An old friend
January 24, 2010
I’ve been negligent the last few months. Much has happened. Little has changed. There has been travel, a marriage proposal, swimming lessons, work adventures, juggling, more chooks, perpetual personal crises, and growth spurts.
There has also been closure.
Many moons ago, when I first met Big Boy, he was involved with another lady friend. Introductions were made but in truth I had already met her years before in my 20s. Big Boy and this old gal were very enmeshed and spent lots of time together.
Big Boy and I hit off straight away. We birthed a couple of children, succumbed to early nights in bed watching DVDs snuggled under our doona, and jumped feet first into domesticity. Big Boy also took to 9-to-5 melodrama and that most certainly compromised his attachment to cocktails with his old lady friend.
This friend had a certain reputation that came with a certain personality. She was larger than life like an old-time stripper with a big boa constrictor that shimmied its skin around you. She was tough as red lacquered nails, scruffy like weeks-old bed sheets, big drinking and gravelly voiced, and a loud late night inner-city party stalwart; but almost demure in the way in which she statically buzzed around in the background, unchanged, over many winters and summers. I guess she was easy to take for granted.
Last week Big Boy’s lady friend decided to retire from her loud party life and all her old-time entanglements. She decided to say good-bye over a few nights of drinking, one all day mini-music festival and a family barbecue today. Nobody wants her to retire. How do I know? Mostly because ALL her old friends showed up to cuddle her, drink to her, and cry over her retirement form public life.
Big Boy and I haven’t seen her much socially in the last few years but she formed a constant background to our lives . She still looks and sounds the same but a touch weary. She was gracious and charming in her departure.
I know Big Boy won’t forget her all that easily. Nor will I.
I tip my hat to her.
