Blog 5 – Those were the days my friend

Each week I excitedly post my blog, followed by spending the rest of the day realising all I did not include. I am loving writing and the interaction from all of you. Your comments are amazing thank you, I truly have such a full heart. I value all your interaction, so before we get started. A resounding thanks you 

There are so many memories of my mom besides those I shared with you last week, as batty as she was, she was my mom. I miss her, and treasure the memories (good and bad I guess like anything hey?)  One I adhered to mention last week, she had fads. She believed in UFO; s, Guides, after life and other “taboo” beliefs. So, in line with our fantasy theme of last week this perhaps was one of those you had to have been there situations, however I feel it is worthy of sharing with you dear reader. She was reading about some god, and this god would supposedly visit his people with a clickety clackety foot stepping sound. Now for that Christmas her and my dad had bought me roller skates. Those retro ones where you wore your shoes (takkies) and strapped them over. I had been skating with my friend next door Nicole we had decided to call it a day.  I recall as clear as day my mom’s expression as I entered the house, I was still wearing my rickety retro skates. She was convinced this god she was reading about has appeared to visit her. You can imagine her disappointment when around the corner arrived her Dizabeth. Crazy woman she was 😊

This morning I received a wonderful WhatsApp from a truly dear, dear friend which resulted in us spending the next hour (or more) reminiscing. Recently I was watching Your Honour (that is how I got addicted to Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was in Your Honour. If you have not watched it – it’s really worthwhile.) Anyhow sjoe if one thing is very, very clear to you dear reader. It is the fact that I seriously love movies, series, big screen, small screen, I love it!  Hmm now that I think about it, perhaps this love was born from all the fantasy I experienced as little Dizabeth?  Anyhow, so, another very clear thing here is how quickly I can digress! Where was I? Oh yes chatting to Charmaine. I was telling her how I recall in Your Honour Bryan Cranston’s character says how life aligns itself at the precise time and place that events/things/meetings are meant to occur. And many years later Charmaine and I remain the best of friends. Her and I met in Standard four (grade four). We had recently moved into the neighbourhood; it was my first day at school. I was trying very hard at crying subtly as I sat in the lesson. Remember, we used to have those double seater wooden desks with the lid that opened? Oh, my word, I recall the one day, I hate to admit this, but I was writing on the desk. Probably drawing a heart with some young boy’s name, I thought I was going to marry one day, who no doubt did not even realise I was in his class, never mind alive. So, there I was when there was a resounding boom in my ear. The teacher bellowed: “Elizabeth do you draw on your mothers dining room table like this?” Suffice to say I spent an afternoon or two in detention sanding down desks with other caught out desk top designers.  So, cast your mind back dear reader to my first day at school when the young lass sitting next to me raised her hand. “Yes Charmaine” responded Miss Anthony. To which Charmaine nonchantly replied: “Miss Anthony I DON’T sit next to cry babies”. The rest dear readers as they say, “is history” and an amazing history, some of which I am about to share with you. Me oh my, did Charmaine and I have some brilliant times from those little girls we were, right up to the here and now still treasuring our friendship, even though we are now seas apart.

As you no doubt have fathomed, my mom was extremely strict, and at the same time quite – um what would one say, tumultuous? As I mentioned, her and I could have both easily acquired the lead roles in any family drama you can think of. This often led to me literally being kicked out of home. I recall packing all my belongings, including my Pink Panther. I would phone Charmaine. Her mom, Mrs. Hack would answer. I would bravely say “Hi Mrs. Hack, please could I speak with Charmaine.” her reply always was “We on our way.” I would move in with the Hacks until mom decided she had either proved her point or was missing me. Usually, it was proving her point!

