Monday, December 15, 2008

Evelyn

I was at Melissa's blog yesterday, she has a very cool family activity with photos and garland. Then I saw she had a whitepages something or other link you can use to find people. I immediately had to use it so I put my first roommate from college's name in there and guess what? I found her. Evelyn. My first ever roommate.

I was a dumb transfer student coming in and she was a senior in her last year going out. Remember I grew up in a small town in Texas population 400. She was a Houston debutante. Of course I'm all sophisticated and well spoken now, but there was a time when calling me a bumpkin would have been a compliment.I don't know how she could stand me but she did.

Evelyn was smart and beautiful and, most of all, stylish. She had style while the rest of us were stuck in the trends of the eighties. I wanted to look like her, dress like her; even just sitting near her was enough. No, we weren't very much alike but somehow we became friends anyway. We had a lot of fun that year. One of her friends even warned me that "Evelyn does not like room mates". She could be very kick ass when she needed to be. She could put someone in their place without ever demeaning herself. She should have ripped me to shreds but she didn't.

In short, I loved that girl.(in a totally non gay way, Dan!) She kind of took me under her wing and dragged me along with her. I needed a lot of dragging.

You may have guessed that things didn't end well. Towards the end of the school year Evelyn and I starting bickering over little, stupid things. If I had been mature enough to look outside myself I would have seen that Evelyn was anxious about getting a job, getting married, just getting a life in general.

Our last fight was a good one. I have no idea how it started or ended. I do know at one point during our screaming she threw a hard plastic cup at my head and it bounced off like I was rubber girl. I was so furious I didn't even feel it. And then: I pushed her into the sink.
Not our finest hour but at least we didn't scratch or pull each other's hair.

She graduated, I had my summer at home. The End. Not quite. One day Evelyn showed up and once again we were giggling roommates. She didn't just run off into the sunset like I might have done, she came to drag me along like always.
She lived in the area and we saw each other on the weekends and had adventures just the same.

Eventually she moved back to Houston, I moved home and began my first year of teaching. We wrote letters until one day I just didn't write back. I have no idea why, I guess we were just going our separate ways.

So see it wasn't a bad ending really, just the way things go in life. Only now I have her address and her mother's phone number. I don't know if I should call her, send her a postcard, or just look through college photos and do nothing.

I wish she were here to drag me along.

17 comments:

Bee said...

First!

Bee said...

Well, we might not be standing right next to you to drag you anywhere but we can push you!

Write to her jean knee. I have a missed opportunity that I will always regret. I kept thinking I could always get my best friend from childhoods number from her parents but her mother died and now her stepfather's phone is disconnected.

Bee said...

Oh, and the day before thanksgiving, I received a card from a friend I've known since my Brown's chicken days. It's waiting in my china cabinet ready for me to call her but I keep thinking, maybe tomorrow. I really really hope I don't drag my ass! That's it! I'm calling her now... well, maybe tomorrow.

wynne said...

*push*

Are you standing next to a cliff, by the way?

wynne said...

C'mon. What have you got to lose?

wynne said...

You shoved her in the sink? Man.

Brian o vretanos said...

Well, I'm not going to try and push - I'm the least qualified person to give advice. If she's deliberately making herself contactable via this link or whatever then she won't mind you getting in touch.

Millie said...

It's me, the Holiday Armadillo!

In keeping with the Holiday Armadillo spirit, I believe you should contact her. She'll love hearing from you and you'll get all these fun warm fuzzies. It's a win-win deal.

Melissa said...

Glad you liked the holiday garland thing :) And the whitepages link comes in very handy!
I think you should write to her! Just send her a holiday card or something simple to say hi and stuff :)

Dan said...

What happened to Wordless Wednesday?

Super Happy Girl said...

11th!!!!

Hold on Dan, it's not Wednesday yet.
Save that comment for maƱana. Then we can bug her about it.

Super Happy Girl said...

Did I just write bug? I meant convince.

Super Happy Girl said...

Who knew ther was any violence in our little Jean Knee?

Anyway, you should write or call her mom. Then she can see what a lovely /non-violent/popular and bloggy you have become!

elasticwaistbandlady said...

I think you should get her a He-Man action figure to break the ice.

You know they have a character named Evelyn/EVILyn.

I bet she'd really enjoy that......maybe.

aubreyannie said...

i say call her. i have been searching for two long lost friends, each from different times in my life. i will have to check otu those white pages. if you're wondering if i would call them? no, i wouldn't. so, i'm not one to talk.

aubreyannie said...

or write. cuz i'm not talking to you.

Rhonda Sloan said...

Of course you should call her. Why not? Do it. Now. :)