My friend Hadassah had just come back from Europe. She now considered herself a world-class traveler, but considering she spent a week in Amsterdam, world-class pothead, probably wasn’t too far behind. She had experienced new things, saw new places, met new people. But inside, she was the same girl. The same girl, who had left to Europe to decide who her heart belonged to: Guy or Bry. It would’ve been easier if she met someone in Europe and started fresh, but things are never that simple. After all, this is real life. And like real life, Hadassah couldn’t put off her decision any longer. So, she chose Guy, after realizing he was the one she thought about the most and the one she wanted to come home to.
Hadassah had arranged to let Bry down easy in a public place, that way there’d be less of a scene and no chance of one last seduction. It happened at a sushi restaurant. Everything was going according to plan. The cucumber salads were fresh, the wine was impeccable, and Bry was just as perfect. But as the dinner progressed, so did Hadassah’s feelings. It didn’t make any sense. She was over Bry. At least that’s what she thought. But seeing him there, in his crisp white shirt and the light blue tie she had gotten him for Christmas, caused Hadassah’s heart to flutter and her speech to stutter. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to break this innocent man’s heart. So, she excuse herself to the bathroom, pulled out her BlackBerry and called me asking me for help on how to say goodbye.
HADASSAH: David! I cant do it! I cant! I didn’t think it would be so hard!
ME: Just do it. It’s not that hard to say "good" and "bye".
HADASSAH: I know, but it’s like…the end of an era!
Hadassah was right. It was the end of an era. All those times when we all went out for happy hour after work and all those times Bry and Hadassah shared a look in the lobby of the Frontier building when they thought nobody else was looking...it was all over. I guess I could kinda see why it would be hard for Hadassah to say "goodbye" to those memories, but I really didn’t know what to say. I mean, I’ve never really had to tell anyone goodbye before. The people who mean the world to me have never left me and the ones who don’t, well, let’s just say, saying goodbye was never so easy. It wasn’t until Colette, that girl we all know and love, asked me to help her move.
Colette had been accepted to asthetic’s college and needed help moving into a new apartment, once city, two hours and a hundred and twenty miles away. My blog friend Nikki suggested I go and help, because if anything, it would bring closure to one, very weird, unexplainable thing we had between us. And if I didn’t get closure, Nikki assured me that she would come over and slap one of us upside the head, hoping that some common sense would fall right in. Who knew violence could be used as a great motivator?
The following morning, I headed over to Colette’s house. She told me more than half her stuff was packed, which I took to meant that it had already been placed in the U-Haul and I would just be going along for the ride to help unpack later on. No. I was there to help put the stuff into the U-Haul, including one very large wooden dresser, that I swear, must have been built inside the room, because it was so huge and the drawers didn’t pull all the way out. Did this girl not know the advantages of shopping at Ikea? It was extremely heavy and if it hadn’t been for Joey, I don’t think I would have been able to do it.
Joey was a guy just like me. A guy infatuated with Colette, yet could never really understand her. It was a modern day love triangle. It was almost like that movie, There’s Something About Mary, with Colette being Mary, Me being Ted and Joey being Tucker. Pat Healy and Woogie were somewhere and it was a shame they never showed, because it would have made for one interesting afternoon. Not that me and Joey didn’t have our own fascinating thing going on. There we were, two guys trying to outdo each other by lifting and carrying furniture down a flight of stairs and into a moving van, each one trying to outdo the other. What is it about girls that brings out the Neanderthal in guys? Thinking back on it, it was so not worth the sore forearms and the strained back. Especially since it was about a hundred and four degrees out that day. But at least I know now I’m not made for manual labor. It’s better to know now at an early age, that I will need to hire help. That way I can start saving up! Smart.
My arms were stiff. I couldn’t move. I wanted to cry and have someone rub Icy Hot all over my body. But I couldn’t because I was driving up to Phoenix with Colette. Joey was driving the U-Haul, and from the few glances I made through the rearview mirror, I could tell he was in no worse shape than I was. But at least he got to be by himself and could cry without anyone hearing him. After we got to Phoenix we performed our masochist act all over again, this time, carrying the furniture up a flight of stairs. Never again will I ever help a person move. I am willing to pay for movers because the way I see it, it’s a whole lot less than the Swedish masuse I will need to employ very soon.
After one last dinner and one last conversation, it was time to say goodbye. First, Colette said goodbye to her mom and sister. Then, she moved to Joey. Then me. It was like that last scene in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy hugs all her friends goodbye, but saves her final goodbye for the Scarecrow, telling him, “I think I’ll miss you most of all.” I didn’t think I would miss Colette this much, given our history and the fact we were only a city away, but seeing her drive away and start her new life in a new city was really bittersweet. Then someone, somewhere had turned the radio on in their car and Paula Deanda came on.
