Librarian Abandons Post for Romance with Yacht Captain in Summer of '68: A Remarkable Tale of Eternal Love Unfolds
Rewritten Article:
The "Thunderbolt" Moment: A Tale of Love at First Sight
Beverly Carriveau's heart skipped a beat the moment she laid eyes on Bob Parsons. It was electrifying, like a bolt of lightning (hence the "thunderbolt").
"Here comes a man stepping out of a taxi, and we both just stare at each other," Beverly tells CNN Travel today. "Remember, this is the '60s. Girls didn't stare at men. But it was a thunderbolt."
It was June 1968. A vivacious 23-year-old Canadian university librarian, Beverly, was on vacation in Mazatlan, Mexico, accompanied by a good friend.
Beverly had only just arrived in Mazatlan that morning, captivated by the breathtaking Pacific Ocean views, colorful 19th-century buildings, and palm trees. Little did she know, she was about to encounter someone who would alter the course of her life.
As Beverly perused the gift shop, mesmerized by a pair of earrings, a taxi arrives, and out steps the man of her dreams. The shop faces the parking lot, and there he is.
"I was riveted," says Beverly. "He was tall, handsome..."
Intrigued, Beverly hurriedly purchases the earrings and bolts out of the store, feeling as though her gaze had been locked onto him for an eternity.
"We locked eyes so long, I was embarrassed," she confesses.
No words had passed between them, not even a smile, but Beverly felt as though she'd exposed a part of her soul. She felt something had transpired, yet she couldn't fully comprehend it.
Over dinner in the hotel restaurant, Beverly shared her experience with her confidant, still flustered and bewildered.
"I told my girlfriend, 'Something just happened to me. I stared at this man, and I couldn't help myself.'"
The server then arrived at their table, holding a bottle of wine, indicating a mysterious donor at the bar.
Beverly normally avoided accepting drinks from men in bars, feeling uncomfortable with the power dynamic and with a long-term partner back in Canada. However, on this peculiar evening, she and her companion accepted the bottle of wine, unsure of exactly who had sent it.
The waiter instructed them to thank the mysterious wine donor, and after some hesitation, Beverly finally decided to go and find him. Upon reaching the bar, she locks eyes with the man from the taxi, who acknowledges her with a smile.
"I got all flustered," she admits. "But I asked him if he'd like to come over and sit with us."
Bob Parsons, a 30-year-old yacht captain from the states, readily accepted her invitation.
"We had a nice dinner and chatted," Beverly recounts. "He was not aggressive at all, a very quiet, straightforward guy."
Beverly and Bob were drawn to each other throughout the evening, feeling the same electric connection she'd felt when they first met. Despite Beverly's reservations and hesitations, she sensed something unique and irresistible about Bob.
For the next week, Beverly continued to see Bob, maintaining a delicate balance between showing her interest and setting boundaries, avoiding being alone with him and ensuring her friend was always present. When Bob asked for her contact details, Beverly reluctantly agreed, giving him her phone number and address.
Upon returning home to Vancouver, Beverly discovered a note from her roommate in her mailbox, inquiring about Captain Parsons on the Sugar Shack. This confirmation solidified Beverly's conviction that she needed to explore this connection further.
"I was frantic," she recalls. "I couldn't afford phone calls back then, so we had to write letters. So I was hoping I'd heard from him, but there were no letters... but at the bottom was a note from my roommate asking, 'Who's Captain Parsons on the Sugar Shack?'"
Intrigued, Beverly decided to take a chance and follow her heart, stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue a love that had captivated her from the moment she'd seen him. The rest, as they say, is history.
- Over dinner at the hotel restaurant, Beverly shared her 'thunderbolt' moment with her confidant, describing a man she'd met in Mazatlan, Mexico, on the 19th century-style street, who had caught her eye while she was admiring earrings in a gift shop.
- The man from the taxi, named Bob Parsons, was a 30-year-old yacht captain, and after their chance encounter in the gift shop, they shared a bottle of wine and continued their conversation at the hotel restaurant.
- Intrigued by Bob Parsons and determined to explore their connection, Beverly decided to write letters, as phone calls were too expensive, and embarked on a journey to keep in touch with him, her 'thunderbolt' moment blossoming into an enduring relationship.
