At the little town of Provo, in Utah, there is a particular university nestled next to the Wasatch Mountains. There are many places here to go and learn, but this place caters to those with actual intellect. Wandering around the university are students from all walks of life- some are from Africa, others from Asia, a few from Europe, and the majority reigning in from all fifty states in the Union. It might be said of this place that it was a marriage watering hole, for the number of women in this place far outweighed the number of men, and so for men to leave this place without marriage would be a travesty. However, in this particular instance, a young gentleman named Percy Sumerdiede was not looking for his eternal mate- he was however, searching for a young lass to write him on his two-year sabbatical of dating and courtship. And so we see young Percy walk up the steps to a front porch to pick up his romantic interest for the night, or if things go well, for the next few years.
Knocking on the front door, he immediately began the standard male check- zipper up, hair in place, nothing in his teeth- when suddenly the door opened and a beautiful young lady appeared. Startled, Percy gulped nervously and opened his mouth to ask if this could possibly be his date (for it was a blind date, as it was extremely popular in this small town) but before he could say anything, she put all his efforts to waste.
“Oh, so you’re Randi’s date huh? You’re early. But that’s alright. Nothing wrong with being a little early. Come on in- she’s still getting ready.”
Stepping nervously on the worn rug in front of the door, it was all that Percy could do from gaping at this wonderful girl. She was extremely pretty- tall and thin, with a heart-shaped face and very lovely blue eyes. Smiling brightly, she immediately began chatting with him, and he soon learned that she was from the South, and that she was here going to the university as well. “It’s extremely fun,” she said brightly as she watched his face, “I rather like it here. But you won’t hear that from Randi. It’s all I can do to keep her here and not jump on the next plane home. All she can talk about is how she wants to go home.”
Leaning towards him slightly, her voice suddenly dropped to a whisper and she asked him quietly, “Randi’s not that much fun, I doubt you’ll get a second date out of her. I was wondering, or rather hoping, that I could get your number, if you don’t mind at least. Do you mind? I would love to see you again sometime.”
Stuttering slightly, Percy replied very politely that he would be very happy to give her his number, and when he had just said the last numeral, a girl who he assumed was Randi came moping down the stairs, looking quite morose as she munched on a bag of popcorn.
“She just broke up with her boyfriend a week ago,” the roommate whispered. “You’re not from Utah are you? Because she hates men from Utah. That’s where her last boyfriend is from. And Utah men just aren’t as nice as Southern gents.”
“I’m originally from back East,” Percy replied, “but I’ve lived in Utah since I was around ten.”
“Then you’re not a Utahan,” she replied confidently as Randi finally made it down the stairs. “Did you hear that Randi? This one’s not a Utard.”
“It doesn’t matter. Men are pigs,” Randi mumbled, “And he is being really rude tonight. Did you even introduce yourself? Don’t you have any manners? I hate men.” She said, looking at Percy like she would rather be a thousand miles away then standing in front of him.
“This is Randi,” the roommate said, responding to the silence that had crept over the room. “And I’m Rose. Rose Tiller. Who might you be?”
Trying with all his might to put on a convincing smile for Randi’s sake, he stretched out his hand. “My name is Percy. Percy Sumerdiede. I’m very pleased to meet you both.”
Grunting slightly, either in disapproval or apathy, Randi stomped out the door. Percy turned around to say a final goodbye to Rose, but she had already disappeared into the dark recesses of the house. Silently groaning to himself, he walked after Randi and readied himself for a long night of atoning for all the sins of men and hearing all their gross, ignorant stupidities.
Months passed. Growing impatient day after day, Percy anxiously awaited a certain phone call. While some might have forgotten such a detail by now, the suspense was driving him wild. “Is this the way that women work?” he wondered to himself as he tried to keep busy with school and work to avoid sure insanity. But one summer day, the phone finally rang with an unknown number, and soon his fears were eased. Breathlessly answering, he was relieved to hear a familiar voice coming from the other end.
“Hello, is this Gerald?” He paused, unsure of whether or not to play along in order to get a date or to sooth his conscious and tell her that he was indeed not this Gerald fellow she was seeking.
Stammering slightly, Percy replied. “I’m sorry, this is Percy. And who might this be?” Although he already knew that it was his Rose, manners forced him to ask and to not assume what he hoped was true.
