I suppose I really should write something sentimental about you, Catherine, seeing as I owe you a big one.
Mm but what usually goes into mushy crap like this?
I’ve told you already, but my first clear memory of you was that time for Julia L’s 15th (it had to have been) and it was a really hot day. I had a Legal project due soon, about graffiti, so I was walking around the Glen area taking rather pathetic photos of the graffiti. Then I was walking past the train station and I saw Julia and I yelled out. You were standing there as well, with Eunice in tow (for other readers, it’s a different Eunice to the one I mention frequently). I remember seeing you and thinking, “God she’s thin.”
Ok I’ve done the “when we first met” bit. What else?
But we weren’t friends then. We weren’t really friends throughout 2007, either, apart from the occasional word we’d exchange whenever Eunice is around. I remember constantly mistaking you for Tooronga Girl instead of your actual title, Kooyong Girl, and of course never remembering your name. I think I always asked if it’s Lisa or Jenny.
No, we became friends when you came to me for my Legal textbook at the end of 2008. As the requirement of such actions, numbers were exchanged. On a whim one day, I called you “just to chat”. To my surprise and definite pleasure, you were very easy to talk to on the phone. And despite your insisting not to buy my book as it would be an outdated edition, we’d established communication.
Okay so now I’ve done the “how we became friends” bit. I think it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty-Kleenexy moments.
After that, we really didn’t speak much again, until one day in early March or late February, I texted you after having taken the train with you (at least, I think that’s what’d happened). We struck up conversation again, and apart from a negligible hiccup of about 2 weeks, we’d kept in reasonably constant contact over the phone.
But I never realized the amount of importance you’d be to me until only about 2 months ago.
I opened up and started trusting you, sometimes to the utmost extent. And it was a huge gamble on my behalf, and it was a gamble that, for the lack of a better cliche, paid off big time. You’re such a small person (yes, but taller than me I concede) but you are able to help and support so much without actually receiving that much back. I mean, you received maybe a free meal once and a cheap laugh every now and then but apart from that what do you ask for return? Probably to leave you alone on the eve of SACs.
And of course this morning, so selflessly you skipped Methods for me.
I do love you very much, Catherine. And I hope all works out well for you. I’ve made it sound like I’m going away forever, I’m not. I just made it sound like that.
Alex.
P.S. In other news, Eve came up to Carmaine and I today in Methods (well, really just Carmaine but I was right next to her) and said, “Look I have a burning question I HAVE to get the answer to.” And Carmaine and I got a bit interested. “What…WHO is the “U” in BRuCE?”
Wow.
the life and laughs of me 