Fate’s twists fate: I found the love of my life on the road to the seaside
If someone had told me in my younger days that I would one day meet my destiny right by the side of a road, I would have probably just laughed. Now, nearly fifty years later, I recount this story to my grandchildren with a smile—they don’t believe me at first, then laugh, and by the end, they want me to tell it again. Because true love can find us even where we least expect it—like on the highway to Cornwall under the blazing summer sun.
I was seventeen at the time, fresh out of school and feeling like I deserved a break before going to university. A plan took shape—to head to the coast of Devon with my friends, to the very place everyone dreamed of. We were, as usual, short on cash, and one of us suggested, “Let’s hitchhike!” We split into pairs to make catching a ride easier. I ended up with Lucy—a girl I barely knew, who tagged along at the last minute.
Reaching Bristol was a breeze. After that… The rest went ahead, leaving us to wait in the heat. When a lorry finally pulled over, it had room for only one. Lucy jumped in, promising to meet me at her grandma’s in Cornwall. I was left alone on the scorching road—lonely, sunburnt, and with a lump in my throat. I thought about turning back to London—it felt hopeless.
Then, an old rattling Ford stopped beside me. The driver was a young man of about twenty, wearing a light shirt, suntanned, with a slightly sheepish grin. He said he was heading to his grandfather’s place near Cornwall. I hesitated but got in. And that marked the beginning of my life’s story.
His name was Jack. He’d just returned from the military and was planning to attend an architecture school in London. As we drove, he shared funny tales from his time in the service, joking and laughing, and I felt my anxiety fade, replaced by ease and… fondness. We chatted like old friends. He was kind, genuine, and unlike any of the boys I knew. We reached Cornwall, and he offered to drive me all the way to our destination. I agreed.
When we parted, he blushed and quietly asked if I wanted to meet up in London. Of course, I said yes. And that meeting did happen. Then another, and soon love blossomed. True, gentle, and certain. We married two years later when he was studying and I was working. We lived modestly but happily, raising two children who eventually gave us grandchildren.
Then just recently, our eldest grandson came home beaming. “Grandma, I’ve fallen in love!” he exclaimed. It turned out he was driving along the road when he saw a girl who couldn’t get her car started. He stopped to help, they had coffee, then went to the cinema. A month later, he introduced her to us—a beautiful, bright girl, full of light. Now they’re planning their wedding.
And I think—how wonderfully life turns out. How long the road to Cornwall was and how much happiness it brought me. Don’t be afraid to open up to the world—love comes when you least expect it.
