Part 12

The two weeks had passed and I awaited her email. I was hoping that she got to smooth out everything with her dad while they were on vacation. I hoped that he had decided to at least meet me and try to get to know me, as the guy that she had chosen to like. I hoped for any sign of hope, any small piece of optimism. I waited another week, with no word from her. I was starting to get worried. I hadn’t heard from her in three weeks, and January was ending in a little less then two weeks. Then two more and I would be down there. What would I do? What could I do? How would I see her? How would I make arrangements to get together and meet? I emailed her and asked her if everything was ok, but I got no response. I got nothing. Another week went by and I didn’t get any word from her. I thought the worst. Maybe her dad had freaked out and taken her computer away altogether, maybe he forbid her from talking to me at all? Maybe I was banned completely from her life. I couldn’t deal with that thought. I had to do something, I had to make contact somehow and find out what was going on. All this time we had gone only a few days without hearing from each other, and now this? Almost a month without hearing from her? And then on top of that seriousness of the last email I did receive? I didn’t know what to think. I had already bought the ticket, I had made arrangements with Iliana, I had done all this! How could she not at least email me? How?

I got out my frustration and fear in the gym. I was working out like a mad man by this time. And the results were clearly visible. By that time, I had lost about 35-40 pounds. I had started at about 220 and was now down to about 185. The change had changed me. I felt like a new me, I felt lighter, more confident, and so much more positive. Everywhere I went people looked at me different. People who hadn’t seen me in a month or so, just stopped and stared. They couldn’t believe it. I was even asked by a few people, if I was sick. I guess they saw me one month a chubby guy, and now this newer, thinner me. I was much more fit. I was even starting to get cut, seeing definition in my triceps. This was all new to me, because even in my younger thinner days, I was by no means cut. But I was getting there. Slowly but surely. I didn’t really even notice much, but I would have to say, the girl at work did. All of a sudden they paid more and more attention to me. Girls I had never even got a second look from in the past, were now saying hi and smiling. What the hell? Was this for real? Did they know it was me? The fat me? I would have to say it did feel pretty good to get looked at as a sort of “hottie” but then I laughed about it too. For as much as I had transformed my body into a thinner specimen, my mind was very much the same. The same old dork that everyone knew. The same old goofy guy who liked to write and listen to loud rock music. And no matter how many girls did show me more attention and give me little flirty smiles, there was only one girl on my mind. It was all about Gaby, I had done it for Gaby, I had put my self through work out hell for her. She was my motivation the entire time. That hadn’t changed, no matter how much my physical appearance had.

