Altered

I don't remember the exact moment we declared ourselves best friends but I do remember how it all started.

We were sitting at the dinner table, a brown circular faux wood with some type of slick covering. Mom never minded if we spilled and I doubt I even knew what a coaster was. My dad had changed from his professor clothes to his at home clothes-a white t-shirt and faded jeans from Sears & Roebuck. We were probably eating goulash or tuna fish and peas on toast and talking about our day. 

My older sister had been invited to spend the night at Annie Mullins house. I would have been in first or second grade. I probably begged and pleaded about it not being fair and thought I should spend the night at a friend's house too. My mom must have explained to me how it is rude to invite yourself to someone's house. 

In the end, my parents decided I could invite a friend to spend the night. We called Becky King first. She lived on The Lane and we played together somewhat regularly. Our moms were on committees together and always talked for hours and hours when they walked us over to one another's house. Her dad was a brain surgeon and she had a big brother. I always wanted a big brother. She wasn't at the spend the night with friends stage yet.

We moved on to Kelly Tucker. My mom was one of the Brownie leaders and her mom would stay sometimes to help with a craft. She had a little brother and was a bit of a bragger and bossy but I was willing to endure if it meant having someone SPEND THE NIGHT. She was going to see her Grandma in Louisville for the weekend. 

I wanted to call Katie Adams because she lived a few houses down and she had a humongous jukebox in her bedroom. Her parents were divorced which I didn't really understand. All I knew was that someone gave her parents a jukebox for a wedding present and they didn't live together anymore so Katie and Wendy got to play records  whenever they wanted. I couldn't call her though since Wendy was my sister's friend and my sister was spending the night at Annie's house and it probably would hurt her feelings. 

Mom got out the PTA directory and we started going through the list. We were almost to the end of the alphabet when we landed on Abby. My mom knew everyone and everyone knew her. She was room mom, PTA mom, Brownie Scout leader and gymnastics teacher. We called Abby and our moms talked. I don't remember how well I knew Abby before that. I don't know if we played together on the playground or sat next to each other at lunch. I don't know if we went to each other's birthday parties.

All I know is that our lives and many others were forever altered by our friendship.

**This was originally published on March 26, 2013 but I'm re-posting it and will tell the rest of the story.....