Friends Wine and Envy

Alicia sat down at her small desk in the corner of her house. She positioned the desk by the window so she could see the birds and the squirrels when she was writing. Today was her 80th birthday.  She didn’t want a big celebration. She just wanted her family to come over for dinner and some cake. Alicia loved to cook and bake and was thankful that she still could. The pot of collard greens was simmering on the stove and the ham was in the oven baking. This gave Alicia just enough time to write. Today she was going to write something special. She was going to write a letter to her best friend, Emma. She and Emma had been friends for over 70 years. They met in grade school, which seemed like many worlds ago. Alicia wanted to tell Emma a few things while she still had the time. Emma was going to come to her little party and she was always early, wanting to help with the cooking or decorating. Alicia humored Emma because Emma could do neither well. They both would get a good laugh when Emma would dangle some pink tissue paper rings she had made over the window, and stand back and admire it like it was gold. Her cooking wasn’t much better and that is why for the better part of her marriage Emma didn’t cook often. Emma’s husband, Michael, is gone now. He passed away a few years before Alicia’s husband,  Draymond, did. After the deaths of their husbands the women stuck together more than ever. There was hardly a day when they weren’t together. 

Alicia took her favorite purple gel pen from her desk drawer. They both liked purple and their favorite movie was “The Color Purple.” Alicia pulled out some stationery she had custom made with some butterflies and red roses. Both of these were Emma’s favorites. She began her letter with the usual salutation she always used when writing to her best friend.

Hey Friend, 

You're probably wondering why I am writing you a letter when I will see you in just a few hours. Well, I would be wondering that too. But, I wanted you to have something in writing from me to you. Remember how we said the other day that the art of letter writing was dead because now everyone sent e-mail or texted? We both laughed when we said that letter writing had gone the way of the carrier pigeon. We always laughed together. That is one of the many reasons I love you. We laugh and we cry and you tell me off when you need to. Remember the infamous fight of 1967. We didn’t speak to each other for a week.  But, that is not what I wanted to write to you about, although, we took the silent treatment to a new art form I think. 

But, remember your wedding day? Of course you do. You were so happy and the most beautiful bride, except for me, whom I have ever seen. It was so hot that day. I thought I was going to melt in that bright green dress you made me wear. I looked like Kermit the frog in that thing. (ha) But, it was your day and you could have me wear anything on that day. I was so excited for you and happy that you had found the man that you were going to spend the next million years with. Didn’t it feel like we were married for a million years? A million mostly happy years.  When you married Michael and he inherited all that money from his father and I told you that I was happy for you, well, I was not as happy as I led you to believe.  When you moved into that big house on Avery Way and were able to afford a maid and a cook I was so jealous of you. I didn’t say anything because I knew that you were over the moon happy with your new life.  When we were little we would always talk about having a house with a pool and driving red corvettes around town especially when we took our shopping trips to the department stores that we both couldn’t afford back then. It was our little pipe dream. Then one day it all came true for you. You could afford to shop at the pricey department stores and not just look in the windows and wish like we used to do.  All you had to do was hand them your gold credit card and buy anything you wanted. You even could have brought that corvette if you wanted to. But, you said no, you were too old to be driving some sports car now. But, we both knew that you weren’t. Thank you for trying to spare my feelings.  I wanted your life sometimes. I wanted to go to all the fancy dinners and eat all the little sandwiches with the crust taken off and drink that $200 a bottle wine and snack on the good cheese we couldn’t afford years ago.  I wanted to do all of that. I tried not to show it. I would smile each time you would receive an invitation to some governer's Ball or swanky party at some rich woman’s book club. I know that you had invited me to go on most of these occasions. I didn’t go because I felt out of place. Like a fish out of water. I wouldn’t know what to say or what to do and I didn’t want to embarrass you. But, boy did I want to go. I wanted to rub shoulders with the rich and some of the famous so badly. I even wanted to have your cook, Maria, cook for me all the time. She was the best cook, and dare I say better than me. I know you are probably shocked to read that part. But, I will admit it now she was a great cook. You not so much. (ha) 

Well, you probably don’t know why I am confessing all this stuff right now. Honestly, I don’t know either. No, that’s a lie. I do know. What you don’t know is that I probably won’t be on this earth much longer. I won’t go into details but after you get this letter after my death then you will know everything else. Yes, you’re getting it after I am gone. Although, I was jealous of your life and wished that it was mine at times, I wanted you to also know that I loved you like a sister. No, you were my sister. Now, do me one last favor? After you read this, can you have one last party in my honor and make those crazy decorations that you make and hang them over the windows? This time make them purple. 