Hadassah had arranged to let Bry down easy in a public place, that way there’d be less of a scene and no chance of one last seduction. It happened at a sushi restaurant. Everything was going according to plan. The cucumber salads were fresh, the wine was impeccable, and Bry was just as perfect. But as the dinner progressed, so did Hadassah’s feelings. It didn’t make any sense. She was over Bry. At least that’s what she thought. But seeing him there, in his crisp white shirt and the light blue tie she had gotten him for Christmas, caused Hadassah’s heart to flutter and her speech to stutter. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to break this innocent man’s heart. So, she excuse herself to the bathroom, pulled out her BlackBerry and called me asking me for help on how to say goodbye.
HADASSAH: David! I cant do it! I cant! I didn’t think it would be so hard!
ME: Just do it. It’s not that hard to say "good" and "bye".
HADASSAH: I know, but it’s like…the end of an era!
Hadassah was right. It was the end of an era. All those times when we all went out for happy hour after work and all those times Bry and Hadassah shared a look in the lobby of the Frontier building when they thought nobody else was looking...it was all over. I guess I could kinda see why it would be hard for Hadassah to say "goodbye" to those memories, but I really didn’t know what to say. I mean, I’ve never really had to tell anyone goodbye before. The people who mean the world to me have never left me and the ones who don’t, well, let’s just say, saying goodbye was never so easy. It wasn’t until Colette, that girl we all know and love, asked me to help her move.
Colette had been accepted to asthetic’s college and needed help moving into a new apartment, once city, two hours and a hundred and twenty miles away. My blog friend Nikki suggested I go and help, because if anything, it would bring closure to one, very weird, unexplainable thing we had between us. And if I didn’t get closure, Nikki assured me that she would come over and slap one of us upside the head, hoping that some common sense would fall right in. Who knew violence could be used as a great motivator?
The following morning, I headed over to Colette’s house. She told me more than half her stuff was packed, which I took to meant that it had already been placed in the U-Haul and I would just be going along for the ride to help unpack later on. No. I was there to help put the stuff into the U-Haul, including one very large wooden dresser, that I swear, must have been built inside the room, because it was so huge and the drawers didn’t pull all the way out. Did this girl not know the advantages of shopping at Ikea? It was extremely heavy and if it hadn’t been for Joey, I don’t think I would have been able to do it.
Joey was a guy just like me. A guy infatuated with Colette, yet could never really understand her. It was a modern day love triangle. It was almost like that movie, There’s Something About Mary, with Colette being Mary, Me being Ted and Joey being Tucker. Pat Healy and Woogie were somewhere and it was a shame they never showed, because it would have made for one interesting afternoon. Not that me and Joey didn’t have our own fascinating thing going on. There we were, two guys trying to outdo each other by lifting and carrying furniture down a flight of stairs and into a moving van, each one trying to outdo the other. What is it about girls that brings out the Neanderthal in guys? Thinking back on it, it was so not worth the sore forearms and the strained back. Especially since it was about a hundred and four degrees out that day. But at least I know now I’m not made for manual labor. It’s better to know now at an early age, that I will need to hire help. That way I can start saving up! Smart.
My arms were stiff. I couldn’t move. I wanted to cry and have someone rub Icy Hot all over my body. But I couldn’t because I was driving up to Phoenix with Colette. Joey was driving the U-Haul, and from the few glances I made through the rearview mirror, I could tell he was in no worse shape than I was. But at least he got to be by himself and could cry without anyone hearing him. After we got to Phoenix we performed our masochist act all over again, this time, carrying the furniture up a flight of stairs. Never again will I ever help a person move. I am willing to pay for movers because the way I see it, it’s a whole lot less than the Swedish masuse I will need to employ very soon.
After one last dinner and one last conversation, it was time to say goodbye. First, Colette said goodbye to her mom and sister. Then, she moved to Joey. Then me. It was like that last scene in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy hugs all her friends goodbye, but saves her final goodbye for the Scarecrow, telling him, “I think I’ll miss you most of all.” I didn’t think I would miss Colette this much, given our history and the fact we were only a city away, but seeing her drive away and start her new life in a new city was really bittersweet. Then someone, somewhere had turned the radio on in their car and Paula Deanda came on.
I cant explain this feeling
I think about it everyday
and even though we've moved on
it gets so hard to walk away...
I think about it everyday
and even though we've moved on
it gets so hard to walk away...
That was weird. But not as weird as the next song…4 in the Morning. Just hearing Gwen Stefani sing made me remember the concert Colette and I went to and all those memories we shared together since that first day in middle school, when we sat across from each other in the cafeteria. It’s almost like it was yesterday that I fell for the girl with butterfly barrettes in her hair and silver braces on her teeth. And even though they say that all things must come to an end, I really don’t know if this is the end for us. Only time can tell. But what I do know? It’s the end of an era.
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