How I met your father

When I was almost 18, my friends were trying to talk me into going clubbing in Adelaide. I was a goody two shoes that never drank alcohol. When you live in a small country town, you're usually the only one. Most people don't wait until they're 18 to be getting drunk when they're 'legal'.

Clubbing totally wasn't my scene. I heard horror stories about drink spiking and guys wanting to rub up against you and take your money. It wasn't that I wasn't a social person, I just didn't like that scene.

My friends told me that I should go clubbing to meet my future husband, and told me I was ridiculous because I'd end up meeting him 'at church'.

Fast forward five years, this is how I met your father.

I was unemployed and living in Bendigo. By unemployed I mean I was actually doing some relief teaching work, but not a lot. I had just completed a 4 week relief teaching stint in Melbourne and decided I wanted to get back into the Indonesian community by involving myself in a Church in Melbourne. I started going every Sunday night, and even went to their social gatherings such as outings to the snow and their small groups on a Friday night. Mind you, I was living in Bendigo at the time to travel was 2 hours on the train.

My Mum was in Africa, and asked me to go back to my home town to house/cat/dog/fish sit for a few weeks, being that it was school holidays anyway. Meanwhile, your father had decided to try out my church in Melbourne, but I was not there. Funnily enough, he met his ex-pastor and ex-sunday school student (all now grown up and at university!) He kept going while I was at home making silly videos in my sisters bedroom.

When I finally got back to Bendigo, my friend, who was also your fathers ex-sunday school student, told me that there would be our regular 'small group', but to meet at the Crown Casino on Friday night.

At Crown, there's a lot of food and restaurants that range from uni student price to incredibly expensive. Unbeknown to me, we were going somewhere which was reasonably... expensive.

When we got into the restaurant the whole church was there. One of the church members parents wanted to treat the whole church for a fancy dinner. And here I was in my daggy jeans!

This is the magical moment when I met your father. My friend sat in between us and introduced us. She said that this was her Sunday school teacher. We got talking, we talked about Indonesia and so many different things. I thought he was a nice guy, but couldn't help but notice the ring he was wearing on his finger (not knowing what rings on fingers mean what at this time). I think I really shocked him when I spoke Indonesian with him.

Man, your father really liked to talk! When you meet your Grandmother you'll know where he gets it from.

We exchanged numbers, he looked at me over his glasses and said "we must keep in contact". And with that, I made a Cinderella dash back to the train station and back to Melbourne.

This isn't where the story ends. There's more about trains yet...

I kept making the weekly commute to Melbourne every week for Church. All of my Church friends said they'd never come to Bendigo because they couldn't stand sitting on a train for that long. But not your father! He told me that he would love to see Bendigo! (And he did, but that's another story for another time).

I was still wondering if your father was a single man with a ring. Your father was such a nice guy, I was pretty sure he was a bit older, and would already have a nice Indonesian wife and kids by now.

One night after church we all went out for dinner. Luckily we went to an Indonesian restaurant in Glenferrie, so I could afford it. The plan was to eat dinner and then get the train back to Bendigo.

My train left at 8:15pm. In order to get on that train, I had to get the train from Glenferrie to connect up with the train at Southern Cross.

As I left my friends, I started walking alone up to the station. I could hear the train coming so I began to run.

... I missed the train by two seconds...

Luckily I still had time to make it to Southern Cross, providing there was another train within 20 minutes.

I waited anxiously for the screen to change and say "next train to Flinders Street 20 minutes"...

I waited.......... next train to Flinders Street..... 40 minutes. Leaving...... 8:15.... When my train to Bendigo leaves.

I had missed my train!

Okay, I'll stop being over-dramatic. There was another train at 10:15, but that would mean getting home past midnight and I had to drive to Benalla for a PD the next day.

I desperately texted my friends thinking they may drive back to the station and at least accompany me. They just laughed and asked what I was going to do. Luckily your father heard that I was stranded, and messaged me. He asked me if I was going to be okay. By this time I decided to go to the supermarket and buy some toothpaste to kill some time.

I was honest. It was going to be a long night. I joked and asked your father out for coffee at Flinders Street. He didn't take it as a joke, and with that, I caught the train from Glenferrie, and your father caught the train from Caulfield. As I saw your father emerge from the platform, I declared that I had won - that I had gotten to the station before he had! (Which has been an ongoing 'game' called 'I win' since that night).

We sat and had a coffee. Your father had a hot chocolate. He doesn't like coffee.

And what do people do over coffee? They talk. We told each other our life stories. Well, your father told me mine. See, your father likes to talk so much I could barely get a word in.

I had to go to another station to get my final train. Luckily this time it was only one stop. I went to shake your father's hand - that's what good Indonesian girls do. To my surprise, your father hugged me. I didn't think Indonesian people hugged until they were married!

I got on my train and smiled all the way home.

The next day I got up early and drove to my PD, not tired at all. I was high on love.

I kept getting a phone call from a random Melbourne number. You guessed it, it was your father. He was checking up on me to make sure I got home okay. I gave him my home number and told him to call me at night, because I was busy at the PD!

Your father called me every night and talked for at least 2 hours... And then he went to Thailand for 2 weeks. I was devastated. I didn't know how I was going to cope with him not being in contact. But your father was only pretending to work in Thailand. Actually, he was too busy writing long emails and sending sms.

In the emails we talked about meeting up once he came home from Thailand. First it was coffee in the city, then it was coffee in St. Kilda. Then it was a picnic on the beach at St. Kilda with a bottle of wine.

I got up early on a Sunday morning to meet your father. This time I didn't take the train - I drove. Your father was waiting for me with his new car. This time I didn't hesitate and gave him a hug. It was the 17th of August, and your father had just had his birthday, so I bought him a Picnic Rug, because I knew he liked picnics!

This was the kind of day it was

We went to St. Kilda together, and we went to the beach. It was so wet and windy so our plans for a picnic were 'washed out'.

All was not lost. On this day I tried my first ever Sashimi and San Churros.

We went back to the car as it was time for church. In the true Indonesian way, we were leaving at the time Church started (but that's okay, because it's an Indonesian church everyone does the same thing).

In the car your father began talking but going around in circles, "you know..... when I was in Thailand I was doing some thinking.... you know.... you give good response..." Over and over. Your father was obviously nervous. Perhaps just as insanely nervous as I was.

Finally he said, "I like you."

And me? I giggled like a little girl and said, "I like you too".

On the way back to church your father held my hand. My heart skipped a beat.

Later that night we went and saw Project Pop perform in Melbourne.

This, late at night, is where he asked me out.

Just before I got in my car to drive a long way back to Bendigo, in the Coles carpark in Caulfield, your father kissed me and asked me to be his girlfriend.

Your mother said, "yes".

(For those who didn't get it, "how I met your father" is a spin off of comedy show How I met your Mother)