When Oscar met Mona...

It was a warm beautiful day in early June 2002.  I turned on the computer not  looking for anything really.  I got an instant message from Oscar, of course not knowing who he was and not thinking anything of it, I answered it. For some time the conversations would carry on...online of course. We exchanged pictures online...the moment of truth! I opened up the file...and "I know that guy" was shouted from behind me. I didn't ask him what he did for a living or anything like that. He was a tutor at my sister's school.  I started to ask him if he knew who my sister was and found that we had that in common. My birthday was right around the corner.  He wanted to take me out!  My first thought was...this guy is crazy! I didn't know much about him...nor did he know much about me either.

He picked me up and off we went...on the freeway!  Trying to keep a conversation and also trying to remember which way to go back home was a big task. We made it to Dodger stadium. I have always been told stories that I did go to Dodger stadium when I was younger...way younger. Now for those of you that are Dodger fans...you know that remodeling has been done...this first date was before all of that.  Oscar got seats right behind home base! Although Oscar was trying to keep a conversation with me, I was so busy looking around. Having perfect seats...we left in the second inning! He saw that my focus wasn't on the baseball game. He took me clear across LA to the OC! There, we seen a movie and he bought me a light up rose. Later that night he dropped me off at home and gave me a hug goodbye. It wouldn't be until almost a year later and another Dodger game that we would become an official couple.

Oscar is 5 years older than me...which is why I believe it took so long for us to become a couple.  Oscar didn't fit the type of guy that I would normally date. He was the more mature guy, the settle down type of guy. I was used to the clubbing type guy, the just date when I want to see you type. I wasn't interested in having a boyfriend. I had made that very clear to Oscar and even talked about other guys around him. Yet, he still kept coming around. I on the other hand was focused on not giving him any hope that a relationship would be the outcome. I told him so many things about me...some true...and some not so true.  I made it seem that I had every type of medical condition wrong with me. Yet, again he was still there! He just would not give up. During that year, my uncle had passed away. It was the first time...in a long time that someone close in my family had passed away. Not only was it my uncle that passed away...but two others that were related. The two others were not as close...yet I was getting really tired of wear black. For almost a whole month I was busy going to viewings and funerals. It was then that I realized that I wasn't getting any younger. I was able to open my eyes and to finally give Oscar the chance that he deserved.

On a cool April night...we made it back out to a Dodger game. This time it was the nose bleed seats! I guess he figured he wouldn't spend as much money on seats this time if we weren't going to stay for the whole game. He took me home...and in the drive-way I asked..."why do you put up with me?" After everything I have ever said to this guy to get him away from me...only made him try harder! We ended that night with our first kiss...yes I know almost a year later! From that night on, He has never left my side.

Five years later, he proposed and we were married 8 months later! We have been married for 16 months now and we are still going strong. Although people might think we rushed our engagement, we knew we were ready to spend our lives together. He never gave up on me...and now I'm glad he didn't!