There are two repeating messages I have been receiving since starting this year-long blog. The first is an outpouring of support and interest by way of people telling me how much they enjoy how I share my emotions or text messages at the end of the night demanding the next post. And the second is the statement of annoyance at not having been acknowledged in person.
Today was my very dear, very crazy, very lovable friend Mayleen's birthday. I waited until it was somewhat daylight in Australia to call and wish her a Happy Birthday. The conversation went like this:
L: Happy Birthday old girl
M: Thank you LAWRENCE (insert tone here)
L: Are you in the bath?
M: No, I just went to the toilet and am washing my hands.
L: I wouldn't have minded if you were in the bath.
M: Listen here LAWRENCE (insert tone here), don't worry about your blogs and not mentioning me, your oldest friend (or something like that). I'll be OK.
L: I love you, you're hysterical.
M: The kids gave me a scratch card for my birthday and I won $6 so I'm going to be OK for the next year. Even though you don't love me anymore.
L: I love you even more now.
Yesterday I wrote about having a best friend; about the close and
important people in my life. I focused on one friend. Prior posts have
referred to specific people that I love. But not everyone. Mayleen commented on Facebook today that maybe one day she would get a mention. She wasn't the only one. Now, I know that most of this is in jest, but there is a point here. How can I write about the important things that form my life, without talking about the important people within it? How can I reference one person in favour of another? And when I do, does it signify any importance? I reminded Mayleen via Facebook that I have 345 posts go to, and to be honest, there are nights when I wonder what the hell I am going to write about.
Sometimes I think about dying, and not having the opportunity to say the things to the people that I love, to tell them what I want them to know. I remember when I was younger wanting to write letters to my friends and seal them in a box. The idea was a little dramatic and probably gained from some soap opera I was watching at the time. But as we grow older together more happens, the perspectives change and new friends come along so the contents of those letters are likely to change.
Tonight I decided that part of this personal challenge will involve acknowledging the people in my life, by writing a tribute to them on their birthday. This does not necessarily mean that I will be able to include every one, and it certainly does not imply that if you do not feature that you are any less important.
Mayleen - you are, and always will be, the first!
We became friends instantly, and we became instant friends. They passed me a note in Hebrew class and I stared at them blankly not knowing that I was expected to read it, reply and pass it back. I soon learned.
Her dad was a little scary. They had two phone lines at their house and the one was always engaged (busy) so one night I called the other. Jack answered and demanded to know where I got the number from and not to use the office line again. Her dad was a little scary.
I will never forget the day that Jack died. It was also my sister's birthday. They called Mayleen from our class and a few minutes later they came to get me. She had asked that I come home with her. Audrey drove us home and we sat in the back seat of the car. Audrey reached back and rubbed my leg in comfort, thinking it was Mayleen's. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was mine.
Mayleen met Wayne at camp when we were in Std. 9. I think that would be equivalent to 11th Grade here. They spent the first year commuting between Johannesburg and Pretoria and are still together after 26 years. I was dating Einat at the time and the four of us would hang out together a lot. We had a ton of fun. We laughed a lot. We were kids who enjoyed being kids. I was honoured to give Wayne his bachelor party and play a part in their wedding. I was devastated when they left South Africa.
I remember the Matric Dance dress disaster, both when it got burnt, and when someone else was wearing the same one! I remember visiting her at the store in Hyde Park, I remember demanding to speak to Wayne during a fight, when she said "and Wayne agrees with me!".
We shared our 21st Birthday together with a themed Adams Family party.
Mayleen was (is) always stylish. When I bought my first flat (apartment) she helped me furnish it down to the last piece of cutlery. I still have that blue cutlery set.
One year I had to go to New Zealand for work and decided to stop in Sydney and surprise Mayleen. I arranged the whole thing with Wayne and arrived at their house while she was out. She never returned. She was shopping. It reminded me of days back in Pretoria when she would buy something from a store because it was on sale, or announce that her mom was paying half so it was a good deal. Finally Wayne called her and demanded that she get home immediately. I was waiting in the garage and when she saw me she screamed "Dammit, don't you know not to scare a pregnant woman like that?". That was Jamie, who just turned 8, so that was 9 years ago.
I have thousands of memories and stories, I have thousands of photos. I couldn't possibly write them all down even if I tried. We know each others secrets. We are far apart, and haven't seen each other in a long time, but when we speak it's like we saw each other yesterday.
I will always love and cherish you May-tin-ski. We will always be friends. If you ever need me, I'll be there.
42.21
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