Saturday, June 13, 2015

Jackie

I remember when my mom was sick in hospital when we were in Primary School and you went to visit her and took her chocolates.  I remember the day we both voted for Shirley MacLaine for class captain and the look on Mr Henninger's face. I remember the countless hours in the library with Mohini and Mrs (MacBean) Rich during Bible Ed... and how, by the end of matric, we somehow managed to bunk Phys Ed and Maths in favour of our library time too. I remember how we memorized all the lines from Steel Magnolias and used to crack each other up with them over and over again. I remember the day you visited me in Nahoon Mouth on horseback...  I remember the week we spent together in Grahamstown while I was at Uni and how we found out that Princess Diana had died. I remember you telling me at my 21st that you were expecting your first child.  I remember you at your wedding, how happy you were and how exciting life was for you at that time.  I remember Ethan's christening. I remember seeing you on one of my trips home and meeting your little boys and how they sat on my lap and kissed me and called me Auntie Margaux.  I remember all your emails of support while I was pregnant with Mack. I remember the advice you gave me and the suggestions for treatment when James was desperately ill with diverticulitis in Sydney.  I remember that you got me. That you liked me. That you thought I was cool long before I had any self confidence or was popular or was remotely cool. And I remember that I felt the same way about you. And now it's all in the past tense and I'm piecing together these last few years of your life from emails and messages and it feels wrong and unfinished.  But I remember you, Jackie. I will always remember you.

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