Yes, her mother really did name her Venus. I can still hear her mom's voice saying "Venus Ann you better be home early." Venus and i met while trying out for cheerleader in 11th grade. She made it. I didn't. I was her friend from "uptown." She considered herself from the "other side of the tracks" as she lived outside of the Downey school district. I thought she was an amazing dancer. She could sing too. I thought she'd be a star someday (in addition to a planet). She taught me to dance "the Hustle." We took art class together and snuck off campus for lunch. We double dated to the senior prom. After high school I moved to Arizona and she stayed in California, and we stayed friends through all the distance and the years. She's one of the few people who still calls me "Suey."
I called her the other night to wish her a happy birthday. She turned the same age I did last year -- and the same age her mother was when she passed away. It was as if we were both 18 again. I told her I quit my job. She said "I did too!" LOVED that! We reminisced about friends, our antics and our ex's. We laughed for over an hour. I don't know what it is that makes two people click like that, or how it's possible to recapture that bond after months or years of not talking. But it's such a beautiful thing.
One of my most precious memories is going to the mall with Venus to buy my mom some clothes when my mom was ill. It was my mom's last Christmas. She got a big kick out of our efforts to dress her up. And Venus told me my mom was always special to her, because she treated her with respect "like she was as good as anyone else." Oh Venie, you're more than "as good as" -- you are incredibly special. A one-of-a-kind. Someone I always looked up to -- even though I am just a TAD taller than you.
Friends do become like sisters as years entwine our hearts. It's a sweet thing. Happy birthday Venie. And many more!
No comments:
Post a Comment