocean City bedroom, Madeline wiped away a tear as she
struggled to come to terms with life as it stood right now. Why were men so
unbelievably hurtful? First Jake, then Ken and now Jim-not to mention
Gary. In each case, she'd been simply minding her own business, focused
on enjoying the moment, not even consciously seeking male
companionship. And when her natural exuberance attracted them, she'd
behaved as a lady should, allowing them to pursue, while graciously
accepting dates without a hint of coyness.
Unlike many others she knew, Madeline lacked the innate ability and
burning desire required to effectively play head games and put on
pretensions; that kind of childish, inauthentic behavior repulsed her. All
she wanted was the love and devotion of a good man who would
appreciate her for who she was. And when Ken came along, it appeared
the search was over. But sadly, he turned out to be no different from the
rest.
Maddy reclined on her twin bed, staring up at the ceiling fan. God
knew, she was trying! Trying to uncover the hidden meaning in these
experiences, searching for the lessons the experts on her motivational
tapes assured her existed in every happenstance-which of course, was a
misnomer since nothing in the Universe occurred at random. On the
contrary, every seeming coincidence was actually a planned and
purposeful event meant to aid in one's soul progression. Her job was to
locate the underlying pattern so she could shift her awareness and create
the life she always dreamed of. And while all of this sure sounded good in
theory, in practice it was downright exhausting.
Her mind wandered back to a sunny early-summer afternoon when
she'd cold called another insurance company in the Rosetree Corporate
Center. Impeccably dressed for business in a navy and white pinstripe suit,
Maddy had approached the "gatekeeper"-a friendly, middle-aged
administrative assistant-to determine the competition and ascertain her
agency's chances at filling personnel positions at this particular
organization.
Engrossed in friendly chatter, she barely noticed the dark-haired
gentleman who passed her by on his way back to his office, though he did
call out a greeting to his fellow co-worker before closing the door behind
him. And though she hadn't so much as said hello to this man, later on
back at her place of employment she received an unexpected delivery-a
gorgeous bouquet of white roses similar to the ones Ken had brought her
on New Year's Eve.
Although they hadn't been properly introduced, the insurance guy-
whose name was Gary Snyder-had tracked down her business card after
she'd left. In the attached note, he'd expressed a sincere desire to get to
know her. Touched by the gesture, Maddy called to thank him with
genuine appreciation, initiating a series of promising dates that seemed to
be headed in the right direction-until one fateful night in Ocean City
poured icy cold water on her renewed relationship hopes.
He'd invited her to come by his summer rental, which had been
conveniently located on West Avenue, just a few blocks away from the
Rose home. An ebullient Maddy drove to the Shore after work with an
optimistic attitude, imagining a fun-filled weekend spent in Gary's
company. Instead, she got the brush-off. When she arrived at his place as
planned, an aloof and hostile Gary rudely cancelled their evening and
practically escorted her out the door with the dubious claim of having to
pick up his drunken roommate in Sea Isle.
A dejected Maddy was left to explain what happened to her
sympathetic and angry mother a few minutes later, when she arrived back
at the house.
"You know, I just don't understand these guys," Monica had sighed.
"Join the club," Maddy responded, before her mother tried to lighten
the mood with talk of her daughter's goodness and her fervent belief that
God had a special guy in mind for her; it was simply a matter of time.