Thursday 29 May 2008

How I Met Mr. GoneBackSouth

July 1989. I was weathered by late-night cramming for exams and too much beer, trussed up in Doctor Marten boots, red lipstick and an attitude the size of Peru. Soul II Soul and Guns N' Roses were rocking the UK and Margaret Thatcher was ruling it.

Clutching my student exchange work-permit, I boarded a plane to America with my friend, affectionately known as Has Anybody Seen My Organizer? We argued all the way to JFK - we were ready for a summer adventure and he wanted to go to Boston because he'd heard it was cool; I wanted to go to South Carolina because I wanted to spend the summer on the beach.

Upon arrival in Boston, we checked into the youth hostel. With no plans, no jobs and nowhere to live, we hung about. Soon, word spread that the movie theatre up the road needed people fast - Batman was about to open and they were expecting a stampede. Tom, the Manager, opened the door to 8 smelly but eager British students. We all marched in to ask for jobs and he hired us all. We put on white shirts, black elasticated bow-ties and red waistcoats (that matched my lipstick). The boys sold and clipped tickets, the girls served food, drinks and candy. We got to see lots of free movies.

We fooled around and made the place our own for a few months, leaving our customers wondering if they'd suddenly been transported to England by mistake. We quickly adopted bad American accents, purely for popcorn-serving purposes, so we could ask "you want budder on that?" There were mice in the corn sacks, a creepy guy on projectors and relentlessly sticky floors ... but it was a good job. Has Anybody Seen My Organizer? and I made friends with a lovely American guy at the movie theatre, who I shall call BassBoy. We lost sight of BassBoy over the years, which I regret. He was a good friend.

BassBoy had a tall, good-looking friend with a golden tan and deep beautiful eyes: Big G. He was Boston born and bred. Sensitive and shy with a whale-sized passion for music, Big G would meet BassBoy after work so they could go out and party. We became friends. One warm dark night, some of us sneaked over a fence and through a forest to swim in the reservoir near Big G's home. We perched on a rock in the deep deep water under a huge black sky, fish brushing against our toes, and we shivered in the breeze and the knowledge that we weren't meant to be there. We bonded that night, Big G and me, dripping wet and giggling under the stars.

I flew back, moved to London and sent Big G a postcard. He wrote me letters and I wrote back (no email then). In February 1990 he visited London for a week. He came again in July, we looked into each others eyes, and here he stayed.

22 comments:

  1. Fabulous!

    I am glad you shared.

    :-Daryl

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  2. Oh, so you're kids are bi-lingual too then?

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  3. AAHHHHHHHH! That was lovely! Glad I popped over!

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  4. New to your blog - you want budder on that :)

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  5. Awwww that is lovely! Thanks for telling us that. It's lifted my spirits!

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  6. That's very soppy!
    I think those were my Doc Martens...did they have fruit on them? (painted rather than dribbled)
    Nice to see you all lerved up!
    Thanks for your kind comments
    Frog
    x

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  7. I bonded with my Prince in the Red Sea (my first dive!)...amazing - the effect of water isn't it?AND..being abroad...makes all inhibitions go.

    Good to keep those memories alive (and in Black and White) especially during those all too often experienced daily moments of stress!!!

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  8. What a lovely start to a relationship and wow how it developed into your little sleeping angels. Beautiful GBS, you've given me goose bumps. Debs x

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  9. GBS you've taken me back to my youth there. Yellow is the colour of sunrain, if I remember rightly. I loved that video. That means you've been together for nearly 30 years, that's a modern day miracle!

    blogthatmama (back from The South and pining ever so slightly)x

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  10. BlogthatMama, oh yeah!!! Soul II Soul are brilliant. By the way it's only nearly 20 years, not 30! Still quite a lot though. Thanks for coming over x

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  11. Makes you want to believe in love all over again.

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  12. Do the Home Office know he stayed?!

    Seriously, lovely post.

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  13. Whoops! maths not my strong suit, sentimental nostalgia is..

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  14. That was so sweet and loving.

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  15. So great GBS!!
    Your words truly certify the fact that "Love Is All Around" "All You Need Is Love" and "Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing"
    Thanks for sharing your beautiful personal history!

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  16. aaah! I love your story ..it's wonderful! It's strikingly similiar to how I met my Yank With An Apron in London, all those...ahem...a few years ago!
    x Bella

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  17. What a wonderful story, there is something about living in another country that opens you up to new experiences and in your lucky case to love. I'm so glad that it worked for you, and thanks for reassuring me that miracles do happen!

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  18. I think I could use one of my own Have You Seen My Organizers. For, you know, organizing things.

    I remember the days of romancing through snail mail; they weren't nearly as long ago as you would think.

    I liked this lovely, romantic piece very much.

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  19. I love 'how we met stories' and this did not disappoint! Luvvly jubbly.

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  20. What a lovely story, or history. I'm so glad I came over to catch up. Happy endings are great. M xx

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