-Alice Munro
OPEN SECRETS, Short Stories
Twenty-five years ago today:
May 26, 1987
Tuesday
It’s my 28th Birthday. I don’t feel any older.
Of course, Paloma has impeccable timing. She wrote me a letter dated May 22, 1987 and I received it today on my Birthday. She included a floral card and wrote:
Happy Birthday Michael!
I hope you’ll get this card on time. As you can see I started writing you a letter about a month ago and never finished it. I’m still waiting for my baby but now he should be here anytime. I have to go to the hospital every three days. Isn’t it amazing that he might have the same birthday as you and my stepmother! I’ll let you know and I’ll send you some pictures pretty soon.
I’m glad you still think about me as a special friend. I do, too. And I miss you very much. I always remember things we did together like that first time at the I-BEAM, Red Wine, Santa Cruz and the VALENTINE’S Evening we went out together. Those are great “souvenirs”.
Well, I better send this card right now or I never will. I’ll try to call on your birthday but I might not be able…if you see what I mean. Anyway, I’ll talk to you soon.
Hope to read you soon. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Love,
Paloma
In the included sheet of paper Paloma wrote the letter she never finished until now:
Dear Michael,
Thanks for your card as usual. I was really happy to hear from you, even if I miss your long, long letters!
Thanks also for your CONGRATULATIONS. Just stop talking about working out and let’s forget about my shape. See, it’s not really that I’m fat but I’m going to have a baby in about 5 weeks, so I have this humongous tummy, kind of like a twenty year beer drinker. Of course, I can’t work out. People (I can’t call them friends) keep telling me to so some swimming. Just forget it. There is no way I’m going to walk around in a bathing suit. That’s funny how before I used to find pregnant woman really pretty. I really like it better when I’m not the one though!
Oh well, that makes me forget a bit about all of the abdominal work outs I’m going to have to do. To think that I’m going to have a little baby…I already love him very much. I feel him move all the time. It’s so weird!
The weather is nice and I can lie out in the backyard, but I feel really lonely. I don’t know that many people here.
Here is my new address (until at least next winter):
C/O Mr. A
34340, Marseillan FRANCE
My special day started as soon as I woke up and made it merrily to the office. Lily bought some warm pork buns for the office ‘in celebration’ of my Birthday. Freddie brought donuts.
My brother, Tony, gave me a phone call.
It was funny as he asked, “Why don’t you bring me a slice of your cake—if you get one?”
He was probably serious, too.
Carla didn’t show up nor did she even call me on my Birthday. That was disappointing.
My Birthday Cake did appear after lunch. All of my office workers sang ‘Happy Birthday’. I actually blushed and cut the cake. It was really very nicely done.
I left the office at 4PM and headed for Hillsborough where I promised to see Eileen. I was surprised. She cut her hair! It’s still long—but not as long. She bought me an extra-large ALL AMERICAN SPORT T-Shirt with a bicyclist pictured on it. It’s great. I love it.
I said, “You’re too sweet!”
Her hair looks good. It actually makes her look a bit older—not sixteen anymore, but twenty.
I said, “Just think…once your braces come off you’ll look twenty-one!”
I didn’t stay with her for too long. I was stuck in a traffic jam getting on to Highway 880 in Hayward before I finally got home to Alameda.
Chris Cordellos arrived at 7:20PM and he bought me a GUESS Pullover shirt (light blue). That was really nice. I wore it to HORATIO’s in Berkeley where we ate dinner. I ordered the Alaskan Halibut. Our waitress, Laurie, was from Pleasanton. She was so nice to us. It was a very nice dinner.
Chris and I talked about that trip to London in November. We returned to my house in Alameda and he left for Concord. He has to be at work tomorrow and then he has five consecutive days off.
Chris mentioned that he and Linda (his black girlfriend/pal) are probably going camping or driving to L.A. during his time off.
I watched MISS UNIVERSE on TV after Chris left. The 4th runner-up was Miss Puerto Rico. She was actually the prettiest through my eyes. The 3rd runner-up was Miss VENEZUELA, the 2nd runner-up was MISS USA (from Texas) and the 1st runner-up was MISS ITALY. The winner, of course, was MISS CHILE. Her teeth weren’t exactly pearly white (ugh).
PHOTO: Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987
Johnny called me from L.A.
He said, “Hey! I finished my recording session. I’ll probably stay at my folks’ house in El Toro while my parents are away on vacation.”
I went to bed after his phone call, realizing that I had a very nice Birthday. It was a Tuesday and a work day, too. It’s my New Year’s Day, so starting tomorrow it will be strict gym visits.
The Hawaii trip is on 4th of July (and not so far away). Johnny had mentioned he may come up here to the Bay Area in July. I didn’t bother telling him that I have plans to go to Hawaii. He may get the wrong idea. Then again, what the hell…I owe him no explanations.
‘We’re the Laurel and Hardy of inventors. Well, this is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into.’
I still lived in a dream of self, only to wake up periodically, wildly look around and grab for something that proved I could control my life.
…locked up here with ---?---I couldn’t afford to worry about us. But enjoying our situation did not feel dishonest to me.
-Christopher Bram
SURPRISING MYSELF
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