I don’t recall many adventures from our standard four year, although one that stands out clearly. Our math teacher Mr. Bradfield was quite a dish. I remember at the end of the school year, writing to him to confess my undying love for him. Yip you guessed it! The next year he was my class teacher, how awkward was that? Anyhow, to make it easier I recall he would perform all types of acrobats for us to understand the concept of whatever he was teaching us. This particular time Charmaine and I, if I recall correctly, we had failed a test and he reprimanded us from a dizzy height. So, Charmaine devised this “brilliant” plan (I reckon this brilliant idea came from the fact that we felt so humiliated in front of the class, not to mention the boys in the class) she said: “Lets ignore him!” We would no longer entertain his classroom antics. Now dear reader, can you imagine. The poor man must have suffered multiple sleepless nights, as these two were not laughing at his antics!

Fast forward a few years Charmaine’s folks owned a video shop and Charmaine and I worked there. Oh, my word, that was such fun too, new releases would arrive, and customers would ask “Has Rocky come in as yet?” we would earnestly reply: “No sorry try tomorrow” and we would watch the latest release. Thinking back that must have been dismal to not only the customer but to her folks as well. Do not go to that video shop they never have the latest releases! This day Mr. Bradfield came in to obviously hire some videos. Now back then I honestly used to wear a fair amount of make up (a lot!) and I truly, truly believed that this make up transformed me and I was nothing like I was without make up on. I remember my brother once mentioning if he married me, he would insist I wore make up 24/7. So, there I was this day behind the counter and before my eyes Mr. Bradfield walks in. Well – hmm I hate to admit this, but I still kind of had a crush on him. So, I quickly checked nothing was in between my teeth, all (and I mean all) my makeup was in place, my hair was perfectly coiffed …check check. Yip all in place. Once he had chosen his videos, he came to the counter. And didn’t I say, “And the name please” – to which he replied, “It’s still Mr. Bradfield Liz”. Well, well dear reader I wanted to literally plutz with embarrassment. I had honestly believed with my make up on etc., he would never recognize this young lady as the little whipper snapper that used to sulk and not laugh at his jokes.

I will admit Charmaine and I were quite late bloomers. I truly don’t know if this is just downright embarrassing, refreshing or actually brave to be admitting this? But in standard five Charmaine and I were still playing with our Barbies. Now we clearly were very, very aware that this was taboo when the very next year we were starting high school but we loved our Barbies, and to this day I still always steer myself towards them when in a toy shop. They evoke such lovely memories.

The Umhlanga Sands was the hip and happening club. The one day, actually thinking back, I recall the two girls very well, and they were actually true cow bags. We were in house craft (home economics these days) and these two were at the same table as Charmaine and me. They asked how our weekend had been. (It was at this stage we surely should have realized we had been set up. We clearly didn’t.)  Having never been to the Sands disco I have no idea why we did what we did next – but we did!

“Oh, it was fantastic, we were so, so tired and hungover (and as we all know this did become a reality to me in my latter life) on Saturday morning as we were at Sands disco” we replied.  Well clearly, they knew very well we had not been anywhere near Umhlanga Rocks itself, never mind the disco. And they proceeded to ask us to explain where precisely the disco was. Yip as you have guessed, we lied, they knew it and did they make a fool of us.

 In grade ten we had to choose subject choices. It was at this time that Charmaine and I would have been ideal candidates for the US presidency. I tried ever so hard to convince her to do art “we will draw all day long”. She tried with Geography, “lets do Geography, we will spend all day on field trips” – neither of us managed to convince the other to go for her vote. And the cherry on top after trying to sway the other into choosing the same subject we were both wrong. In fact, art was awash with History of Art – the book alone was wild. Talking about wild, I remember the day, for some bizarre reason I was in a bad mood. Unfortunately for me, Charmaine was with me when I slammed the glass door in the hall, cracking it. Well, she never let up until I went and admitted my guilt to the flippen head mistress herself. Now that was a random story wasn’t it!

We were not sports orientated. In fact, I believe if we had had to take part in a gala, we would to this day still be swimming. We detested sports (in fact we still do) Miss Turner I guarantee used to have herself a bet each week, what our excuse would be that day as to why we please needed to be excused.

