Chapter 1: Growing Up
My story began when I was 15 years old, a junior in high school in 2006. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to go out like my friends did or hang out with them. My mother worked the second shift, resting when we were at school and working when we came home. We barely saw her except on weekends and when we stayed up late at night for her to get home. That was our daily routine for most of our childhood. Meanwhile, my father had a girlfriend at the time who eventually became our step-mother.
I never had a boyfriend, though many of my guy friends, who I saw as just friends, asked me out. I didn’t want to cross that boundary. My family wasn’t rich, but we learned to accept what we had. My sisters and I shared clothes because we fit each other’s, and my mom didn’t have the money to buy us a lot of different clothes. Sometimes, it felt embarrassing, but our friends never thought differently of us. They liked us for who we were, not for how much money our family had. We were friendly and talked to everyone. Despite our financial struggles, we were happy and close-knit.
Chapter 2: Meeting Him
One night, I met the guy who would eventually become my husband. It was when “AsianAvenue.com” was still popular. It was one of those nights where I needed to kill time because I couldn’t go out with my friends. My mom was working, and I had to babysit my younger siblings, so I logged on to chat. Little did I know that I would meet my future husband there.
I had a bunch of little chat boxes open, but once I started talking to him, I exited out of the rest. We asked each other for our ‘411’ (name, age, etc.). After hours of chatting online, we exchanged phone numbers. Neither of us had cell phones, so he used his house phone to call my sister’s cell phone, and we would talk all night. We started talking in February, and the more we talked, the more we developed feelings for each other. After a month of talking, he asked me out. The following week, he decided to visit me for the first time.
Chapter 3: The First Visit
The first visit was filled with excitement and nerves. I danced around the house all morning, unable to stay still. When he called to say he was almost here, I gave him directions to my place. We had mailed each other letters and pictures, so we had an idea of what we looked like. When he finally arrived, I saw his big smile and smirk as he turned into my driveway. I had butterflies in my stomach, shaking with nervousness but also happiness.
As he got out of the car, I walked towards him, and we hugged tightly, smiling. My sisters watched and laughed, but I didn’t mind. He had a mini afro because his hair was naturally frizzy, tall and built just like his picture. He said I looked just like my picture too—tall, slender, with shoulder-length hair. Our first date was a walk to a nearby park. My youngest sister tagged along initially, but my older sister picked her up later so we could have some time alone. We lay under the stars, talking about ourselves and many other things, which led to our first kiss. It was magical, and we felt an instant connection.
Chapter 4: Challenges and Growth
Before we started talking, he had broken up with his girlfriend of 2.5 years and was still getting over her. When we started dating, he was still dealing with those feelings, but it didn’t stop him from moving forward. As high school started, I began to go out with my friends more and enjoyed those drinking parties where people would chill, and I watched people act stupid. Junior prom came along, but he couldn’t make it because of work, so I went with friends.
After prom, a misunderstanding caused a temporary breakup. My sister, who also liked him, made up lies to break us up. However, we talked it out, and after two days of thinking, we got back together. I rejected invites to parties to show him I was serious about our relationship. My sister eventually got over it when she found herself a boyfriend.
Chapter 5: The Accident and Commitment
We got married when I turned 16 in June. It was the 4th of July weekend, and my parents were out of town. My husband’s friend wanted to visit his girlfriend in La Crosse, and we decided to tag along. During the trip, we got into a car accident. We were lucky to be alive. The car hit the back wheels of a semi-truck, rolled down a ditch, and landed on all four wheels. The passenger side where I was sitting was smashed in. I had to climb out through the windshield, bleeding from a laceration above my right eyebrow. My husband and his friend also had minor injuries.
After receiving care at the hospital, we knew it was fate for us to be together. In the hospital waiting room, he asked me to marry him. It wasn’t the most traditional proposal, but it felt right. I was shaken and crying, but he held me and whispered, “Don’t worry, I will be here with you.” I agreed, and we went home to his family, who welcomed me with open arms. My parents were initially furious but later forgave us, happy to see me alive and well.
Chapter 6: Wedding and New Beginnings
Our Hmong wedding took place from August 11-13, 2006. My family saw me for the first time since the accident, and my mother and sister cried seeing my scar. We legally married a month later so I could finish my senior year in high school. I later went on to college.
The first few years of marriage were tough, but we worked through it. We welcomed our baby girl last September, strengthening our bond. We celebrated our 6th anniversary last month and look forward to many more years together. My husband is caring, affectionate, hardworking, loving, humorous, and overall a great guy. If someone asked if I believed in fate and destiny, I would say, “Yes, I do.”
Chapter 7: Looking Forward
Although we only knew each other for a few months before marrying, our love has grown stronger. The accident and our wedding are memories I still hold dear. Whenever we drive past a semi-truck, I cringe and hold onto my seatbelt tight. Despite the challenges, we’ve built a beautiful life together, and I am grateful for my husband and our journey.
This is my story, and to this day, I remember every detail of the accident and our wedding. Our love story is one of fate, destiny, and resilience, and I look forward to the many years ahead with my husband and our growing family.