Class of '94

I can’t believe it has been twenty years since I finished high school! Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was an eternity ago. It’s hard to explain. I miss those days and sometime, I don’t. I remember my last day of high school was on June 23^rd, 1994. My last final exam was economics. When I was done, I was extremely relieved. It was around 11 AM and I had submitted my paper to the teacher in charge. Five years of secondary school. It seems to have been five long years back then. Today, fives years seems going by so fast.

My parents are from India. I was born and raised in Montreal. A very multiethnic metropole. It makes Montreal unique in many ways. I attended this French high school by public transit. A good 20-minute by bus. A school of over 2,000 students. 

I remember, it was a September 11, 1991. I was starting secondary three (9^th grade). I started school six days later. Why? Well, I spent the whole summer in India, in a peaceful village where my dad grew up. One of the best summers of my life. My parents booked this trip as one way and did not decided till mid-August on the return date to Montreal. Last minute flight booking caused a delay so we got back home after school started. I was not too happy but the trip was unforgettable. Memories for life for summer 1991.

On that first day of school for me, which I believe was already day seven of the school year, I had some catching up to do. My first class was geography on Wednesday morning. I will not forget that day. I enter the class. Introduce myself to the teacher and explain my absence for the pat few days. She assigns me a desk. I was never the type to sit completely at the back, but here I was. All desks were taken so I had no choice.

Today, June 15^th, 2014, I received an invitation on Facebook account from a classmate about the 20^th high school reunion. I did not have too many friends from that school. Only a few. A very select group. I was a shy, introverted boy. Should I go or no? I see almost on a monthly basis my best friends from those days. If I go, who am I am going to socialize with or catch up with? I believe my buddies are all going.

Thinking about my first day of school of 1991-1992. I am sitting at the back of my geography class. Beside me, to my left, is sitting this incredible beauty. My God! I think I have never seen such a beautiful girl in the entire school. She was so pretty. A natural look. Minimum makeup. Long black hair. Mesmerizing eyes. A killer smile. The first thing I always noticed in a girl, was and always, will be her eyes. Some eyes, the shape, color, eye lashes, brows, makes a woman, incredibly charming and sexy. I am still a shy person today but, in those days, oh boy, I was extremely nervous when it came to girls. Especially when she looked like a goddess. In my mind, I was saying to myself that I want to marry her. It was an instant crush. I fell for her. Her name was Isabella.

My two best friends from those days and still today, Roman and Duc, a Polish and a Chinese, respectively, were going to the reunion. I did not confirm to them my decision. It was held at our high school, in the gymnasium, at the end of the month. I am not too sure why they were so excited because like me, we they were shy, introverts, and proud to say, on the nerdy side. We enjoyed math and sciences a lot. We excelled also in other classes but not in physical education.

Isabella was a 15-years old back then. Born and raised in Panama. She came to live in Montreal around 1987 with her parents and her brother. For someone who has been only four years in Canada, she had a good command of the French language. 

On that first day of school, I slightly turned my head to the left. It felt I was going to get a torticollis. I was stressed, sweating and losing grip of a situation that should be normal to someone else. She knew I was looking at her and I think, she noticed how stressed I was. As if I was going through a final exam. She turned her head towards me and smiled. Oh boy…that smile. I will never forget…

I am checking the Facebook event about the reunion and the attendees are accumulating. I believe we are close to three hundred in all and I see already two hundred are signed up! Wow! This is within a few hours since the event was posted.

From that first day I met Isabella, I just fell in love with her. On my behalf, I was 100% physically attracted to her. Question was now, did she have a good heart? Was she a good person overall? During the last three years of my high school, I did not have too many classes with her. That made it difficult to talk and approach her. My regret was that I barely spoke to her back then. I should have made an effort.

Reunion date is set for June 27^th, 2014. I just got a new notification about a new ex-student attending the event. It is Isabella! Should I be nervous? Should I attend? What can’t go wrong, right? I would like to see a lot of the old students from our old days. The 90’s. It seems like I am basing my decision on a high school crush. Damn it! I am 37 years old.

I remember in June 1994, before the final exams started for our last weeks of secondary school, we had a pre-prom party at the school’s cafeteria. It was nothing fancy. It was after school. I did attend that event. After 3:15 PM, returned home. Got ready. Nothing too fancy but I was wearing a proper attire for the night. I left home around 5:00pm. I think everyone was there. Only a few were missing. I saw Isabella wearing this beautiful red dress with red high heel shoes. She looked like a queen. I was completely into her. She was one of those rare beautiful high school girls that did not showed off with her body. In all my years with her in that school, she never wore shorts, or a short skirt or mini skirt. She never exposed her legs except in the gym class. Always jeans or a type of pants. I can’t even remember her showing a minimum of cleavage. That to me, made her special. She was hot. She probably knew it but was not arrogant or superficial about it. She could have gotten any guy as a boyfriend. However, I never saw her hanging out with a guy or holding hands, or being in some sort of an intimate relationship with a boy back then. So humble, so modest…

In 1994, Internet was just starting slowly. There were no cell phones to the general mass. When the last day of classes ended, our last final exams, there was no way to stay in touch easily. Besides, giving away the home number and having your parents answer was not something wanted by any kid that age. No MSN Messenger, no emails, no Facebook in 1994.

I have nothing to lose. I am going! Period. Let me accept this Facebook event. I will be nervous to see her but also, excited. I am curious to know how she is doing. 

Finally, the big day arrived! I had a good suit on. I think when you must go to special events, either you stay home or go dressed up properly, accordingly and make people turn their heads. Oh yeah! I was ready and I felt good today. Duc and Roman were with me. We arrived all three together like the three musketeers. We are always hanging together during our time in this school. I enter the gym. It was crowded. Destiny, luck, or fate. The first person I lays my eyes on was Isabella. She saw me from far and recognized me by waving her hand at me. She has not aged. Jees! She looks like 25 and not 37. She walks towards me while my blood pressure is skyrocketing.

‘’Vijay! You look great! I hope today…you will have a little courage to talk to me’’, she calmly says with a very sweet sincere smile.

‘’Isabella! My God. You look great! You have not aged! Can you forgive me? I was so shy back then. Today, you coming towards me, and to start a conversation, helps me a lot’’ I replied back with a smile.

We sat down at the table. We looked in each other’s eyes and just talked, talked and talked, for hours. I barely went to see the other classmates. Ah well…it will be for the 30^th reunion, I guess.

I walked to Roman and Duc after some time in the evening. They understood me right away the way I was sitting there for hours with Isabella. The encouraged me return to her and to get know her. When life gives you a second chance, go for it. Better late than never…