My dear husband Mel was married twice before marrying me. Mel was my 2nd husband. I will be married to Mel forever, until I go home to heaven. Mel passed 20 years ago.
This is the story of how I met Mel.
One day, in October of 1985, I was sitting outside at a table by the pool in our small home in Altamonte Springs. I was poor, new in Florida, and shared it with two other roomates. It was dinner time, and so my roommate Terry brought over her new boyfriend: Mel.
Mel had just spent $86 on her at a restaurant…which was a fortune in 1985! I was sitting there eating curry and rice. I guess Mell was eyeing me, and felt compassion on me. Mel thought I was an American Indian, because he was not exposed to Indian Indians! Mel was looking at me, and hearing what I had to say. Terry was putting her feet on Mel, and loving on him. I was not jealous, because we all knew that Mel was Terry’s boyfriend.
Mel said that he had a friend visiting: an important governmental official. I was a smart salesperson. I wanted to sell Mel’s friend my timeshare. When I got divorced from Alfie—my first husband—the court said that there were $30,000 in assets. The court gave $10,000 to me, $10,000 to Alfie, and Alfie kept another $10,000 because my kids were staying with him. With my $10,000 I purchased a timeshare. It was very luxurious, however I only spent a couple of years there. I therefore wanted to sell it to Mel’s friend. I kept pushing Mel to introduce me to his friend.
The next day, Mel called me at the house, at a time when Terry was not there—so that she would not know. A few days later, he called to invite me out to dinner. It was then that I discovered that he was interested in me. I did not really want to go out with Mel, but I did want to meet with his friend, to sell my timeshare. Before going out, I went to take a shower. In the middle of the shower, I sensed the Holy Spirit of God. God said: why don’t you look into this man? When I had divorced Alfie, the judge said that I would not get my children back, until I was married again, and had a home of my own. So, I had been looking in the US, for such a stable man.
I went then, to meet with Mel. I went to meet him at a ‘Pick & Save’ in Longwood. (It is a store that is no longer there). I pulled into the parking lot of the Pick & Save, with my old, rugged ford, which was blue, with a white stripe running down it. I had purchased this car for $500, from Debbie, my roommate. It was my first car in the USA.
When I pulled up, I saw this wonderful gentleman standing there, with a blue shirt, and white sneakers. He looked like an American gentleman. He opened my car door, walked me to his car, and saw me sitting down comfortably. I said to myself: “Oh my God. I have never been treated like this! Like a queen!” Mel was older than I was, but I decided to go with it. Mel asked, “where do you want to go? You can go anywhere!” I was taken aback. No one had ever said that to me before. I suggested Indian food, as it was a food of my home country.
We drove to Altamonte Springs, and the only thing close to Indian food was a Mexican restaurant! So we sat under a canopy, in the September sunshine. That is why the fall means so much to me. Mel asked many questions of me…brave and bold. I suppose that’s what Americans do! He asked me if I was passionate. I said maybe for the right person! He did not know how pure I was. Sometime after, I decided that I would go and see him at his house. It was a long and lonely drive.
At this time, there was a mass murderer in England, who would lure women to his home, chop them up into pieces, and put them in the gutter. I thought that Mel would do this to me! I thought he and his three dogs would chew my body out! I told my roommate Bernice that I was going to this man’s house. But if I did not come back, or call her, that she was to call the police! But, the moment I walked in, his three dogs all jumped on me…with great love!