I was dreaming I was at an airport, I had it in my head I was
in Rome. I had my bags and a nagging feeling I'd forgotten something.
Then I remembered what it was - my black boots. I groaned. My
mind quickly ran through the time needed to go back to my Hotel
to get them but there was no way I had enough time to do that
and still catch my flight. I realised then, too, that my sneakers
where with my boots.. darn. I love those boots, and those sneakers.
What on earth was I wearing if my shoes were in the Hotel room?
Looking down I see my white slippers with their little pink butterflies.
I can't believe I'm at an International airport wearing slippers.
I start thinking about how that would be okay - to travel home
in my slippers - sensible, even; until I start running through
crash scenarios and how my slippers would burn up on impact and
really boots were the thing I should be wearing. Dammit. I love
those boots. Funnily enough, I lugged those boots all around Europe
last year and didn't wear them at all.
Waking, the phone ringing.. My sister:
Jo: hi
Me: hiya *vaguely recognising Jo's voice, hoping its
not part of my dream*
Jo: how're you?
Me: sleeping. you?
Jo: hungry. Wanna go to Atomic for breakfast?
Me: yep. sure.
Jo: Unless, maybe we should go somewhere different. Robbie's
meeting her friend there too.
Me: We could go somewhere different.
Jo: Where could we go.
Me: We could go *thinking.. insert silence here*
Jo: Robbie says we should just go to the Atomic too.
Me: Phew. Cos, I was trying so hard to think of somewhere
else and I was like. _Blank.
Jo: Right. See you there, about.. 11am?
Me: ahhh *focusing on the clock.. more silence, this
focusing stuff takes time* phew, its only 9am. Yep, 11am is
good.
Jo: *laughs* what?
Me: well I was thinking 11am'd be no good if it was 10:30am
now but seeing as its 9am it's fine.
Jo: righto. see you there.
Every year we meet for French toast and coffee at the Atomic
Cafe in Ponsonby. I wait for her outside. this is the 3rd or
4th year. I arrive promptly. Normally, I go in and check she's
not inside at a table then wait for her outside. This year I
decided, seeing as she's never inside, I would just wait outside.
I was there promptly at 11am and waited 15 minutes. Thinking
of the conversation I'd had with Beverly the day before about
time, and how waiting for someone should have limits. Should
you wait 5 minutes? 10? 30? After 15 I decided to go in and
order a coffee, and drink it outside so I wouldn't miss her.
I walked into the over crowded cafe and there she was, sitting
at the table.
Me: hey!
Jo: *waving arms* hey!
Me: guess where I was?
Jo: where? I was just saying, it's not like Shelley to
be late.
Me: I was outside waiting for you for the last 15 minutes.
Jo: you goober.
I love my sister. she's the funniest person in the entire world..
bar none. I want to secretly record her and put it up online
so you can understand how very funny she is and so I can have
bits of her when she's not in Auckland or hanging off the end
of the phone. I can't even repeat the stories, they need her
to tell them. Everything she does is funny - getting stuck against
the table, trying to order coffee, trying on swimsuits. She's
such a sweetheart. And her girls are just as funny. All having
the marvellous gift of personality.
The word for today is 'scatterbrained'.
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Yesterday, for the first time since I moved in and needed a
plate and a fork, I unpacked some things. Moved empty boxes
under the house. Cleared some space. My place looks a little
more like a flat now and a little less like a storage facility.
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