Our Time in Eden: Part 2
(1:39 PM)
Half past eight in the evening. I parked beside the organic market in Greenbelt, where the old fine dining resto, La Primavera, used to be. Past Netopia, past Books For Less, past Max's Fried Chicken. I crossed the street and headed for Dulcinea to meet old friends from college.
"He had leukemia while I was pregnant," said my friend whom I haven't seen since 1998.
They met online, got married twice, here and in the US, and settled there. I was invited to the wedding, but couldn't go. I've since forgotten my excuse.
I met her in the hot summer of 1991. We became classmates for PE 101, part of a group of people who wanted to get this subject out of the way. We were practical people, hoping to put our summer to good use.
She was already part of Heights, the college literary journal. I was a new Lit major (transferred from PolSci) and joining Heights was in my plans. This was before she played the lead in a Shakespeare production.
One time, while waiting for class, she recited Romeo and Juliet for me. But soft what light through yonder window breaks and all that. Line upon line, she handed it to me, without blinking, without pausing. I then realized what that phrase meant--"knowing it by heart".
A year after, I joined Heights as well, and confirmed what I guessed before. She was a literary person, an artist, but she had decided on becoming a doctor. Now, she's practicing family medicine in Missouri.
"We live near Smallville," she joked, referring to the TV series.
It was about them, that night, her and her husband, not about the rest of us, we locals. I had one question, I realize now, that wasn't really answered.
"Did you change?"
She seemed the same. Sounded, looked, smiled, all the same way. We all did, it seemed.
What I didn't dare ask was this--Do you still write poetry?
"You look more mature" I told another friend and she rolled her eyes. "I mean, you look more sophisticated."
"I have short hair now," I joked, in a gesture of self-deprecation, conjuring up the image of my ponytailed youth. I am balding, fatter, and bearded, and miles away from our shared past.
"He had leukemia while I was pregnant," said my friend whom I haven't seen since 1998.
They met online, got married twice, here and in the US, and settled there. I was invited to the wedding, but couldn't go. I've since forgotten my excuse.
I met her in the hot summer of 1991. We became classmates for PE 101, part of a group of people who wanted to get this subject out of the way. We were practical people, hoping to put our summer to good use.
She was already part of Heights, the college literary journal. I was a new Lit major (transferred from PolSci) and joining Heights was in my plans. This was before she played the lead in a Shakespeare production.
One time, while waiting for class, she recited Romeo and Juliet for me. But soft what light through yonder window breaks and all that. Line upon line, she handed it to me, without blinking, without pausing. I then realized what that phrase meant--"knowing it by heart".
A year after, I joined Heights as well, and confirmed what I guessed before. She was a literary person, an artist, but she had decided on becoming a doctor. Now, she's practicing family medicine in Missouri.
"We live near Smallville," she joked, referring to the TV series.
It was about them, that night, her and her husband, not about the rest of us, we locals. I had one question, I realize now, that wasn't really answered.
"Did you change?"
She seemed the same. Sounded, looked, smiled, all the same way. We all did, it seemed.
What I didn't dare ask was this--Do you still write poetry?
"You look more mature" I told another friend and she rolled her eyes. "I mean, you look more sophisticated."
"I have short hair now," I joked, in a gesture of self-deprecation, conjuring up the image of my ponytailed youth. I am balding, fatter, and bearded, and miles away from our shared past.
1 Comments:
Hi Jesse!
This is Bob, we met on the train a few weeks ago! Remember? :) Hope you're doing okay. Were you able to go to Kristine and Kensai's launch last Saturday? I wanted to, but, well, I live in a different time zone...hehe. Take care!
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