Fondly in Love, 

Your sister

Alicia

Emma was getting ready for her best friend’s party. Alicia was turning 80 today and Emma had turned 80 two months ago.  Alicia always teased Emma about being older than her. Emma didn’t really have a party. Most of the people she cared about had passed away long ago. She invited Alicia over and they had cake, wine and movie night. They watched their favorite movie together, “The Color Purple.”  Today it was Alicia’s turn. Emma knew that Alicia was probably going to cook a big pot of greens, ham and sweet potatoes. That was their favorite meal. Then she would bake a scrumptious lemon cake with vanilla icing. Emma couldn’t wait. But, first she had something to do. Emma sat at her kitchen table and took out one of her big yellow pads which she used to scribble recipes on from the food network. Most of them she didn’t even attempt to cook but knowing that they were there gave her some kind of crazy peace of mind. Just in case one day she channeled her inner Julia Child, they were there. Emma wrote the first words on her pad. 

Dearest Alicia,

I know that you will be surprised to get a letter from me. I haven’t written a letter in years. As you know I used to write to my aunt Janet but she has long passed. I wish people would still write letters. But, nonetheless, this one's for you. As I sit here and think about how we have lived a lot of years and who would have thought that both of us would have made it to our 80’s right? But, here we are. I know this is not the kind of letter you will expect to get from me of all people but I have a confession to make. Before you clutch your pearls calm down it is not that kind of confession. (ha!) This is different. 

I have known you for most of my life, and all of my adult life. We have been like sisters. We have been through so much together and separately that we could write a book about our life’s adventures. Speaking of life, I know you remember my wedding day. And I know you remember that green dress I made you wear as the maid of honor. Yes, the one that you said made you look like Kermit the frog. Believe me I was not trying to make you look like a frog. My mom picked out that color. I don’t know why but I guess she thought it was a nice color and I was too deliciously happy to even notice much to tell you the truth. Well, the day I got married I knew that life would change. It did change but not much for us and our friendship. Then a few years later you got married and we had kids and car pools, after school sports, parent teacher conferences, graduations and eventually the passing of our husbands. But, in between all of that I totally was jealous of you and your life. Yes, I know it’s shocking huh? I know you never expected me to say that especially since after the inheritance  life changed for me in more ways than we could have imagined.  Suddenly,  rich people paid attention to us. We got invitations to parties, charity affairs, and book clubs. I was totally overwhelmed. But, I tried to fake it.  I didn’t really enjoy all of that ritzy stuff.  There were days when we would talk on the phone and you would tell me about how you were tired from driving all day taking the kids to school and after school events and how you had your crock pot filled with dinner.  I used to want to be you. I used to think I wanted that life again. The simple life, as my husband called it. That simple life seemed like it was worlds away.  If I could have changed places with you even for a day I surely would have. Life was somewhat easier for me. I didn’t have to worry about bills and trying to make a dollar out of fifty cents like in the early days after I got married but looking back now I sort of miss some of that. Not being as broke as we were, that part wasn’t fun. (ha) But, it gave me strength. And when I felt that I couldn’t do it anymore you were always there to listen and tell me that everything was going to be okay and then secretly put $40 in my purse.  Remember those days? I have always admired you from the first day we met and even more so now. I don’t know how many years we have left on this earth but I could not leave it before telling you that I love you dearly and I have enjoyed all the years we have had together. (even though sometimes I wished I was in your shoes) smile. 

I plan on slipping this letter into your purse tonight at the party. I know that you will find it when you open your purse and try to slip that $40 into my purse.  It’s funny that you still do that after all these years. It is kind of a running secret between me and you. But, anyway, I wanted to also say Happy Birthday and I hope to have you around for at least 80 more years. 

Love,

Your sister and best friend, 

Emma

After the party both women embraced each other and smiled. Although Alicia didn’t intend on  Emma  getting her letter until after she died, she slipped it into her purse that day. The next day Emma called Alicia and they both were laughing so hard that neither of them could speak.