...something like this could happen:
11PM, everyone has left my house, I haven't had dinner, nothing in my fridge. I walk down the street to a local pub to grab a craft beer and a cheap sausage. They are cheap but good. I sit at the bar, reading NYT articles on my iPhone, sometimes stopping to listen to the loud drunk a few stools down or the barkeep telling a funny story, or to glance at the TV to realize again and again that I'm completely uninterested in what is on. I'm pretty sure I am anonymous in this bar - I didn't see anyone I know when I walked in, and it's unlikely my friends will wander in this late on a Tuesday.
I feel someone poke my back. It's probably just someone, maybe a little tipsy, who bumped me with their elbow or a wayward hand. I turn around slowly, half-expecting to only see someone's back as they continue on their meandering way. Instead I turn to see a friend of mine who was just at my house 45 minutes ago. As I continue my turn I see another friend. They are both girls; they are both smiling. I probably look perplexed. I am perplexed, and a little embarrassed. I wonder how long they have seen me sitting at the bar, alone.
The girl who I saw second says, "oh, if we had known people were going out afterward, we would have gotten everyone together." People? There is no one else with me. I mumble, "people, no, just me." I guess that's obvious. I guess it doesn't matter because I don't think she heard me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever heard.
One of them asks me what I had for dinner. I try to explain that I haven't gotten my dinner yet. I don't think they hear me, but it's not important so I give up. I tell them I got a sausage. More chitchat. I probably should have asked them what they got. That would have been polite. I realize this about 5 minutes after they leave. I'm terrible at chitchat when I'm surprised, confused, or embarrassed. Or all three.
Then the first one says they will see me at church Sunday. I say in 3 Sundays. They look at me confusedly, with heads cocked almost like curious dogs. I say 3 again and hold up 3 fingers. There is an awkward silence. They don't seem to understand or be that interested. They leave. I don't think they realize I am about to fly all over the world. That's okay - they aren't interested and I'm kind of tired of telling people today.
I wonder if they'll remember what I said when I'm not in my apartment next week for our meeting , and if it will suddenly make sense.
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Now playing: Greg Laswell - Off I Go
via FoxyTunes
This post was edited less than 10 hours after having been published. But one loyal reader had already seen the original post. Can't sneak anything by her :-)
1 comment:
Ugh... girls. Nonetheless, I love this post. Probably because I know you so well, I can totally picture this happening, especially with you in your confused, deer-in-headlights, glazed-over look. I was probably with you, but this all happened while I was at the bathroom. And when I came back after they had left, you told me the story and I punched you hard for not keeping them around.
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