Like all teens (well most) in that era Charmaine and I were smokers. (No, no this was a few years after we retired our Barbies) Actually thinking about it now I reckon most of us, whose parents smoked, were smokers. Unlike these days very few smokers are around, and the kids are dead set against it. But back in our day it was super cool. Charmaine and I were in her room (door closed obviously we were teenagers) and her mom opened the door and popped her head in, well of course we both very quickly hid our cigarettes behind our backs. Mrs. Hack chatted and chatted and chatted. When she obviously had timed it perfectly with a bemused expression, she finished her conversation with “Right I imagine your cigs have burnt out by now, I will leave you girls.” How did we ever think she could not smell the smoke? That reminds me years ago I worked in advertising, I recall in the interview, they asked if I smoked. Realising they were definite non-smokers I obviously told a white lie. I got the job, on the way to work every morning the little red UNO looked like a frikken cigar lounge. I would shove about five (not kidding) cigarettes down my lungs. The owners’ wife one day clearly could not take the irritation any longer and asked, “Are you a smoker?” to which I adamantly replied. “No! No, not at all, BUT Gary smokes and sjoe he smokes a lot”. When I quit smoking, I realised what a blady fool I must have made of myself!

Every payday Charmaine and I would dress up, catch the bus into town and do a bit of retail therapy. I used to love the clothing boutique Smiley Blue, think it was in West street. After shopping we would treat ourselves to a Chinese lunch at Tong Lok in 320 West Street. We truly thought we were the bee’s knees. The one year we even ventured to the Durban July. I recall being dismally disappointed that the television cameras had not interviewed us, let alone taken a photo for the Sunday Tribune front page. I can still recall I dressed in a Lady Di outfit. Whatever her fad of the time was, I was in it. The one weekend (Charmaine had learnt to drive, with me sitting in the back of the car as her mom taught her to park). Off we went for a weekend to the Wild Coast casino. I do not recall if we won or what we even did, but boy oh boy do I recall the drama that ensued. Charmaine had received a truly beautiful diamond ring from her folks (maybe it was her eighteenth). We drove all the way down the South coast, and on the bridge just before the entrance to the casino there were little kids begging. She was adamant they had somehow ripped it off her finger. Well,  the police were called, the hotel security got involved. Drama, drama, Drama! It turned out when her poor dad finally got a word in edge ways that she had forgotten the blady ring at home.

Before Charmaine got her license, she lived in Glenashley and for some reason we were wanting to go to Umhlanga, and her folks (my folks were “those” parents, who never ever lifted the friends, so of course when my boys were kids, I was always Mom’s taxi, myself and Lorraine) anyhow, we decided to walk to Umhlanga. Every car that drove passed we shrunk from the “degrading” episode it was. Since we so hated sport, I am actually super impressed we walked that far! Wait a minute,  there were quite a few occasions when we were “forced” to walk. The one-day Debbie, Charmaine’s younger sister walked there and back with us to the La Lucia Mall, the poor girl bought herself a watermelon, a whole watermelon – and do you know we point blank refused to help her carry that dreaded melon home, and then when she woulnOt share with us, we were shocked and horrified.

As human’s we really are blessed with the gift of memories.  This morning Charmaine and I visited yester year and shared many good laughs. I have always sworn, if you find a place in my heart, you truly are there for life. My friends and family are extremely special to me. Sharing memories such as these truly is one of life’s greatest gifts. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season and if you lucky enough for a lifetime. Charmaine, I thank you for that day you raised your hand and told Miss Anthony you do not sit next to cry babies. Since then, you have been there to wipe away many a happy and sad tear.

I love you – stay safe in this scary time we live in.

To all of you my dear friends and family thanks for following my blog. Thanks for inspiring me each week with your encouragement, and love.

Till next week 

Mwah mwah.