I’ve never been particularly fond of surprises, except if
it’s an intimate one, especially, if a lovely gift accompanies it. Then, bring it on.
But if the surprise involves numerous accomplices and is directed
toward one person—me—then, No.
Thank. You.
I’ll be honest; it’s a control issue already uncovered in
therapy. I don’t like not knowing or not
being in control over something that’s happening to me. But, to surprise someone else—I love it. Which brings me to David.
David was born in South Africa. Our friendship began online shortly before I
moved to Cape Town. The words in his
profile resonated with me and we arranged to meet upon my arrival. From our first day together, it was like two
souls from a previous life reuniting in the current. He makes his spotlight entrance in my third
book, which exposes my six months in Africa.
David’s husband is Giovanni, who is originally from
Europe. Giovanni was living in South
Africa when he met David. A few years
ago they relocated to a small village outside of Zurich. I’ve made it a tradition to isolate and hide in
Switzerland when I’m in the final stages of revising and editing each book.
David and I spend our time editing while the cows and
churches occasionally ring their bells in the distance throughout the day. For a break to clear our heads we walk the
trails through the rolling green land and breath the fresh Swiss air. My body becomes cleansed by drinking the pure,
clean water straight from the Alps through their faucet. It helps wash down the three foundational
foods that I gorge myself on while in Switzerland: bread, cheese and
chocolate. Yum.
Their home provides the perfect antithesis from the horns,
sirens, people, and concrete of Manhattan: seclusion, silence and nature. Any creative blockage is flushed and I’m
transported into the creative space needed to concentrate.
David is a talented artist and was the center of attention
with his first European solo exhibition on 26 October 2013. Again, I’ll be honest, I told an itsy-bitsy
lie. Oops! I said I couldn’t make the event and would
only be able to arrive the following day.
“I can’t believe you are going to miss my show by twenty-four
hours!” he wrote me while swallowing the bait.
He was extremely disappointed I would not be present for the
realization of his biggest and oldest dream.
Enter, The Surprise.
I arranged with our mutual friend, Bettina, to fetch me from
the airport and bring me to the event. Even
our dear friend Aldrin and his husband Jens zipped in by train from
Munich.
Aldrin was also born in South Africa, but had just become a
German citizen in September after marrying Jens three years ago. We met when I moved to California in 2001. He was already living there and we became
trusted friends and confidants for each other through various dating and life
adventures.
Aldrin is also a gifted fashion artist and the only person
I’ve had the privilege of reuniting, laughing, and creating new memories with
on three different continents. To say it
is a unique bond and special relationship is an understatement. He makes his debut in Book 2 and was one of
the characters to be edited and revised on this particular trip.
I introduced Aldrin and David when I left Africa and their
friendship began with my departure. But
the three of us had never spent time together. So it was a truly extraordinary opportunity
for the painter, the fashion designer, and the writer to have some quality time
growing friendships and being creative.
But before that would happen, The Surprise had to occur.
David is the type of person who freely expresses his
emotions. He sobbed from the moment we
arrived to the airport in Cape Town until he returned to his car as the reality
hit that I was leaving. He didn’t think
he would ever see me again living on the opposite hemisphere and side of the world. I was laughing from pure shock and amazement
from his reaction. I had never experienced
such a tearful farewell and was humbled and deeply touched that it was for me.
So I expected tears of joy escorted by laughter when I
arrived at his exhibition. The timing
was perfect as Bettina peeked around the corner before I entered the
venue. David, Giovanni, Aldrin, and Jens
were all going outside for a cigarette.
As I turned the corner, the star of the night was the first one in the doorway.
But instead of smiles and excitement it was silence and
shock, which stunned me! Aldrin was knowledgeable of The Surprise but
did not know when it would happen. He
assumed I would appear during the event.
So when I arrived before, he too was flabbergasted.
Afterward I asked David what was going through his mind when
he saw me. He thought I was an
apparition and didn’t believe I was really
standing before him. He thought perhaps
remnants and ripple effects from the drugs he did in his past caught up with
his brain and produced the illusion of me.
It wasn’t until Aldrin screamed and laughed that he thought maybe someone else saw me too and he
wasn’t going mad. From there it unfolds
to the happiness and excitement I hoped.
Of course, it was all caught on video and posted to YouTube:
It was one-moment months in the making. The arraigning and coordinating of life that
it involved drained me, but was worth it.
I was thrilled to be there for David, and that the surprise worked. However, it didn’t change my mind much if the
same was done to me. So, all YOUs out there…don’t get any ideas.
Enjoy the video and if you’d like to check out David’s art or
Aldrin’s designs go to:
