sitting here at starbucks, trying to get some work done. but i’ve been off tangents more than i should be. the weather’s amazing in AZ right now. fall and spring are the best season to be here.
nxt to the starbucks is a daycare center. I think it someone’s birthday today. the kids were signing a song. and it reminded me about grade school. occasionally when there’s a birthday in class, a few of my classmates have their mothers drop by cupcakes for the class. then get called to the front office to get the cupcakes. and the mentioning of their name on the intercom makes everyone jealous. we all want to be that one special kid that gets mentioned. its never me though. my parents are always at work, you know how it is. the first few years in america was pretty rough, we’re starting a while new life with barely nothing. so i understand that my parents were busy. i never told them these kind of things. but i was always envious of my classmates. anyways. its always a nice day when there’s free cupcakes in class.
i remember particularly in the 3rd grade, i have this one friend. he was black. and he was my close friend. we’re always together. (my mom would have a heart attack if she knew i was friends with a black person, yes she’s highly racist. lol) its around christmas time and our class was doing a secret santa. he really wanted to switch present with me (or was it white elephant, can’t remember) and i really want to trade with him also. but i know he’ll get the shorter end of the stick. i dont know what to give him. and i dont want to ask my parents for money for these trivial stuff. things that are not of importance, b/c i know the money my parents earn is more important stuff. like the rent and food. so i just told him we’ll see what’ll happen that day.
and luck has it, the day before the gift exchange, at the apartment complex that i stayed at, they were giving out presents to anyone under the age of 10 or something. i was excited. i wanted to get something good so i can trade with him. in the end i got this porcelain clown doll. that looks kind of like one of those from a scary movie. of course it would be my luck to get something like that. but anyways i wrapped it up and brought it to school the next day. i can see the excitement in this eyes, whatever it is he brought to class that day was with me in mind. he bought just for me so he can exchange it with me. i felt horrible. i didn’t want to let him down. i dont want him to get the stupid clown that i got. he was insistent. he wanted want i brought. we end up exchanging gifts to each other. i watched him as he opened it. his face filled with excitement and curiosity, and i was waiting, waiting for it to drop with disappointment. but it didn’t he pulled the stupid clown doll out and showed everyone what it was. he loved it. (the whole class was like wtf is that shit, not him though). i was surprised. i dont understand why he liked it so much. but i was happy. and i realized, it dosn’t matter what was in that box, he would have loved it anyways. its not important what it was, it was important because it came from me. (cheesy, i know. but true)
he gave me this board game. kind of like candy land, but winnie the pooh version. b/c he knew how much i love winnie the pooh. and i knew how lucky i was to call him a friend. i felt warm and fuzzy on the inside.
after we went to intermediate school (5th -6th grade) i lost touch with him b/c he went to a different school. i havent’ seen him since. and i dont remember his name. i just remember his goofy smile. perhaps one day, i could meet him again.