“Oh Percy, you silly boy. This is Rose. I knew it was you. I just like playing jokes on people I like. I was wondering if by chance you were coming down to Moab with me this weekend. It’d be so much fun- we’d go camping and sleep in the same tent, go hiking, we could go on long walks . . . what do you think?”
Nothing excited him more than this proposition. He could already imagine the days they could spend together in the wilderness, but he was a little sorry that his values and sense of propriety would force them to sleep in separate tents. When he told her yes, he paused and explained that he would love to come but that he would be bringing his own tent to sleep in.
“Oh, you’re so old-fashioned;” she laughed heartily, “Who does those kinds of things anymore? Separate tents? Please Percy. But I guess you’re still welcome. Come to my place at six and we’ll leave from there. Does that work?” Without waiting for a reply, the phone went silent, leaving him breathless once again.
The days passed slowly, and finally, the happy day arrived. Armed with an arsenal of supplies, including a plethora of small chit-chat, Percy drove to Rose’s domain to begin their trip to Moab. As he drove, he thought back to a conversation he had with his roommate Connor that morning, on how he needed to be more careful with who he associated with.
“Percy, I know you’re excited about this trip, but I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into. She’s a nice girl, but what are people going to think when they find out you’re going on a camping trip alone with her? That’s not a good idea Perc. You’ve been in Utah way too long- you don’t know how these other girls think. You will make a mistake- you’re too naïve when it comes to these kinds of things.”
Shaking his head to rid himself of these thoughts, he immediately began to rationalize his behavior towards Rose. “She’s just different,” he said to himself, “People don’t understand her. She’s just a little innocent when it comes to these types of things. And why should she have to change her habits for them? It just doesn’t make any sense.” Gleefully, he drove up to her house, completely satisfied in the answers he had supplied for himself.
Walking up to the front door, he suddenly heard two voices- one, deep and resonant, and the other, higher and bubbly with just a hint of laughter. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door and took a step back. “Well, maybe she was nice and invited her roommate and her boyfriend,” he thought to himself, but her only roommate was Randi, and he couldn’t envision her having a suitor with her current anti-social stance.
“Hello? Rose? Are you here?" He paused, waiting for a reply before entering the house. When he heard an affirmation to come in, he walked in and saw Rose and another young gentleman in the sitting room, laughing and talking like old friends. Gulping, Percy asked “Now who’s this? Is he waiting for Randi or was he just keeping you company until I got here?”
“Oh, you silly willy. This is Gerald. I meant to call him earlier this week, but I accidently called you instead. And guess what? He decided to come with us! Isn’t he just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” She exclaimed excitedly, pinching his cheeks and sitting directly on his lap, “And he served his mission in Italy, so he speaks Italian. And he’s letting me drive his car down to Moab. How perfect is he? He’s not as perfect or as darling as you are Percy, but he’s one of the sweetest guys I know.”
Grinning, Gerald took all of her chatter in stride for the next half hour, occasionally responding and laughing at her humor. “Darn his good looks!” Percy thought as he stepped into the backseat of Gerald’s car. “Why is it that she can’t tell I’m the real catch? I haven’t been on my mission yet, but I’m still better than him! I should be the one sitting in the front seat!”
Needless to say, the drive to Moab was long and extremely difficult. Moping in the back for hours, Percy simply sat there, dejected, staring at the window and wondering how he could possibly get rid of Gerald. If Percy was not so blinded by jealousy, he could have seen that Gerald was enthralled with Rose and had the best intentions, but little did they both know that even the best intentions can make a turn for the worse. Gerald was a little too apt to follow Rose, and such behavior and lack of thought can certainly lead even the best people down the worst paths.
Speeding mercilessly and taken wild turns on the freeway, Rose’s driving frightened Gerald and Percy, but only Gerald was brave enough to mention how she should slow down and consider the safety of her friends.
“Oh Gerald! You’re so funny! Nothing bad is going to happen! You worry too much.” Just as she said those words, red and blue flashing lights turned on behind them. Smiling softly, Rose pulled over to the side of the road and awaited the arrival of the police officer, but when he knocked on her window, she rolled it down and said started smiling and laughing with him. Treating him like an old friend, she received a simple warning and a smile from the young police officer, who chastised her lightly and told her to drive slower in the future. Smiling broadly to herself, Rose pulled back onto the road and continued talking to Gerald as if nothing had even happened.
