-Isabel Allende
THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS: The Hour of Truth
Twenty-five years ago today:
I wrote Paloma a typewritten letter using my word processor today. This is the beginning of it:
August 24, 1987
Monday Night
I was right. The big news of last weekend is that my brother’s wives, Helen and Sherri, are both pregnant. Their second babies are due in April or May of 1988. I’ll be an uncle again.
I’m glad my last letter pleased you. It was fun writing it. In fact, I have a copy of that last letter so I can backtrack and remind myself of what I wrote to you the last time.
School hasn’t started for me yet. However, I have made some new decisions as to what I will strive for in returning to school. I plan to get a Certificate in Public Relations by taking 6 courses at Golden Gate University. And then, I will pursue a second major in Psychology. Ultimately, I plan to acquire a PH.D. in Psychology. I will be a psychologist. My game plan is to practice in Los Angeles and, perhaps, counsel distraught and troubled folks. It may take a while since I need to work at the same time, but all in due time…this is my latest plan. Just think…you will be getting free counseling from a ‘top’ psychologist in California.
I didn’t even go to the gym tonight and I usually go on Monday nights. I’ll have to make up for it the rest of the week. Or maybe I’ll go after all. It’s 8:20PM now, so I doubt I’ll make it. Sometimes I need that bit of inspiration and motivation from someone. I wish you were around so we could discuss it. I bet I’d really be buffed if I were still your protégé. Not to say that I’m all that bad now, but you know how it is. We always feel there’s room for improvement.
There’s a waitress at the HOT ROD CAFÉ in Alameda named Nona. She is a professional body builder. She is really tone and muscular. She carries a tray around and all of the guys are all ‘ogle-eyed’ at the sight of her biceps. She is impressive though she is short. Your height would make you the “eye-catcher” if you trained against her in a competition.
As for the pictures I sent you…Well, your girlfriend by the swimming pool has good taste doesn’t she? Ha-ha. I’ll have to update you with some more pictures in a while. I hope Alexandre doesn’t get mad that I write to you. He can’t understand written English anyway, can he? I guess sometimes you were like the sister I never had. And yet…there were other times that I definitely wanted more than that. I just wasn’t sure that you really did. Do you know what I mean? Oh well, it’s all sort of history now, isn’t it? I just hope we never lose our bond that we currently have. When we’re old and gray I, especially, want us to still remain close in a partnership that could never break.
Do you remember my friend Mike Miller? Well, he met my roommate Stacey and he thought she looked like you. He said Stacey was a smaller version of you, like a kid sister. She does resemble you a bit, but she is shorter. She is real messy and I can’t wait for her to move out. Am I mean or what? Sometimes she uses the shower and forgets to remove her glob of hair from the drain. Isn’t that gross? She also starts laundry and doesn’t finish it. She’s not too reliable, but in due time she will be gone…I’m sure. Right this minute she is downstairs entertaining a guy named Kevin that she works with and has gone out with a couple of times. She cooked him dinner. Since she’s lived here that is the first time she’s ever cooked a meal. I hope she doesn’t forget to do the dishes. It’s kind of rare for us to be here together on the same night anyway.
I’m glad to hear that you don’t smoke anymore. You know my roommate, Stacey, goes to a rehabilitation group meeting two nights a week. She was going to school in San Diego and spent most of her student loan on cocaine. What a druggie! She has supposedly changed her ‘coke’ ways. She was going out with some 35 year old alcoholic guy that she met from her meetings! I don’t know what her problem is…but it was kind of nice when she was seeing him because she’d stay the night with him all of the time. I barely ever saw her. I admit when I first got her to move in I was attracted to her but after seeing the geeks she goes out with…I wouldn’t touch her with a ten foot pole.
That’s too bad that Alexandre doesn’t care too much for Didier. People all have their own individual tastes, I guess. The worst thing is to try and change his mind directly. Maybe if you indirectly ask him why he doesn’t like him and you share with him why you like him (or any of your other friends)…or if you find something that both of them like and can relate together about it will spark or trigger a sort of compatibility. But then if jealousy is the primary reason he may stubbornly never change his mind. I remember thinking Didier was a funny and nice sort of guy, but I’m open-minded. I can usually get along with a wide variety of people. I thought Didier may have been wild in his younger days…
The Beginnings – Part 52: HE’S NOT A GIRL
July 5, 1983
I went to work and left George at my pad. I did telephone him during my first break, lunch and last break to see how he was doing. I also called because I find myself thinking solely of ‘George’ these days. His eyes and his smile just kill me. I am H.O.H. and then some…
I was surprised when I arrived home to find George lying out by my pool in my red corduroy shirt with two glasses of water.
George said, “I washed your clothes.”
I realized that the second glass of water was for me. It was so thoughtful. My apartment looked impressively clean and tidied up.
I thought to myself, “George is so clever and innovative.”
I really enjoy his company very much. I was so excited to return home. He’s full of surprises. It seems I always have a great time with him. No, I have more than a great time with him. He even insisted on cooking dinner while I went to fill up my car with gas.
George said, “Could you stop and get some French bread and Cool Whip?”
It was a great dinner. I mean…just the fact that we were eating together was great.
Helen Wong telephoned and George and I went over to help move her bed. It was an okay task but we left soon after the requested chore. We wanted to get home to have our dessert: Cool Whip atop of each other. Yummy. I kind of went overboard when I put too much on him. We were laughing hysterically.
He smiled and held up a bottle of JERGENS lotion that he had bought earlier today. It was nice. We slept until half past midnight.
Apparently, George’s friends did not go to the San Leandro gay skating rink, so I had to drive him all the way to Sunnyvale. He thought for sure he could hitch a ride back to San Jose with his pals. Alas, it was okay. We were both looking forward with excitement over the forthcoming concert for A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS this Friday night.
We have decided—or I should say I have decided that ‘I think’ I am in love with him. I know I’m H.O.H. in love and I’m not afraid of the fact. After all, he is great. He’s really a special person even if he’s not a girl. We know how and when (and where) to act properly.
Once I returned home from dropping him off I was pissed because I couldn’t find my security gate opener in my car. I’ll have to conduct an all out search for it tomorrow. I was so happy to just crash under the covers for the night. Yawn.
Two Gentleman Sharing…Well, we know what that means, don’t we?
-William Corlett
TWO GENTLEMAN SHARING
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