I waited another week, and still nothing. It was now less then two weeks until my trip and my Inbox was empty. I thought about the trip, whether I should call the whole thing off. I didn’t know if Gaby knew the dates I was coming, I remember sending them to her, but I had never received a confirmation from her that she had gotten them, or if they were good for her. I hadn’t received anything. Other then complete email silence. I thought about it all, and decided I would still go, I had too. I had invested too much in this already to just through it all away. But I decided to change it a bit. Flying into Guadalajara, it’s about a 5 or 6 hour bus ride to Puerto Vallarta. I loved Vallarta, not only because I have familia that lives there, but because it’s just an awesome town. Beautiful beaches, tropical settings, and just an all around very laid back beachy party town. I hadn’t been there in about 4 years, when I had went for my cousin’s wedding, the same wedding I had met Iliana at. I was long overdue on my return. So I talked to Iliana, and said that I hadn’t heard from Gaby and that I was thinking about maybe just going a few days to Vallarta first. Then coming back to Guadalajara, and spending the week there with Gaby. She agreed, she loved Vallarta, it being her hometown. So I looked at my itinerary and restructured. I was going to fly in on Thursday night, so I though that maybe Friday afternoon we could leave for Vallarta. Then we could leave Vallarta Sunday night and be back by Monday the 18th so I could spend my precious time with Gaby. So it was finalized, Iliana agreed and it was done. Iliana had asked me if I had heard from her, and I told her no, I still hadn’t heard anything. So that’s when it hit me. Pure Genius struck me on the head like a bolt of lightning. Iliana lived in the same city! Hello Robbie!! Where have you been all this time?? I couldn’t call myself, so I decided I would have Iliana call Gaby, and see if she could find out some info. Did she get the dates I was going down there? Had she talked to her dad and made peace? Was she just as excited as I was? I waited a few days for Iliana’s answer, my trip looming less then two weeks away. I got my answer in an email from Iliana. And it was the answers I so greatly wanted. Iliana had called her and spoke with her. Her mom had answered the phone, but Iliana had asked for her in spanish, and being a female voice, her mom thought nothing. She told me she talked to Gaby and had found out the facts. She hadn’t emailed because her computer had crashed, and that she didn’t have the money to get it fixed. Ok, that’s a good enough excuse, I guess. I would have gone to a cyber café, but hey that’s just me. Iliana said that Gaby told her that she had started a new job and was in training at the moment. But she was very, very, aware of my visit. And she was looking very forward to the time that we would get to spend together. She had told a lot of her friends about me, and they were eager to meet me also. I was excited, but then it dawned on me. She started a job? Why on earth, if you knew I was coming in less then two weeks, would you start a new job? I had to think about it for a while. Ok, her parents didn’t know I was coming, so I guess she had to act normal, like nothing was going to happen. Right? That sounds logical. So if her parents had pressured her to get a job now, how could she say no? No sorry I can’t start for another two weeks or so? Her parents would surely catch on. So I understood. Even though I knew this would cut into “our” time together, I accepted it. We always have the evenings after all. We could still hang out at the movies, and eat dinner, and everything you could do during the day right? So I wasn’t phased by it too much. Iliana had told me that she had told Gaby about how we were planning on going to Vallarta for a few days, and that Gaby had said that was fine. That first weekend she was going to be busy doing work for her cousin, so she wouldn’t have much time to spend anyways. But she had told Iliana to have me email her the day we were leaving Vallarta. To set up a time that we could meet. She told Iliana, that she would email me her work number, so when we did get back into Guadalajara, I could call her and we could set a time to meet. It all sounded good to me. I was pleased that Iliana had called her and found out the info I desperately needed to know, the info I couldn’t get myself. I owed her big.

The final two weeks before departure went very fast. I worked out up until the last week, when I had decided to take a break. I stayed on my diet, but gave my workout a week’s break, ending on the Saturday before. I was done, I was finished. My last weigh in being 174 lbs. I was extremely pleased with my progress, how I had stuck to it and done what I said I was going to. People were still gawking and trying to figure out how I dropped the weight so fast, but it didn’t bother me. I explained to them that between the diet, and running almost 3 miles on the treadmill every time I visited the gym, it just melted away. That’s almost 9 miles a week folks. Most people don’t even do that in a month. As I progressed, I would RUN too. Not just jog. I would start a little slow, but then be in a full on sprint by the time I was finished. My 30 minutes of Cardio flew by like seconds. Compared to before I was a monster when I was in the gym, I was fine tuned and well oiled machine. I had certainly come a long way, and soon it would all be worth it. When Gaby would see me, she would freak. She wouldn’t even think it was me. And it was all for her. She had helped me do it more then anybody. All those times I was tiring on the treadmill and wanting to hit the STOP button, I said no, this is for her. All those times I thought I couldn’t do one more rep, I said no, this is for her. I couldn’t wait for her to see the new me, the me I wanted her to have. If she liked the old fatter me, she would certainly be head over heels with this new one. The final week came and I was ready, I had money, I had my new clothes out of lay away, I had the new me. The map of Mexico I had put on the ceiling above my bed had finally come true. The night the big day I remember staring up at it as I lay in my bed. One glow in the dark plastic star on San Antonio, and one on Guadalajara. I thought to myself, tomorrow I will be there, tomorrow I will be there in her star. I will be in the same city, in the same state, in the same country. It was finally happening, I was happy, and I was ready.