June 22nd 2024.
Sitting on the Bakerloo line, heading to visit my nana, I couldn't help but steal glances at the stranger sitting across from me. He was a handsome Black man with a charming smile and dark brown eyes. I was immediately drawn to him, but I was also feeling a bit nervous. After all, it's not every day that a gorgeous stranger catches your eye on the train.
As we both continued to sneak peeks at each other, our eyes finally locked and I quickly looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. Little did I know, that one fleeting moment would lead to an unforgettable experience. This all happened back in 2003, when I was 17 and still navigating my sexuality.
Growing up, I always imagined that I would end up with a woman. I had even dated a girl during puberty, but around the age of 15, I started to develop feelings for one of my male friends. It was a confusing and scary time for me, especially with the religious beliefs that had been instilled in me from attending Catholic school. For three years, I prayed every night to make those thoughts go away and make me straight.
I had also dealt with a lot of bullying throughout my life. Kids at school made fun of me for being a ginger, and I was constantly teased and physically attacked. Even my own family members and classmates would call me ugly. One day, I told my mum that I was tired of being a redhead. She reassured me that others were just jealous of my hair, but it still didn't make me feel any better. I even asked her if she would ever date a redhead, to which she responded that she wouldn't, but someone else would.
Despite all of this, I was never bullied for being gay. It was something that I kept hidden, knowing that it would only make the bullying worse. But little did I know, everything was about to change.
As I arrived at Baker Street station, my handsome stranger and I stepped off the train and he approached me. I was nervous, thinking that he might be angry that I had been staring at him. But instead, he asked me if I was gay. My heart skipped a beat and I hesitantly responded that I was "kinda" gay. He simply said "cool" and asked if we could chat for a bit. We found a bench on the Circle line platform and sat down to talk.
I learned that he was 19 years old and worked at a florist in Woolwich. He was on his way to a friend's house to play PlayStation, but now he had other plans in mind. He asked me if I wanted to ditch my plans and go on an impromptu date with him. I was shocked. This was the first time anyone had ever approached me romantically, and it meant the world to me. I was filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety as we embarked on our first date.
We went to the Trocadero on Shaftesbury Avenue and spent the whole day playing games at the arcade. We watched some talented guys on the Dance Revolution and attempted to play Need for Speed and Tekken, with me failing miserably. It all felt so natural, like we had been friends for a long time. As someone who was never the most popular kid, I had never experienced anything like this before, let alone a date.
From there, we went to the cinema in Leicester Square to watch Hulk. It wasn't my first choice of movie, but I didn't care. I was having such a great time with this amazing person. During the movie, we even held hands, and to top it all off, I had my first kiss with him. I couldn't believe what was happening. What did he see in me?
Before we went our separate ways, we exchanged numbers and I headed home with my head in the clouds. That day in June 2003 will forever be etched in my memory as the day I went on an ad hoc date that I would never forget.
Sitting on the Bakerloo line, heading to visit my nana, I couldn't help but steal glances at the stranger sitting directly across from me. He was Black, masculine, and had the most captivating dark brown eyes and a charming smile. In short, he was absolutely gorgeous. I found myself occasionally looking over at him as he read the newspaper, but as soon as our eyes met, I would quickly look away, feeling embarrassed and shy.
Little did I know, that one brief moment of locking eyes would lead to a date I would never forget. This all happened back in 2003 when I was just 17 and still trying to come to terms with my sexuality.
Growing up, I had always imagined that I would end up with a woman. During my puberty years, I was only attracted to girls and even had a girlfriend. However, around the age of 15, I started developing feelings for one of my male friends. It felt strange and scary to me, and I didn't know how to process it.
Despite my mom not being very religious, I was sent to a Catholic school for its "good performance." The strict religious teachings had made their way into my head, and for three years, I prayed every night, hoping to make these thoughts go away and make me straight.
I had always been an outsider and heavily bullied throughout my childhood. The boys at my school picked on me for being ginger, and kids in my neighborhood would spit at me and even physically attack me. I also had girls and family members constantly calling me ugly. One day, I confessed to my mom that I was tired of being a redhead, and she comforted me by saying that other kids were just jealous of my hair. I then asked her if she would ever date a redhead, to which she replied no but reassured me that someone would.
Surprisingly, I was never bullied for being gay, but deep down, I knew that once people found out, the bullying would only get worse.
So, how did it all unfold?
Well, let me tell you, it's a story that still makes me cringe to this day. This happened on a sunny day in June 2003. I was on the Bakerloo line, on my way to visit my nana, when the train pulled into Baker Street station. As I stepped off the train, I saw the handsome stranger from earlier approach me. My heart was racing, and I couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering if he was going to confront me for looking at him on the train.
To my surprise, he asked me if I was gay. I hesitantly replied, "Kinda..." and he simply responded with a "cool" before asking if I wanted to chat for a bit. We sat down on a bench on the Circle line platform and talked for about 15 minutes. I found out that he was 19 years old, worked at a florist in Woolwich, and was on his way to a friend's house to play PlayStation.
However, he had other plans now. He asked me if I wanted to ditch my plans and go on an ad hoc date with him. I was taken aback; no one had ever approached me romantically before. It meant so much to me to have someone actually interested in going out with me. I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety rush through me.
We ended up going to the Trocadero on Shaftesbury Avenue, where we spent hours playing games at the arcade. We even watched some talented guys on the Dance Revolution, but I failed miserably when we tried it ourselves. We played Need for Speed and Tekken before going bowling. It felt so natural and comfortable, as if we had been friends for a long time. As someone who wasn't the most popular kid, this was a whole new experience for me, and I couldn't believe it was happening.
After the arcade, we went to the cinema in Leicester Square to watch Hulk. It wasn't my first choice, but I didn't care; I was having the time of my life. We even held hands during the movie, and to top it all off, I had my first kiss with him. I was in disbelief; what did he see in me?
As we said our goodbyes and exchanged numbers, I couldn't stop smiling. It was a date I would never forget, and it all started with a nervous glance on the Bakerloo line.
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