“Love In The Mud” Part 6 – His Story

Sorry to not give my story on our first kiss sooner, but as you know, life sometimes has changes in store that make you do other things than write about this moment (like a Las Vegas wedding!)

A first kiss is always an exploration. You wonder, ‘How is it going to be?  Is she going to be a good kisser?  Is the kiss going to give me butterflies?  What if I am not a good kisser?  I hope I didn’t eat garlic today…’  All those thoughts race through your head.

My very first kiss I still remember.  It was in high school, and it was a mess.  I didn’t know how to kiss yet, and neither did she (all tongue, no lips.)  Although I still remember the moment, it wasn’t quite what it should be.  Little did I know that the best kiss would come on the most unlikely journey of my life!

As the Camino gang and I walked through the streets of Leon, out of the blue Red pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, “You should kiss Tess” – a little to my surprise I must admit.  So I told Red my fear of kissing Tess and then having to say goodbye like summer loves I’d had before.  I hate goodbyes, so I sometimes avoid it before it even happens.  Stupid, I know, but it’s a way of protecting myself.

As evening fell, and we were still cruising the streets on foot, Tess and I looked back to see where our Camino friends were.  Where had they gone?  Thinking on Red’s earlier command, it soon became obvious they’d sneakily ditched us.  So we decided to walk back to Tess’ Parador.  This walk would normally take about 10min… but in reality, it took a little longer (wink).

Along the way, Red’s words kept haunting my thoughts.  There was a battle going on inside my head.  Maybe I should kiss Tess… or maybe not.  We continued walking, although the park along the river wasn’t that big.  We were savoring the moment.  It was a lovely warm night, and summer romance was hanging in the air.  After hours of talking, we sat next to each other on a wooden bench in the park close to the water.  ‘Hannes what are you waiting for?!’ I thought to myself.  That’s when Tess, in a soft, sweet voice asked me, “Would you mind kissing me?”  

‘Can she read my mind?!’  It was kismet.  And that’s when I had a new thought pop in my head – ‘WHAT THE HELL, MAN.  GO FOR IT!  Even if you don’t see her ever again, it might just be the best kiss ever between two people!  I smiled and answered, “I wouldn’t mind at all.  Yes.”

Time seemed to be slowing down as our lips touched…  And OMG what a kiss!  Butterflies unfurled in my belly and started flying around.  I was floating on air.

‘Damn, Hannes, what if you wouldn’t have done that?!  You would have missed out on the best kiss you ever had!’  And I couldn’t get enough of kissing Tess… her loving, tender lips moved in perfect symphony with mine.  We kissed like we had kissed a million times before.  It felt so natural, so pure.  No doubt about it, that moment I found my match.

As the morning came closer and street cleaners began sweeping up, we decided to call it a night… or a morning… and go to the big square in front of the Parador Palace to say ‘bonne nuit.’  I had to do the one thing that has always scared me, and that was say goodbye…

No, that could not happen.  That shouldn’t happen!  If I had a hand in it, I will see her again!  So I just let it out – “We have to see each other again,” I told her.  We just have to, no doubt about it.

And we did in the Medieval town of Ponferrada with its Templar castle and hot Spanish wind… But that’s another story – Part 7 to be exact.

To be continued… 

Ponferrada where the love story continues...