Fate Takes a Turn: I Found the Love of My Life on the Road to the Sea
If someone had told me in my youth that I would one day meet my destiny right on the side of the road, I probably would have just laughed. But now, almost fifty years later, I tell this story to my grandchildren with a smile – at first, they don’t believe it, then they laugh, and in the end, they ask me to tell it again. Because true love can find us even where we least expect it—like on the highway to Brighton, under the scorching summer sun.
I was seventeen then, having just finished school, and decided that I needed a break before starting university. The idea brewed up—to go with my friends to the seaside town of Eastbourne, which everyone dreamed about. As usual, money was scarce, so someone suggested, “Let’s hitchhike!” We paired up to catch a ride more easily. I ended up with Alice—a girl I barely knew who joined our group at the last minute.
We reached Guildford easily. But after that… The others went ahead, leaving us to bake under the sun. Finally, when a truck stopped, there was only one seat. Alice jumped in, promising to meet me at her grandmother’s in Eastbourne. I was left alone on the hot pavement—lonely, sunburnt, with a lump in my throat. I was about to head back to London, feeling like all was lost.
Just then, an old, rattling Morris Minor pulled up. Behind the wheel was a guy about twenty, wearing a light shirt, sporting a tan and a somewhat shy smile. He said he was going to his grandfather’s near Brighton. I hesitated but decided to get in. And that was the beginning of my life’s story.
His name was Jack. He had just returned from the army and was planning to apply to an architecture school in London. As we drove, he shared amusing barrack stories, joked, laughed; and I felt my fear melting away, replaced by ease and… fondness. We chatted as if we had known each other for ages. He was kind, sincere, and unlike any of the boys I knew. We reached Brighton, and he offered to drive me all the way to Eastbourne. I accepted.
As we said goodbye, he blushed and softly asked if I’d like to meet up in London. Naturally, I agreed. We did meet, and then again. And then—love. Real, quiet, certain. We married two years later when he was already studying and I was working. We lived modestly but happily. Raised two children, then came grandchildren…
Recently, my eldest grandson came home beaming. He said, “Grandma, I’ve fallen in love!” Turns out he was driving down the road when he saw a girl who couldn’t start her car. He stopped to help, then they had coffee, then went to the cinema. A month later, he introduced us to her. Beautiful, smart, a bright girl. Now they’re planning their wedding.
And I think—life takes such amazing turns. How long the road to Brighton has been. And how much happiness it has brought me. Don’t be afraid to open up to the world—love comes when you least expect it.
