After graduating from high school, Mathew sets out to do a two-year missionary service like everyone else his age.
Mathew thought that his only problem would be him adjusting to the city as someone who's lived in a farming town all his life. he didn...
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The rains late last night meant that this morning was wet, dark, and cold. I was in a sweater today, and instead of jogging I was walking and doing my best not to step on any muddy puddles. That was a thing I would have to get used to since most of the roads here were dirt roads — basically, leveled earth, and nothing more.
The movie showing was planned for the evening in a few days, and most of the sisters were going to be helping with sharing pamphlets. I was mostly going to help talk to some people that had agreed to see some of the elders for the rest of the day.
I was jumping over a puddle when I heard the sound of a dog barking. My heart started to beat faster since I knew who would be with the dog.
Nathaniel? I said in my mind when I looked about the place to find him in the corner with a dog jumping about him. He was wearing a pair of jeans, and his usual tank top — very inappropriate for the weather right now. Was this a pattern? He hadn't been wearing a sweater when we visited the mechanics' place in the evening.
I bit my bottom lip, trying to decide if I should walk up to him or turn away and leave without saying anything. In the middle of fighting with myself in my head, he turned to me. I blinked, startled, but he just laughed before raising a hand in a small wave. After that, he gave the brown dog's head one last pet before making to walk away. It was then that I realized he was leaving, and I didn't give myself much time to think before I started running over to him.
"Wait!" I yelled, making Nathaniel turn to me with a startled look. Maybe he had expected me to walk away too, but here I was red-faced and wide-eyed and looking up at him.
"Well?" he asked, turning to look at me. I blinked, looking away. I knew he was tall, but I hadn't ever thought of how tall. All the times I've met him we've been standing a distance away from each other, but now that I was right in front of him I could tell how tall he was. He was taller than Sam, and Sam was 6'1.
"I..." I started, running a hand through my hair. I really hadn't thought this through. "I wanted to check up on you, have you started to read the book we gave you?" I asked, referring to the day Sam and I stopped at his house to hand him the book of Mormon and a pamphlet with the church resources written inside.
"Yes, but I already told your partner that," the man laughed, making me blink back as I watched him put his hands into his jean pockets. The morning was still cloudy, but the area was now bathed in a light blue color instead of the usual yellow.
"So, you jog every day..." the man trailed, frowning like he was trying to remember something. I watched him close his eyes, shaking his head before he opened them again. "What's your name again?" he said, probably giving up on remembering it.
"Mathew," I replied, watching as he swung his left foot about, trying to get rid of the mud that was stuck under his tennis shoes. Inappropriate shoes for the weather as well, who would have guessed? For some reason, I felt a bit insulted that he couldn't remember my name, but I shook my head, trying to remind myself that it's not like we were friends or anything.
