When I first told my family about Marty and moving away with him they didn’t believe me. Yes, I was in love again. This new man from a foreign land hypnotized me, which was the reason my family was hesitant.
I was divorced four years ago. Alone struggling with a full time job and a child to nurture I did not think it was possible for me, Bekka Freemont, to find the time or the opportunity to fall in love again.
But one day I ran into him, I mean I really ran into him. I was running across the supermarket parking lot pushing my overflowing cart of groceries. I was already late to pick up my daughter, Sasha, from daycare. Bam! – My cart came to an abrupt halt. I nearly fell over backwards and there standing in front of me, with the cart resting on his foot, was the most captivating man I had ever seen.
He was very tall and thin with long arms and legs. He had a sculptured face with a light complexion and large dark eyes, and he was bald. I mean this man was not the type I was normally attracted to.
“Oh excuse me. I am so sorry, I can be such a klutz at times,” I apologized, unable to take my eyes off him.
“No problem. Not every day I am run over by such a pretty klutz,” he said in a slow deep voice with an accent I didn’t recognize.
He introduced himself to me as Marty Tharsis and explained he had recently arrived in this country to study. He helped me with my groceries and asked if we could meet for coffee sometime. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. “Yes,” I said hoping I didn’t sound too anxious.
Our relationship grew rapidly. I enjoyed telling Marty about our culture and showing him the sites. He thoroughly enjoyed the food; he said there was nothing like it where he came from. I laughed hysterically as he savored a bacon cheeseburger at the Burger Hut as if he had been dining on rare Ossetra caviar at a five star restaurant. He was so amazed at everything he saw and I loved being the one to introduce him to our way of life, after all he was here to study and I felt like his teacher.
After six months he said he must return home soon. That is when he asked me to go with him. I was excited then scared. Why shouldn’t I go, I was head over heels in love with this wonderful man. He loved me and he loved my daughter, he was the man of my dreams. He came to a foreign land completely alone and survived, so why couldn’t I go to his land. I would be going with him, he would show me and teach me the local customs so I shouldn’t be scared.
“I will go with you. I will go anywhere to be with you.”
Telling my family that Sasha and me were moving away with Marty was a difficult task.
“Mama, Dad, you have no idea how hard it is to find a wonderful man like Marty. He is great with Sasha and she just loves him, I love him and he loves us both,” I tried desperately to explain this to them as they sorrowfully thought of losing their only daughter and granddaughter.
“Bekka Honey,” Mama pleaded, “moving to a foreign land with a five year old, not knowing the culture or the language, that is going to be such a hardship. And it is so, so far away we will never see the both of you again,” with this Mama burst into tears.
I explained what a wonderful opportunity it would be for Sasha to learn about this culture. How lucky she would be to grow up in this other land. The both of us would never have an opportunity like this again. And for me, I felt I would never find another man to love like I loved Marty.
They reluctantly gave us their blessing and came to see us off on the long six-month trip to our new home.
And that’s how I ended up living on Mars. Yes, Marty is Martian.
© 2008 Eileen A Partak
