Reunion With "H"

Last Wednesday was the first in absolute ages that I had seen H. It was only for a short while as she was in the city on business and we could only do lunch. But, it was well worth it!

H and I met in Jr. high school, I think about the 8th grade. We met in gym class where we originally bonded over Duran Duran. The rest? It grew from there. Gym class geeks, we found respite in languishing back during softball, knowing that the period was going to be up shortly and we could change back into our normal clothes and be abnormal once again.

H was cool before cool was cool. Okay, a bit of an overstatement but... She and I read Star Hits, but it was H who turned me on to Smash Hits. For those who don't know, during the 80's, Star Hits was the US version of Smash Hits. Toned down for the American market, it still had British-isms and incorporated articles from Smash Hits. While I got a general idea of all the UK groups that hadn't hit the US top 40 yet, H actually knew of all the bands - and owned their music. We both had a sick sense of humor and as a joke, I earned the nickname "Squeaky" during the time I read Helter Skelter.

I have fond memories of us hanging out at Beller's Music while we tried to outdo one another in finding the wackiest, lamest and/or silliest music. H eventually won when she pointed out the Village People and actually bought the cassette tape so she could report back on just how the song "Hot Cop" really was. To this day, I still get "Hot Cop" in my head, and it proves to be an intense earworm.

We were two kids feeding on the pop culture of the 80's. Turning regular jokes into fits of absurdity and harvesting a whole bunch of in-jokes. We relished having an "in" on things. Together, we got it, which helped us tremendously while navigating Boringsville until we could escape.

H was in the upper levels, so other than phys ed, we never shared any classes. Passing notes became handy until we could walk home later. H was also the only person I knew at the time who actually went to East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down. She was probably the only person in my peer group who had been to another country - not counting our fellow foreign students who had escaped communist regimes. It wasn't always perfect, and H was the brunt of my low self esteem and the difficult childhood angst that was sometimes redirected at her through my stinging opinions. For that, I am truly sorry.

All through the years, she kept referring to her best friend L. Gasp! There was another one like us she would assure me. Finally, by accident, I met L through work (remind me to tell you about Arthur's and Video Studio), and we too became friends. Same sick sense of humor and all.

We began to lose contact after high school. I don't lament it too much, as it was only natural part of early adulthood transitions. H was made for bigger and better things. It wasn't unusual that she got the heck out of Dodge as quick as she could. Choosing to settle in a city for university (not surprised) and finally out of the country for her study abroad. We saw each other so infrequently, and for the last time in 1998. H was getting married. I had lived in NYC for a year then. Her wedding happened to occur during my lean years. I couldn't much less afford normal food; much less afford to attend her wedding. Embarrassed of my situation, I ducked out of her life for awhile, letting time pass until I began to feel unworthy to be her friend. After that, we e-mailed each other only a handful of times up until about six months ago when I swore she wouldn't be out of my life ever again. Even if I had to put her in a jar and keep her on the mantle.

So, nine years later, I saw her with my own eyes. It was like she never left. We simply picked up where we left off and carried on. Same humor, same outlook. I apologized for being such a wussy “friend” back in '98 and she understood.

I even earned another nom de guerre -- but only for lunch purposes.

Oh, and H - it wasn't a dream after all. Aliens did steal my brother (wink).