I talked to my friend on Tuesday of last week. She was feeling pretty down. Recently, she's come on some hard times. She moved herself and her four kids an hour and a half from the city to live with her mom in a small town. This will be temporary until she gets some finances straight as well as her head. It hasn't been a happy time for her.
As of last Tuesday she had been there for two weeks. After laughing to her on the phone she said, "I haven't laughed for so long. There's nothing to laugh at here."
After hanging up I decided to take Friday off and drive up there for a surprise visit. I talked to her a couple more times to make sure she'd be around ("So, what do you and the kids have planned for Friday?")
I knew she had to be at the house between 10 and 11:30. I left at 10:20 for the hour and 20 minute drive. As I got closer and saw signs saying "Hinckley 42 miles... Hinckley 8 miles... Hinckley next two exits..." I was so excited. I exited with cell phone in hand waiting for the right time to press "send". At a stop sign I called "what are you doing" and so on. She set it up perfectly, "I suppose you're on your way to lunch?"
Me: Yeah, I was going to go to Hinckley for lunch.
D: Oh yeah! (laughing)
Me: Good, I'm two blocks away.
D: What? No! You are?
Me: Yep!
D: Ohhh! I'll meet you on the driveway!
I pull in, she comes out smiling and we hug and it's all good.We laughed all day.
Hinckley is a funny place.
