Mr. Darcy Mode

Once again, arriving in the United States, I ended up in the special immigration room. My ticket back to London was out of New York, yet I was heading to California and I didn’t have any money to get to New York. They didn’t understand. Because Laura was American and I was a foreigner, we had entered through different immigration lines. She didn’t know what was taking me so long. Fortunately, someone who knew Laura and I were together had seen me go into the special room and let her know what was up. Somehow, I finally convinced them that I would somehow make it to New York to exit the country and they let me go. 

Since Laura and my tickets were purchased separately, we were booked though different layover cities for our next flight segments. However, I wanted to try to get on Laura’s flight. She had waited until I got out and her connection was leaving soon and we had to run.

When we made it to the gate, the plane had boarded. We quickly explained to the gate agent what we wanted to do. She didn’t understand. For some reason she couldn’t get it into her head that both our final destinations was San Francisco. She was caught up with the different layover cities. But she finally realized what we were talking about and let me on the plane.

Laura was from the city of San Mateo, about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. I met the clan. Of course, I already knew Laura’s brother, Paul but I met her parents, her younger brother and her two sisters. Her younger sister had a boyfriend from San Diego, to whom Laura had actually introduced her on the Anastasis when they were both volunteering in Mexico.

The Tuohy’s house was built at the base of a hill, which ran up from the back of their yard. The hill was prone to erosion so there were cement run-off channels built into the hill to divert the rain from running straight down. Over time, mud filled and packed into the channels, making them less effective. Clearing those channels was the way I was going to pay off the ticket Laura’s mom bought me. It was hard work but I was only too happy to have something to do to pay it off. 

If the circumstances on the ship were right for me to be outgoing, it was a completely different story in California. Although Laura’s family was very kind, because I didn’t know everyone well, I wasn’t comfortable. It was difficult for Laura. She had gotten to know me in my outgoing mode. Now I was back to my normal introverted self and she had to figure out if she still liked me. She calls it my Mr. Darcy mode.

Once again, I found someone who was willing to employ me for some travel money. Laura’s brothers were living up in northern California working at a fencing company for one of Paul’s good friends. They didn’t have anyone in the office so they asked me to man the phones. Paul and John let me sleep on the couch in their apartment.

Since I didn’t know the business, I didn’t know what I was talking about most of the time. But they just wanted me there because businesses that have a live person to answer the phone always do better. Of course, this was in the days before cell phones.

When my father died, I had asked Don Stephens if he would be a sort of surrogate father to me, to seek his advice and such. He agreed. Don had left the Anastasis before it all happened with Laura and I. He had a place in Colorado where he would spend time each year and that’s where he was at this time. My next plan was to go see him up there to discuss what was happening with Laura.

I was long on time and short on money. Since I had had such a fabulous experience taking the Greyhound bus a few months before, I booked a ticket from Redding, California to Colorado. Laura came up and we said our good byes at the beautiful bus station. We had no specific plans so we didn’t know when we would see each other again. I just had to get back to London after Colorado to get working for real again.

Greyhound stayed true to their reputation. My route took me through Salt Lake City where I missed my connection. They put me up in a hotel overnight but when I finally made it to my destination, my luggage didn’t. There was a YWAM base up near where the Stephens had their house so Don’s wife, Deyon took me over to find some temporary clothes while she washed the ones I had been in for the past few days. It still took a few days to get my luggage.

Soon after I got to Colorado, the Stephens decided to go hiking up a mountain nearby which I was into. We climbed up to a high plateau with a beautiful lake. And then it happened - altitude sickness. It happens to some people when they don’t get enough oxygen. It gave me an overwhelming nausea that kept me from enjoying anything after it hit. Once we got back down to regular oxygen, it slowly went away.  

I discussed my relationship with Laura with Don and Deyon. They knew and liked Laura so they had no red flags. They encouraged me to keep praying about it.

My next plan was to take the bus to Denver, get my friend Tommy in New Jersey to buy me a plane ticket to get to him, work it off, then head back to London. Don didn’t want to see me get back on the bus so he graciously bought me a plane ticket to Denver.

Tommy got me to New Jersey and I worked off the plane ticket. It wasn’t all work. We had playtime too and it was always good to spend time with my friend. Then it was back to London to earn enough money for an engagement ring.

Me and my New Jersey boy Tommy