THE CLASS REUNION...by b. Malin
YES, NO, MAYBE...
She didn't know why, she just did it on impulse...She Googled in "Class Reunion" and the year she graduated, and then she sat back and waited. It only seemed to take a moment before big bold letters ran across the screen. And there it was, her class, her year, and the time and date it would take place. It was the weekend of September 9th, starting off with a Friday Night Cocktail Party. September10th, would be a visit to the High School with Box Lunch, and that night, The Prom... A Big Gala affair, Formal Attire. And on Sunday, September 11th, the Goodbye Brunch. "Wow, what a weekend they chose" she said to herself as she shifted uneasily in her chair. Kinda Selfish of them she thought as she looked at the page for a moment before scrolling down to read the "List" of who's coming.
The List...
It read like the Who's, Who...The Black guy from her Dramatics Class had become an Actor, and now a Director, with a few Movies under his belt. She remembered how they both laughed a lot together...He always called her the "cute, shy, one". She keep scrolling, hoping to see some of her old girlfriends, or Jimmy, from Home room with the deep set blue eyes, whom she briefly dated...But back then "Religion" was a factor, and his father broke it up.
Her mind began to wander as she thought about her 3 years in that High School. Her freshman year, 9th grade, was at a Junior High on the other side of town. Most of the people on the "Coming List" had grown up together, they had been like one Big Clique, and probably still were. OH My God, listen to me, I'm regressing! Why did I bother to look...Now I'll have to make a decision. Damn the Wonders of my "Mac"...I'd have Never known... for the records were all destroyed in the Fire at the High School, the year after we graduated. Her eyes shifted to the bottom of the List where it read, click here to see who died. There is a "Dead List" she thought as she clicked on it.
The Dead List...
Oh my God, she kept saying over and over again as she scrolled down it. The list contained some of the football team, including Gene...She remembered being paired up with him at a party to celebrate the team winning the big game. Everyone was "making out" except for them. She felt comfortable, sensing something was different about him, that she would keep to herself. Now, She hoped that he had been able to "come out" before his death.
Her eyes went back to the list as she scrolled some more...Her dear friend Diana was on the list...Oh my God, how did she die...Had she become the "Flight Attendant" that she always wanted to be...Did she die on 9/11 like Linda did? Under her name was Dan, Dan was Jimmy's best friend...where did he die, in one of our wars...This all seemed to be too much to bare.
What am I doing to myself she thought. I never went to any of my Proms...Not that I couldn't have...She smiled to herself as she remembered three guys asking her to the Senior Prom and she turning all of them down. They thinking she was being Snobby...Truth be told, she lived alone with a father who did not understand the needs of a young girl...and a Prom Dress was Expensive.
Her husband came up behind her..."What's up"? "Oh, I don't know she replied, I googled this, she pointed to the Screen. "Oh you're having a class Reunion" he said leaning over her shoulder. "Do you want to go"? he asked. "I don't know...I really don't know...I don't see any of my old girlfriends on the "going List"...We kept in touch for awhile after graduation...I was the first to move far away. You know the babies came...I went through a divorce...eventually met you, and we moved again...And now...I don't know". She sighed. " Also we have that out of town Wedding the following weekend...Two weekends driving all that way and over the George Washington Bridge"...They both moaned in unison. "And of course all the added expense, the Hotel, the dance, the Brunch" she sighed. "And I didn't really like myself back then, I was so thin and undeveloped" her voice trailed off. "Well Baby look at you now, he replied, those Women will be so Jealous... look at your face and figure, you've aged Beautifully...You are Beautiful". She smiled at him..."Of course you'd say that". "No, no I wouldn't if it weren't true...Listen I'm getting Hungry". he said as he headed for the kitchen. Don't let me rush you, I'll start the grill". "Ok" she said as she watched him go out the back door. Then turning back to her "Mac" she went back to the section that read, please mark the correct box, "Coming"..."Not Coming"... or, "Not Sure". She hesitated for a moment before she clicked on the appropriate box... She knew in her heart, that she had made the right decision...for herself.
