December 8, 2012
Escaped from the
apartment! I contemplated dropping down the five floors via twisted twin-sized Spaceship
sheets suspended from the secured balcony. In the end, took the elevator.
Osaldo, Michel’s charming
and suave father arrived dressed in crisp matching military tan button down
shirt and slacks, hair slicked back with pride. On his arm hung Alishe, hair
swinging down her back modest garb of black pants and a silver tank. I didn’t
feel underpriviledged in my standard little black dress and chic grey scarf. Chose
to hide my hideous scars and scab with a well-used ace bandage and donned both conversation
starter crutches for extra support. Swayed down the uneven cobblestones to catch
a taxi on the corner to the Clube.
Skirted the turnstile and
headed to the elevators. The Clube was hopping with princesses and princes to
be. Plastic deck chairs covered in white-fitted fabric lined the hall. The
endless presentation of it’s up to you to decide if you are going to be
President of Brasil or a dentist, lawyer or doctor or even a teacher lulled the
dutiful glittery-garbed audience. Several
erratic songs enamored the parents including two songs in English (just for
muah?) “Santa Clause is Coming To Town” and “You Are My Sunshine”..hm. Infinite
refreshments followed the Powerpoint collage of pictures of the darlings. Hot
dogs slathered in tomato sauce, pastels, mini pizzas and coke, water and beer! After
the stress of the day of preparation…beer was a welcomed site! Blacker than
black coffee and yummy bite-sized chocolate cookies offered for dessert. Unfortunately
I didn’t bring my purse.
Cris graciously invited
everyone at the crowded round table back to the spacious apartment to resume
the cheery festivities. Her exotic sister Paula dressed in an African patterned
outfit with a bone neckline and slim fashionable spendy sandals drove
separately with her fiancé, Leo in his customary pressed white shirt and black
slacks, chocker and silver bracelets to add to the playboy image. Patricia and
Douglas in sensible and nothing out of the ordinary dress joined us with their
daughter, Anne. Ana, Michel’s oldest daughter from a previous relationship also
tagged along. She and Anne were in jean shorts and longish shirts, spending
most of their time in the back, giggling over Facebook posts on their I-phones and
speaking in a Mickey Mouse voice drawn from the seized helium balloons suspended
from the eggshell drop ceiling.
In the wee hours following
inevitably lengthy and seriously complicated conversations while sipping expensive
champagne and attending to my uncomfortable ankle I became overtired. With
jazzy music reverberating in the background, it is nearly impossible to follow
an obscure conversation. At best I catch glimmers of a familiar word here and
there…so I sit across from the stimulating tête-à-têtes and glance through the
coffee table books.
Kisses all around and we
call it a night after 1:00am.
Today is another Groundhog
Day-a lot of nothing going on…
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