Remember the person in high school you had a secret crush on? Nothing actually happened. It was all longing and fantasy. Well, what if chance brought you together several decades later?
Here is what happened to Sylvia:
"When I was a 15-year-old high school student in Long Beach, California I had a boyfriend. Then I met his friend, Dick Murphy. Murphy was a tall, blue-eyed, dimpled surfer. He was gorgeous. He was scary sexy. All the girls adored him. Murphy and I always laughed and stared at each other. Sometimes I watched him surf instead of my boyfriend. I always had a huge crush on Murphy, but I never said anything about it."
Although Sylvia and Richard Murphy lived in the same town, they lost touch until 25 years later when he and a friend, Richardson, landed on her doorstep.
"We've had a huge crush on you for 25 years," they said.
"I thought they were just whistling Dixie. I didn't see either of them after that day for another 25 years."
I'm 65 now, and a few months ago I was on my Facebook page when I saw a picture of Murphy there as a friend of a friend I might want to be friends with. In the picture, Murphy wore a big diving mask. He had a camera and held a big eel in front of him. I befriended him on Facebook. He wrote back asking, "Is this the Sylvia of Richardson's and my fantasies?" Yes! I was surprised that he even remembered that he had said he had a crush on me.
We started emailing immediately. He's a published author and a great writer. What he wrote to me is pure treasure. The emails are the most romantic. I do not know how the man keeps going. He is one of the world's top marine biologists and sometimes he gets scientific/romantic.
After two months of emails we fell in love. During this period we wrote maybe five or six hundred email letters to each other.
I wrote that he should come to San Miguel, and he came. I didn't have any doubt about how I felt about him. I knew it was going to be absolutely incredible. When he arrived he stepped out of the taxi and looked at me.
"Is that my princess?" he asked.
When he came through the gate I saw my prince and I ran to him. We walked around town. He met my friends and was so gracious. I'm proud of him. Our time together was so passionate, so magical.
I thought anyone this bright could not possibly love me. I started getting really insecure. I emailed him, "You're gone and now I can't believe it." He wrote back, I want you and need you. We will be together as soon as it's possible. He's never lied.
We decided to meet about four times each year. We do not talk about getting married. We don't discuss me going to Santa Cruz to live with him or his coming here. I think, for me, it's just right; it's perfect. It's as magical as it gets. I don't think I want any more. I am not very possessive. In one of his letters he wrote that he always felt that he had missed out on the adventure that is Sylvia. At that time, I didn't want to be around Murphy because he was too cute. I didn't want to get myself into any emotional trouble. He was a ladies' man. That has never appealed to me, but at this point I thank every girl he ever practised on because now he is perfect and I know he's mine. He thinks of me as a pristine goddess and keeps saying, "You're so pretty." He's my silver-tongued devil.
Every Christmas, Richardson and Murphy stay at their friend, Steve's house. Each time they kayak through the canals at Long Beach, and they talk about me. They have done this for forty years. Murphy is still somewhat astonished that our relationship is so incredible. It is the best relationship of our whole lives, and I am very happy."
The complete story of "Murphy" is in Heartbeats, True Stories of Love. There are fifty stories in "Heartbeats" which is now available as an E book on Amazon and soon to available as a paperback on Amazon and Smashwords. In Heartbeats people share deeply personal stories that uplift and inspire. There are stories of romantic love, love of family, friends and of animals. For me, love is the most important thing. It has been my privilege to gather these stories to share with you.
If you have any questions about "Heartbeats" please contact me at manyheartbeats@gmail.com