Thursday, May 31, 2007

she's baaaack

It was that easy breezy beautiful kind of summer. I was 18? Maybe 19. Summer break before Junior Year of college. It was the year I met her, working at the air force base together, my stint as a shredder. Take that literally. I spent half of my day in a room to small to be a room, more like a closet. AC blasting, surrounded by heaps and heaps (for you Egan) of to-be-shredded paper. The other half of the day I spent next to her, in a cube that wasn't really a cube, no divider at least, doing some kind of computer work that I didn't understand, but really actually, emailing each other. Even though we were at an arms length from each other we'd script out lengthy emails about our summer nights with friends, boy friend issues and mishaps, and about what we should order for lunch. A trip to the Dunkin Donuts on base was our daily ritual. Sitting in her old school Buick, we'd make our way to just streets away to fill ourselves up on iced coffees. This was before the Simon and Garfunkel and Oasis renditions. Before we were legally old enough to buy our own booze. It was a time of curfews or rather breaking them, and dating a guy who was older than me that my father thought was too old. I loved life that summer. Work was easy and we were out by 3:30pm. It was when nights were thought to be cool when they were spent in Target's stationary or movie department. We'd go to the mall after, and frequently hit Sully's Ice cream for a frappe on our way home. It was that type of summer that you don't want to end, not that you ever want summers to really end. Going back to school, as exciting as it was to be the year of turning 21, and back to roommates and parties and a free gym, was sad in a way, in a new way. It was the summer I met one of my very best friends. The type you know right then and there will be one of those lifelong friends. Distance like West Virginia to Mass didn't matter then as much as France to Boston-ish hasn't mattered now. You vow to keep in touch with these type of friends because they have worked their way into your heart and you can't possibly imagine losing that link. So you email and call and you do what you gotta do to make it work. The friendship, it works because it's become so much a part of you that without it you'd be missing a piece of yourself that has grown to love this person. So you babysit her fish for nine months. They start out as 35 and she comes home to 5, but that's okay because you tried she says. And at 4:37pm on a Thursday that isn't going so hot, you receive a phone call from her and she's in the same! time! zone! She's home. And just like around this time in 2001, again you've got that feeling that this will be a good summer.

23 comments:

armalicious said...

You just described a summer so like what my best friend and I experienced the summer after our senior year of HS.

I love this post and I'm so happy for you that your friend is home! How completely wonderful!!

anne said...

I can feel the love. And the sunburns and the music.

megabrooke said...

arm- dont you love these type summers?

eb- oh the sunburns for sure.

The Egg said...

Yeah those summers are grande. Great times, when days just roll by with friends. Even better when love is the air...Now I'm looking forward to this summer! Thanks:-)

megabrooke said...

the egg- i cant wait for summer. no love in the air here but good friends and cocktails will be plentiful.

Bre said...

Dear lord I'm such a summer girl and this makes me itch for more of it!

megabrooke said...

bre- summer girls, wasn't that a song in the 90's?

AKA said...

I haven't had a summer like this in awhile. It's sad because the days fly by and you get busier, hoping for the free time that never comes.

Great blog! I followed the link to your blog from Ruby's (so I'm certified non-stalker).

Emily said...

How fun! Ah, the anticipation of a great summer. It's the stuff movies are made of. Can I do your costuming? :)

megabrooke said...

aka- thanks for stopping by! im going to stalk yours now.

undercover celeb- welcome back! yes, we can do girly outfit planning together. fabulous.

Anonymous said...

How did she take the news that you had somehow managed to kill all but five of her fish? Are you sure you are up for the challenge of taking care of a cat? They are a lot more responsibility than fish...and well, that's all I'm going to say about that. :)

megabrooke said...

brookelyn- dont start with the guilt trip on the fish. and there's only four now. just so happened one died yesterday. oh yeah, you were on the phone with me for the funeral.

JM said...

Wow, what a cool memory!!

Anonymous said...

That sounds like an idyllic summer and she sounds like a great friend to have! Nice timing, I can't wait for summer and iced coffee and aimlessnes and sundresses.

Joy said...

So where should I send the flowers for the dearly departed fishy?

Anonymous said...

We're not friends anymore because you killed my fish.

No...that could never be true. I cried when I read this. Because that was an awesome summer and because I LOVE YOU!!!!

So nice to be home!!! And so nice to laugh at lunch today like we always have. Let's have a great summer!

Anonymous said...

i forgot about you killing her fish! heehee. that is awesome. you two are going to have so much fun. but i am dying to know if she is one of your girl crushes...

egan said...

Ah, the college years where you can do heaps of things in between semesters/quarters. It was a great time to be yourself, discover new friends, and all other sorts of great things. Truly a golden time in my life too. No disastrous fish stories, instead some guy trying to fondle my goods.

I still need to hear Airam's principal story.

The Exception said...

Summers such as you describe are fabulous. I hope that you have a great summer with your great friend.

I loved this post.

MyDirtyLaundry said...

This entry reminds me of a book I read last year. "Summer Sisters" by Judy Blume, you should check it out. It's not a teen book either, but one of the few she's written for adults.

ChickyBabe said...

Your words make me years for summer!

megabrooke said...

angel jr- i heart summer and this girl, so yes the memory is swell.

ruby- i love that you mentioned iced coffees too. i live for them in summer.

joy- hell, you'd be broke if you sent flowers for all the fishies that have been flushed!

b- damn right.

jeorg- we're going to have a blast. YES. pretty much all of my girlfriends would fall under the girl crush category because they're all beautiful, charismatic gems.

egan- im going to need further details on guy trying to fondle your goods. and yeah, airam needs to give up the principal story asap.

the exception- thanks!

lala- ive read it, years ago! i loved it too.

chickybabe- oh that's right, and it's cold where you are now. ill send you some sunshine. sans humidity because that's just nasty.

Airam said...

Got to love the friendships that can stand the test of time.