With that behind them, Rose continued the drive to Moab, and in the dark they arrived. Finding an adequate campsite, they leisurely set up tents and a main area, for they were intent on enjoying their weekend excursion. After about an hour of work, everything was completed for the night, and so they all went their separate ways for the night, or so Percy thought.
The next morning dawned cold and crisp as the cool desert night turned into a hot summer’s day. Percy arose, anxious to get Rose on a walk through the forest and to perhaps get lost for a little while. But when he walked out of his tent, bile rose in his throat as he saw Gerald and Rose sitting very intimately next to one another, conversing and laughing while Gerald made pancakes over the fire. Looking behind them, Percy saw the two sleeping bags in Rose’s tent, and he started to believe the warnings his roommate had given him. He knew that her behavior was not representative of what a young lady from the university should be doing.
“Percy! How did you sleep?” Rose asked, seemingly to genuinely care about his answer. But when he did not respond, she continued on as if nothing had occurred, and soon she initiated a walk between her and Gerald through a path in the forest that was suppose to lead to a very pretty part of the park.
“Allow me to come with you,” Percy demanded. “It might not be safe out there. You could get hurt.”
“Ah, I am not afraid,” Gerald said confidently, “Nothing will happen to either of us.”
Laughing, Rose agreed to let Percy come, and so he followed behind Rose and her suitor as they prattled on about love and nature and wildlife. When they arrived at the end of the trail, it was indeed very pretty, as you could see for miles in every direction, but Percy was too infuriated to notice anything besides the red haze that covered the couple in front of him. As they were standing on the edge of the cliff, Percy took Rose aside.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," he said, "I wish you would only flirt with me. Why won't you go out with me?"
“Oh Percy, you’re the last person I’d think of dating. You’re nice, but you are just too stuffy.” Seeing the enraged look on his face, she just laughed. “Oh, you’re so much more fun when you’re angry. I should make you angry more often!”
Back at the campsite, Percy just sat down next to the fire, jabbing it with timber and thinking of how delightful it would be to do the same to a certain gentleman he knew. As the day drew on, Rose decided that she was somewhat tired of this adventure they were having and wanted to return to her home. Catering to her every need, Gerald picked up the campsite, along with all of her things, while Percy silently packed his belongings and settled them in the back of the car. Exhausted from his endeavors of watching over the couple, he dozed the rest of the way home, needing sleep but unable to retain it for long.
Going back to her house, Rose and Gerald simply stopped the car in the driveway and looked at Percy, who stared back at them with a puzzled look in his eyes.
“Percy darling, thanks so much for coming with us. Hopefully we’ll get to do this again sometime soon! We’re just going to go up the canyon for a bit. Thanks so much for coming!”
Seeing the looking on Percy’s face, Gerald chimed in and said “Do not worry too much. If we get in by midnight we will be quite safe.”
Flabbergasted at her outward rejection and Gerald’s apparent approval, Percy just simply nodded and gathered his things. Standing next to his car, he watched them drive off into the dark, hoping that they did not encounter the dangers he had heard of at such a late hour. Utterly drained, he made his way home and slept, wishing that things could be different.
As the days dragged on, he heard less and less of Rose, and from his roommates had heard of her they did not approve of her meandering ways. There were rumors of her going into boy’s bedrooms, staying past curfew, drinking caffeinated beverages, all of which stunned Percy. Then one day, he received word that she had left Provo and gone home without a word. Inquiring about her from her roommate, he learned from Randi that she has gotten herself into some trouble and that the university would not allow such happenings to be present at their institution of learning.
“She’s probably with child,” Randi replied confidently as she continued munching on a bag of half-eaten chips. “It can happen. Even here at the university. And it wouldn’t surprise if she was one of the few it happened to.” When asking about Gerald, he found out that he had also left the university, never to return.
Walking home slowly, Percy tried to regain control of his thoughts and wrap his mind around the idea that he would never see his Rose again. “I have lived too long in Utah,” he said silently to himself. “I need to get out and see the world as the world sees itself.”
Regardless of his conviction, he returned back to his apartment, and in Provo he remained, dating the women of Utah Valley to his heart’s content. However, a few months later, after his nineteenth birthday, he received his call to go south, to the southern states of the Union. Only he could see the reason why, and only he could do what he knew he was called to do- find his Rose and bring her home.
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