Back in 2012, I reconnected with my childhood best friend, Joanne. We had lived next door out in the countryside. I was 7 and she was 6-years-old when we met. We immediately became fast friends.
Neither of us could remember how we reconnected, so I looked back through our Facebook messages. I was living in Sri Lanka (from 2002-2016) and found her on Facebook. She never changed her name so she was easy to find.
While I lived in Sri Lanka, Facebook was a great way to connect to old friends. Childhood friends.
We wrote long messages and brought up so many memories.
One distinct one was that after I finished my summer chores, I would run on the path through her apple orchard, and run to her kitchen window where Joanne was eating her breakfast. Now, Joanne was the slowest eater ever and after she finished eating, she still had chores to do. I would end up doing her chores so we could get going on playing. I remember the one chore being trimming the grass between the pavers on their outdoor patio. I didn’t mind at all because my goal was to go and play.
The question is; did Joanne eat slowly on purpose? So I’d do her chores? Is she still a slow eater these 70-odd years later?
When I texted her to ask if she’s still a slow eater, she texted back, “Yes I’m still a known slow eater. It always has to be dinner or a movie, never dinner and a movie.”
Joanne’s father was always taking home movies, many of which Joanne has converted into videos online. She recently sent me a photo of my brother Mark and her brother Steve. They were the best of friends. Both have left the planet, so it was great seeing them so young, in such a happy moment.
When you live out in the countryside, on a dirt road, with a cow pasture across the road and with only three houses (mine, Joanne’s and the dreaded Sandy’s) nearby, it’s hit and miss who would be best friends. Fortunately my family loved Joanne’s family. Sandy’s family, not so much. Although I do remember as kids we would go to Sandy’s mom’s vegetable garden and pinch off leaf-eating bugs and caterpillars. Joanne remembers Sandy’s mom as grouchy and always having curlers in her hair.
My parents had put in a gigantic swing set with two swings, a trapeze, rings; all sturdy, made out of metal. Joanne lived on that swing set. I always tried to swing up and over but couldn’t as the set was very tall and I wasn’t the most athletic kid. In fact when we all got together at Joanne’s front yard to play baseball, I was always picked last. Always. But I enjoyed playing!
I found my friend Nancy, who used her maiden name as her middle name on Facebook so it made her easy to find. We went to grade school and high school together. We sang a song on stage for our eighth grade graduation. I can still remember the yellow dress I wore with the Peter Pan collar but I can’t remember the song!
Nancy had a sleepover in eighth grade and one of the girls got her boyfriend to meet her on the rooftop at 2 A.M. Crazy me, I felt I needed to chaperone them. Unfortunately all three of us got busted by Nancy’s very tall, very angry father. Of course he called all of our parents and mine definitely didn’t appreciate having to drive at o’dark hundred to get me. I don’t remember ever going to a sleep over after that.
What’s a girl to do?…I asked Nancy what song we sang at eighth grade graduation. She laughed and said, “Moments to Remember.”
Lucy Llewellyn Byard welcomes comments and shares. To contact her email lucywgtd@gmail.com
