Posts Tagged: pauline
Pie in the Face is a Gift
The only time my cousin Pauline and I ever really fought was at a graduation party in the summer of 1990. I think it was 1990, or maybe it was 1989?
We’d go through the summer spending weeks at a time, at each other’s houses, until the Erie County Fair rolled into town. That was always our end of summer alarm. It didn’t matter, though, because we’d already spent a lot of time together; swimming, playing in the backyard, doing our hair and nails, listening to music, making up stories, and whatever else we did as teen-aged girls.
Weeks prior to the graduation party, I’d jokingly said something about how I thought it would be funny to have something like cake smashed in my face. Or maybe it was to have seltzer water sprayed like they did on the prank shows. Or maybe it was slime like “You Can’t Do That on Television.” I really don’t remember!
While at the party we were outside, on the front steps of our church hall, holding platefuls of graduation party desserts (which were totally in major overload.)
“Haven’t you always wanted to have pie smashed in your face?” I blurted out.
“No, not really,” she replied.
“I think it’d be fun!” I exclaimed only to lose my breath in a fistful of Aunt Peggy’s mud pie.
“Oh. My. God. You BITCH! This is my new Forenza* outfit.” I yelled.
“But you said….”
“I don’t care what I said,” I muttered as I took a piece of watermelon and smeared it all over my cousin before I stormed off.
I think we didn’t talk for like 25 minutes after I returned in another outfit. There was no way that I could be mad at her; we’re blood, and she’s like a sister to me.
*Forenza: Oh, how I loved my blue plaid Forenza vest and cropped pants. I wore it with a white tee shirt and had a matching headband. I was très cool!
Meet Pauline
Tije me vidoja, ama taja ne me vide
They saw me, but she didn’t
Draga Prijatelka Pavlina,
Ama mnogu mi je milo sto se najdovme na ovaj internet. Znam deka ti si Polska, i jas sum Makedonka, ama mislam deka porastnavme vo istoto vreme so istite zelbi za nasijot zivot. Samo jas tuka sum rodena. A ti tamo. Za tebe starijot kraj je nesto drugo. Nema gajle, jas mislam deka nije se znaj me.
Znajs kolku si ubava? Jas znam.
Znajs kolku sakam da te slusam koga zboruvas? Vekje mozam tsel den.
Znajs deka si mnogu dobra majka? Tvojte decina se tolku mili vo site sliki; se znaj deka majkata gi cuva dobro.
Stalno da znajs deka mi si prijatelka. Za stalno!
Te sakaa,
Misel
My Dear Friend Pauline,
It means so much to we that we found each other on the internet. I know that you are Polish and I am Macedonian, but I think that we grew up in the same times with the same wishes for how our lives would be. The only difference is that I was born here and you were born there; for you “the old country” is something different. That really doesn’t matter, though, as I believe that we get each other.
Do you know how beautiful you are? I know.
Do you know that I love the way you talk? I mean, I could listen to you all day long.
Do you know that you are a great mother? Your children are so sweet in every photo; it shows how their mother keeps them so well.
I want you to know that you will always be my friend. Forever.
With Love,
Mishelle
