So get this:

When I was 15, I chatted with a guy online. Snaz was relatively my age, lived in the same town, had an affinity for the arts, spoke French, and was Persian. We had lots in common! He was a street performer, a really cool mime and a break dancer. We spoke a lot but never went the extra mile to meet. It was just cool that way.

I always said it would be better if I would catch him on the street during his mime act some day.

One day I was strapped for cash, I don’t remember what for, but it was probably to pay off my phone bill and pay day was a week away. I didn’t want to ask my mom, who thought I was a reckless teenager. So Snaz said he would lend me the $30 I needed. I gave him my information and he wired me the money right away.

My friend “L” thought it was hilarious, “What? He actually gave you the money? What an idiot! You’re not going to pay him back are you?”

“Of course I’m going to pay him back! That wouldn’t be cool!”

Payday came and I wired Snaz the money back.

We thought nothing of it and continued chatting here and there. Unfortunately, as the internet social scene was going through some major changes,  we lost contact over the years.

HOWEVER – eight years later – last summer I sat in Kensington Market to pass the time playing the mandolin when I had the weirdest human encounter in my life.

A guy riding his bike passed by me, watched and gave me some money and left. He came back again to watch some more.

Then he stopped me, “Are you Venus?” (the old name I had stopped going by for many years.) My heart stopped. It was such a long time ago and I didn’t recognize the person at all. I felt like worlds were colliding! I thought no one from my dark suburban past would ever step foot in Kensington Market.

“Uh…” I spoke very slowly, “Um… yea… uh… who.. are.. who are you?”

“We spoke on the internet”

“Um? I don’t know. Who are you?”

“Remember, I did miming”

“Oh Holy FK! You are the guy who lent me $30!!!”

“Yea!”

“OMFG, wtf are you doing here?”

“I work in this neighbourhood,”

So we started talking for a good 20 minutes. He told me he was saving up money so he could build houses in Mexico. We exchanged contacts and began chatting in the Facebook realm. He said  I motivated him to get back into street performing.

I just checked my Facebook now and noticed he’s gone again. Maybe he deleted me, or he deleted his profile. Who knows. Maybe its just cooler that way.

Yea. It happened.