I met Michael in 2019 at the French farm, where my best friend Zoe and I volunteered for 11 days. We flew to Bordeaux and were picked up by our Moroccan French hostess, Kenza. Our stay at Kenza and Guilliaume’s farm became one of the most memorable times of our lives. Those short 11 days are a lifetime of their own.
The moment we arrived, we were introduced to Michael, another volunteer from Germany. Perhaps it was fate, or however one would like to call it, Michael and I instantly fell in love. It seemed like a dream. He was German, from Cologne, and I had lived in Berlin. He loved to paint, write, and farm, and so did I. He had quit a fancy corporate job before starting his European farm tour and drove to France on his motorbike. But our intense feelings soon converted into a deep friendship, and in fact, the three of us became inseparable. In the mornings, we would do farm work, and in the afternoons, we would play. Michael would make us coffee, and we would sit on the porch and listen to music. Perhaps the most memorable part of our stay was the waves of laughter we shared together. Michael found both Zoe and I to be unbelievably funny. “Maria, you have to try comedy.” He would constantly say to me in his thick German accent.
The 11 days soon came to an end, and we all went home. Zoe flew back to San Francisco, I to Cambridge, and Michael to Bonn. However, Michael and I decided to ring each other every Tuesday. He became my confidant, a friend, and a sort of distant boyfriend. We were both entangled in hopeless romantic situations, and we began to offer comfort to each other. COVID hit, and all our plans to see each other flopped. At the height of extreme depression and isolation, it was Michael who would call me every Tuesday to remind me of how funny and entertaining I can be. Last year, I was hoping to get married over the holidays, so I asked Michael to visit Oxford to meet both me and my man. Somehow, my wedding got delayed, and Michael’s dates did not match, and we missed seeing each other.
Today, I will begin my first class at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York. Last night, I texted Michael to tell him that I have finally responded to what he considered to be my calling. He texted back by saying, “I wait to see more from you, silly girl”.
