November 10th I received my last package of "teh uber hard-to-find"video games. It took a month of collaborating but finally my mercenary in Japan finished the job, and what a job he did. With this score, I'm pretty much set
But I had no time to revel in its magnificence. I was on the way to a wedding banquet with my good friend. Who got hitched? Our old high school buddy Christina; my friend's old flame, and despite his efforts to coax me otherwise, I knew he still had feelings for her
The one he let get away, folks
It's a classic tale of procrastination, assuming there's always tomorrow
He and Christina were the best of friends in 2001. And I mean THE ABSOLUTE BEST. Wherever he went, there she was. Wherever she went, there he was
It was borderline sickening =p
GO FOR IT
I encouraged him to ask her out. He always told me how much he liked her
But it was always the same ole excuses
"I don't want to ruin the friendship"
"She doesn't dig me THAT much... it's too big of a risk"
Finally he saw the light. I only hoped he didn't wait too long
The window of opportunity is a fickle lover
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
Finally, the day came. He was going to ask her out while they were at lunch
Before he could, she introduced her new boyfriend
OUCH
Their friendship was never quite the same
FIVE YEARS LATER... MAY 2006
Christina was still dating that same guy who indirectly ripped out my friend's heart. And now they were getting married. We were both invited
The three of us met up for lunch at Dave and Busters to celebrate our forthcoming graduation. It had been years since I saw Christina. For my friend, months. The lunch went swell, but her fiance was conspicuous by his absence
NOVEMBER 10, 2006
The mail lady knocked on my door. I had been waiting for this day for some time. Inside were a bunch of very hard-to-find obscure SFC games. Alas, I had the banquet to get ready for. It's weird, whenever I receive a highly anticipated package I've always got somewhere else I need to be. When my SNES package arrived at 12:45 PM on a rainy-as-hell Monday afternoon of January 30, 2006, bundled with 25+ games, I had an Advanced Acting class at 1:30
Strange luck, but I digress
This was going to be one interesting night to say the least...
He came over and we were on our way
LET THE MADNESS UNRAVEL...
By the time we got off the freeway it was dark and pouring. We were stopped in front of a train track. As the heavy rain drops pelted the roof of his car, with the loud rumbling of the train roaring past us, it happened
JESSIE'S GIRLblared on the radio. Its cheesy yet classic 80s pop rock, not to be outdone by the tumultuous train, sliced through the cold night air with fierce vengeance
I expected him to change the station, but he never did
As the train roared on for what seemed like an eternity, we sat there in silence, taking in the ambience. I feared the lyrics would drive him over the edge....
[flashback]
Jessie is a friend Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine, But lately something's changed; it ain't hard to define Jessie's got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine
Y'know I feel so dirty when they start talkin' cute, I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is prob'ly moot
And I'm looking in the mirror all the time Wondering what she don't see in me, I've been funny I've been cool with the lines; Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?
Y'KNOW I WISH THAT I HAD JESSIE'S GIRL!
Tell me, where can I find a woman LIKE THAT?
[/flashback]
Maybe it was the tranquility of that moment, or some epiphany he later had while parallel parking; I just know this: the night was full of fun and frivolity. He showed no signs of lamenting her. That night I believe he finally put the past behind him
Capping the night off, I arrived home and remembered I had a box of obscure rarities awaiting me. All in all, Friday November 10, 2006, was one for the record books
IN CLOSING...
And let it be a lesson to all of us. Don't assume there's always going to be a tomorrow, for there might not be
The mail lady knocked
By the time we got off the freeway it was dark and pouring. We were stopped in front of a train track. As the heavy rain drops pelted the roof of his car, with the loud rumbling of the train roaring past us, it happened
Jessie is a friend
