Broad: you had a baby!
I bring my head back up. She is walking towards me. I can't remember which pocket in this hell hole of a bag that I put the bear spray in just to assure the actual parents of the child he'd be safe in my care. Then my wonky memory starts doing the journal entry rolodex spin. Oh. Hmm. Wait. I know this woman. I think.
Broad: How are you Jade?
Oh she's calling me Jade, not that other name I only go by for work purposes. But I'm still drawing a blank. Okay, I know her I think. Still even with the name calling she must be from the pre-Jade memory loss age. Making her someone I knew before the age of 20.
Jade: I am good.
Broad: Oh, you had a boy! (Well yeah, and some others but this isn't one of them but I couldn't be arsed so I let her ramble) I have two boys! One is four, the other is eleven months!...I've also got ....
Jade: Oh, wow! Yeah, this is Caleb, he's almost one.
Broad: He is! Can I hold him?
Jade: Sure! (Okay, I don't know who she is, lets not share this with the parents.)
Broad: So how is your mom and sisters? Is your mom still doing hair?
Okay, she knows my mom, and my sisters which is always a bad sign. Which could possibly mean if I don't do and say that right things from this point on I could be lectured on facebook about how I never call, write, acknowledge my family, dress appropriately, don't have a man, and about how I was rude to some lady's daughter. And the whole thing will likely end in my stabbing myself in the face with something super duper sharp. I should have blocked them all years ago. It's not like I actually remember them! Oh I'm staring off into space again aren't I? Answer her dumb dumb....
Jade: She is good. Old. Retired. Living in Mexico and Ontario. Sisters are good, (I think) all kinda married and having babies. (at least that's what I've read on facebook!) Oh wait the broad is talking again. Gotta keep up and focus.
Broad: Oh wow, that's cool, my mom still lives here, but I don't see her much.
Wait. Oh, okay. I totally know who this is.
Broad: I'm living out in Wawa now.
Jade: Really? On base?. ...
Broad: Sorta moved out there for a guy...(well you're a silly one aren't ya?) When was he born?
Jade: November twenty eighth.
Broad: Right after your birthday! (This broad remembers my birthday? For the love a god why?)
Jade: No, wait, he was born the twenty ninth .
Broad: He's so big! How big was he when he was born?
Jade: 9 lbs 2 oz (I'm just guessing cause he really is big for his age)
Okay I'm back to not knowing, although she reminds me of someone. She is probably reminding me of herself. Or maybe I've hit my head again and I've just been talking to some imaginary person while people pass us by and think I'm full on cray-cray. What? It could happen. She looks real though, and oops nope she IS real. She just spit on me while talking about how she wants a tummy tuck since having kids.
Broad: I can't believe I ran into you here. Do you live back here now? I heard you moved to Tejas and then moved around the South quite a bit! I also heard you married yourself a cowboy with a gun and a badge. (She's smiling kinda maniacally)
Jade: Yeah... I was bored one day. Seemed a good idea. There was coffee, and a fish fry...
She's looking at me funny. I know, I live life rather shamelessly and open, but why do all these people I don't remember seem to know my migratory and mating habits? Can we start with that? I mean sure its not some big secret but who's the hoe-bag with the big mouth? Maybe I'll remember this one when I run into her at the vagina doctor thirty years from now.
Broad: I'm married now. The same guy from high school.
Jade: oh yeah? (Like it makes any difference. I don't know who she is so this ain't helping me..wait!)
Okay, high school. High school. In high school. The school bus ... Too many people. High school. Testing. Cheerleading, pep rallies, student counsel...
Broad: I'm not "Johnson" anymore!
Johnson! HAHAHA She's not a dick anymore...no no no...focus woman! Okay. High school. Standardized testing. J people. Jennifer! Jennifer
Jade: I can't believe it! You look almost the same! Does... he? (Who the fuck was she dating? What was his name again?)
Jennifer: Dennis!
Jade: Yes, right! Dennis! ... Oh my god you have babies!!
Jennifer: I know!!! I have two!! So is your husband here too? I'd love to meet him!
Jade: Well good on ya girl!! And umm no, he's not here. He's in Tejas. (Mentally flipping through my journals actually trying to remember her and Dennis. Did they even garner an entry?)
Jennifer: Oh, He didn't move back here with you? I didn't hear about you getting divorced?
Jade: Yeah, um I didn't, I don't think.... He's good! (I've no earthly clue, though he tried friending me on facebook before I blocked him rather rapidly)
Jennifer: Is he going to be moving here?
Jade: Oh, no. (No if I can help it)
Jennifer: Wow.... Okay ...
She's feeling awkward. And now I'm smiling cause I'm mean like that. Welcome to my daily life Jennifer, where not understanding and not knowing shit is all too real. I'm suddenly glad to have been a journaling pack rat and digital magpie able to memorize memories from before the accident. People try to drag me down memory lane all the fucking time and I've gotten good at steering the conversation so that they relive it all and fill in all the gaps. It's a well honed gift, its also very tiring. Albeit funny and sometimes disturbing to hear about the wild shit I did.
Jade: No it's okay you know. I mean, you aren't surprised are you?
Jennifer: What do you mean?
Jade: Well, you've known me since we were like.....
Jennifer: Thirteen! Wow how time flies. So yeah ... you we're never really big on marriage...
Jade: Nope... but hey you have babies!!!
Jennifer: I know!! I'm so old!!
Jade: We're so old!!
Jennifer: I don't know you still look so young!!
My phone starts going off with that loud wolf whistle, jarring me back to a reality I can handle.
Jennifer asks for my number, I don't ask for hers.
Jennifer: I'll call you tomorrow!
Jade: Okay then....
Jennifer: See you later!
Jade: Have a good one ... Hey Jennifer
Jennifer: Yeah?
Jade: I'm sorry to have heard about your brother.
Jennifer: It's umm...okay Jade. He'd be pleased you remembered him.
Well she may have not gotten an actual entry in my journal but her brother sure did. He had a gift worth remembering. Too bad he's dead. And journaling saves my life once more.
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