I’m constantly surrounded by awkward situations and I really don’t mind them most of the time. They give me a chance to get a good laugh in for the day. I’m not afraid to tell you there’s a bat in the cave, your zipper is afraid of heights, or offer you a piece of gum. A situation is always less awkward when acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation. Right?
I was standing in line at a Publix Supermarket about 12 months back with three friends when I was presented with the most awkward situation of my life. It was the only time in my life that I can recall being entirely lost. The only time in my life where I couldn’t believe what was taking place not only in front of me but the additional 3 pairs of eyes standing next to me.
We were purchasing ice cream after a distasteful dinner at a nearby restaurant. The man in front of us looked awfully familiar, but being new to Gainesville, I wasn’t entirely sure I was identifying the man correctly. But his uniform was very distinguishable. I instantly related his face with a newly acquired friend of mine from the Gainesville area; it was her boyfriend. I fully expected to see my friend standing next to him but was rather disappointed when the female next to him did not meet my expectations.
I eagerly shared the identity of the man in the uniform in front of us to my friends standing next to me. The four of us walked out of the store slowly behind the “couple” who now had their arms intertwined. My conscious did not allow me to immediately assume the worse, but rather attempted to convince myself that the young woman he was walking hand in hand had to of been his adult daughter.
As the familiar man and unfamiliar woman walked to a van sitting in the second spot of the parking lot, the four of us attempted to walk as slow as possible to get a full view of what was “going down”. Before I could even blink and before I could even take my next breath of air, the man grabbed the young woman and began to passionately make-out. In front of me, in front of Publix, in front of any one who cared to take a glimpse at the love-scene in the parking lot.
Again, I doubted myself. I was sure that this couldn’t be happening right in front of me. The man got into a car that confirmed his identity. I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned, baffled, and shocked. He was being unfaithful to my friend right in the middle of everything and everyone. But once again, I doubted my observations.
As if this whole ordeal in the middle of the well-lit Publix parking lot at 9pm wasn’t enough to win over my unsure conscious, something happened that wouldn’t allow me to re-consider what I saw. The following day I saw my friend and her boyfriend’s hours were brought up in a casual conversation. She began to tell me how he hasn’t been getting home until late because his job was really over-working him. And there it was….100% Confirmed. The type of work that this man does isn’t something that has extreme night hours. The latest he should be getting home to her is 8pm. But she went on to tell me the night before he wasn’t home until 11:30. And unless he works at Publix (which I’m positive he doesn’t), I saw her boyfriend the night before cheating on her, and I couldn’t round up enough courage to tell her what I saw.
Why not just blurt out what I saw? Because I was 75% guaranteed to receive negative consequences if I spewed the observations from my lips. It would be uncomfortable whether I let the situation slip or not. My friend wasn’t someone I was close with. I didn’t have the luxury of telling her what I saw and then never have to see her again; because I would see her all the time.
So what did I do? I never told her. I couldn’t look her in the eyes for months. I saw the boyfriend more frequently and he was constantly sending her lavish gifts. I can’t stand to be near him because he turns my stomach and makes me want to dry heave. I’m sure he continues to cheat on her because she still complains about his “late nights at work”. What a sad, sad story.
Do I regret my decision? Not at all. There are some things that should be left unsaid. There are some awkward situations that should never be mentioned of again. This was one of them. You can’t hide forever you scumbag. Your lies will eventually be revealed.
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