When it comes to Family Home Evening, sometimes I just want to spend time with my actual family, and with me living outside of the house, I don't do it very often. So when I saw an opportunity and had a desire to do so, I seized it like a cat seizes a mouse. We decided to meet up at the mall in the food court. Now bear in mind that I am a college student and when I hear "meet in the food court" I automatically assume there will be a moment where my parents will feed me. So I didn't eat beforehand with said assumption in mind. As we start walking past all of the food stands, my heart sunk, but I was willing to accept the consequences of not clarifying. When my mother found out that I hadn't eaten yet, of course she freaked out and insisted that she buy me something. We got something to eat and my dad and my brother took off to do their own thing. I do feel the need to note that my dad needed to exercise for this weight loss challenge thing that his work has going on, so he's at the mall to walk really fast laps around the entire place, over and over again.
While my mom and I are eating she's explaining to me that my younger brother is having a really hard time with his psychosis (he has some problems and it's complicated but serious.) When he calls us and we discover that he is all alone in GameCrazy we get worried and quickly go to meet him. Meanwhile my dad isn't stopping for anything as he plows his way a second time through the mall. With my mother's explanation of the seriousness of Andrew (my younger brother)'s problems, my eyes were glued on him to make sure he was doing alright. He asks my mother if he could get a little something for his Nintendo DS, she says no, and we slowly leave the store. Another good point to this story is that I am wearing my fiance's bright red jacket that I stole from him, so no matter where I go people can see me. It's very noticable, but since it is his, I love it.
We walk out of the store and my mother turns to me and says, "did you see who was in there?"
I shake my head. "No, who?"
"Donny Osmond was in there. He had a little girl drapped over his shoulder!"
Of course I'm shocked. I mean, how could I miss that!?! I love Donny Osmond and I had an opportunity to meet him and I totally screwed it up!! How dare I!? So I start freaking out saying that we need to find him. I NEED to see Donny Osmond! I'm kicking myself so hard that if I had a pair of balls they would be black and blue from the destruction I was inflicting on myself. We walk slowly into RadioShack, I'm on the lookout, and my little brother is totally oblivious to the seriousness of the situation.
My mom calls my dad, tells him that we just saw Donny, and coincidentally he was right where my dad was! I got that he was somewhere by Mervyn's or some other store, and I wanted to head out. I try to get my brother to leave, but he's talking to some lady about something that he can't buy anyway, and just totally off in his own little world where he can't decifer that this is a DIRE situation. Finally, I get him to leave, and right when we get out I meet my dad going the opposite direction just walking as fast as lighting. Obviously I was going in the right direction.
We didn't go very far when I saw him. The God of broadway and music. He was playing with his grandkids who are so super adorable, and just enjoying the company of his family. That was good enough for me. I just wanted to see him. I mean, it would have been nice to get a picture with him and all, but I didn't want to disturb his family time. So my mom, me, and Andrew start walking back to meet up with my dad, but to my dismay, my mom was slowing down right where Donny stood!!! Oh the horror!!!
"Exuse me," she says. "My daughter just loves you and was wondering if she could get a picture with you."
"Sure." He was so nice. Nice = Cool.
I start spitting out apologies, and how that I go out once with my mother and she does something like this, ruining a good man's time with his family. (Okay, not exactly those words, but you get what I mean.)
So, I got the picture. It was awesome. He even touched the small of my back, which means I can never wash that bright red jacket EVER again.
Unfortunatley, after we found my speed-walking Dad, we had to go back the way we came and passed Mr. Osmond again. That was actually the moment when I realized the obviousness of the red jacket, and I tried my best to hide my face, even though it's not my face he would remember. It's that bright red jacket he would see! Poor Mr. Osmond! He probably thinks I'm a stalker or something!
During the whole dramatic event I was texting my fiance and letting him know just the general information. My adventures could not be explained over text! They were just too good to make them stoop to such levels! I assured him that I would call him and tell him everything, and true to my word, I did.
So that's it. My "affair" with Donny Osmond, which really wasn't an affair at all, but more of an adventure ... an embarrassing adventure. But I got a picture with him! And that's all that matters. Right?
Annie T.
P.S. Donny's really super nice in person! I mean, who would stop and take a picture with a girl wearing a men's, bright red sweater!? That's so awesome!
