I'm sorry I was late

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Newlyweds,

I am writing this letter today to express my deepest sympathies and regret for being late in delivering your wedding dinner. I like most people, had the best of intentions, tried my best, and showed up an hour late with your food. Instead of having all the weeks and months of planning coming together like a well-oiled machine I stopped it like a nail in a tire. It doesn't ruin the car but it is inconvenient, annoying, problematic, and frustrating. 

I left the store with high hopes, little worries, and confidence I would be there on time. I punched in the address in google and started to make my way to play my small part in your big day.

The route Google took me was the back way. I had gone that way once before but not to your venue. The first time I was following a friend home so all I remembered of that trip was that it was a windy path.

As I listened to my audiobook Google would stop in to tell me to turn right or left here or there. I followed like an obedient child until it said that I had arrived at my destination to my bright but there was no one in sight. 

I had not passed any cars, nor balloons or arrows saying the venue name or the party's name. I was in the middle of nowhere and Google said I had arrived. I drove on a little bit further but the roads now all looked the same. I knew where I had come from but could not see where I needed to go.

I backed up to pull into the nearest house that could possibly host a wedding. There were no people, there were no cars. I feared to go further down the road for I did not know where it would take me and if I could get back. 

I got out of my truck and started to look frantically around to see if anyone was nearby. My phone suddenly dropped in battery life from straining to get a signal. I called your cell phones, but it went straight to voice mail. It makes sense since you would have been taking pictures and hugging all your guests. I called the store but my phone strained to connect but took it's last breath before we could talk. By this point, I was rushing around the house looking for a door or window to knock-on to see if anyone was home. As I bounced from one foot to the other I came to the conclusion no one was home and I need to find help. 

I ran back to my truck drove and back down the way I came. At this point I've hit full panic. I'm crying, while trying to stop crying, breathing in short shallow puffs. I'm talking to my self out loud for the next step I need to take.

What to do, what to do? 

The only thoughts I have in my head was to find a phone and that I am ruining your day. 

I stopped at the first house I saw and with shaking breaths and hands I knock on the door. I have to knock twice before I hear anything or anyone. Slowly the door is opened by an elderly gentleman. I quickly explain to him in near-hysterical breaths that I am trying to make a delivery for a wedding, I can't find the venue, I am lost and my phone has died may I use your phone.

Very shakily he lets me in his house and brings me his phone. He is wary and nervous of me as I keep breaking into small sobs while trying to pull myself together.  My crying is making him cry because he doesn't know what he can do help this mess of a person.

Now that I have a phone I call your phone numbers again and leave a message. I call the store back time after time after time but keep getting disconnected before I can talk to a person. My last hope is a friend that I have their number memorized. I call her and hear her answer and through tears and stifled sobs tell her what is happening, where I am at, and what I am trying to do. 

She tries to find me the correct address and point me in the right direction but the gentleman doesn't know his own address. I don't know if I have rattled him so much or if it's one of those I don't send myself mail type things. I look at the faded numbers on house and supply her with the information. She helps me the best she can and will call the store for me but in my panic hear a closer house number but ultimately not the right numbers for the venue.

I call the store back one more time and am able to reach a person. I tell them my problem and let them know what is happening. They tell me if the address I have provided is correct I am less than a mile from the venue. I say thank you and hang up the phone. Now that I have an idea of where I am going and know that I should be there soon. I thank the older gentleman and hop in my truck and am off.

While I pick the new direction I know that if I go more than a mile in any one direction now and don't see it then I've gone the wrong way. I zoom to the right nothing. I turn around, I zoom to the left nothing. The only way I have not tried is the direction I stopped going because it looked like more of the same. 

My leg is twitching, my hands are sweating, and tears randomly keep sliding down my cheeks. I want to make it to your wedding, I am trying to make it to your wedding but I cannot seem to find it.

I worry about my truck having problems. I worry about if it breaks down or runs out of gas between now and finding this event. I think about giving up and just going back to the store and putting this worrying on someone else's shoulders to carry. I did my best and it did not work. But then I think about how that would ruin your day and cause all your closets friends and family to go hungry with no local pizza place to supplement the food I have bouncing with me. 

As I fly around curves and places I see the numbers go down and then past the one I was looking for. 

Oh no! How did I miss it again! This cannot be happening. I didn't see anything!

It doesn't matter, I've got to find this place! I am now an hour late, everyone has to be starving. I back up and pull up the last driveway I had just passed. It opens to a huge house and two dogs hanging outside barking at me. 

I once again get out of the truck and walk towards the house. I go to knock on the door and see someone inside. Before I can knock on that door I hear a side door open. I go over to meet this new person. I quickly explain how I am lost, am so very late to this important event, I have no working phone or GPS and not sure where I need to go. Luckily, this person does know where your venue is located and quickly lets me know I am so close. I thank them profusely as they hold on to their dogs as I exit their driveway.

I ride down the road just a little further and I see your venue. I can see why you picked it. It is beautiful both the buildings and the grounds.

I see a lady with a walkie talkie and ask her where I need to go to drop off your food so I can finally go home and cry with relief instead of panic. She points me to the location. I jump out, use all the people that are looking to help's hands, and pull out and put your food out. We get it all set up and as I clean up I apologize for the 5th time to the owner and their helpers.

At this point, I had become numb and the tears thankfully stayed in my eyes as the owner told me in a very calm and professional way that this was unacceptable. People had expectations espcially on their big days and you cannot show up late for these types of events. 

I said yes sir, I agree sir, and you're right sir. If they call my manager he will make it right sir. I apologize sir from the bottom of my heart and am sorry.

I scribbled just such a note on the invoice that I hope you saw. 

It took me like an 8 point turn to get my truck out of the driveway so I could finally start back home.

I know it was your day, it was all about you, and I just wanted to let you know that I tried to make it all about you. I did everything in my power to make it there on time and just be a footnote in what I hope was overall a wonderful day. I feel like I became more of an active player and for that, I apologize and can only say one more time that I am sorry Mr. and Mrs. Newly Weds.

At this point, my letter has ended but I must follow up with the last part of my journey. I made it out of the driveway and made another wrong turn for home but the right turn in thanking the people who had helped me. The last house I stopped to point me to the venue were out walking. I was able to more clearly express my gratitude.

The older gentleman who was brave and kind enough to open his door to a near-hysterical woman was sitting outside his house. I pulled into his driveway and jumped out of my truck and give him a big hug and thanked him profusely for all his help. I also told him about if anyone else gets lost looking for a wedding venue to tell them to just keep going straight. We talked for just a few minutes before I had to part ways. 

I cried and thought about all the mistakes made and little things that added up to me being an hour late to this event. My tears kept falling as I told my co-workers, my boss, my friend, and my Husband.

I dinner was wine and brownies sprinkled with salty tears while I hope the newlyweds had cake.