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"We met in a bar."
There was nothing at all
uneventful about the year 2003. Life changes, trials and
tribulations.... probably the most challenging year of my
adult life. One friend had later described that part of my
life as, I was so down and out that I couldn't pull myself up by the
bootstraps.
So well, you know me,
when life gives me lemons, I turn around, squeeze 'em little citrus
suckers and make some mighty icy, sugary lemonade. Guaranteed
to quench your thirst! Halloween, here I come.
October 31, 2003,
Halloween night. I decided, hey, let's have fun with all this.
I made a mad dash to the mall, making quick stop at Forever 21, then
Claire's.
I was pretty proud, actually. I admired my creativity and my
handiwork, as I donned my new pink and black dress, long pink satin
gloves with its complementary pink rhinestone-studded tiara,
finished off with a pink homemade ala-Miss-Universe sash that
proudly broadcast: “DRAMA QUEEN!!” in big, bold, black letters. Just
to add that extra touch, I had three big, round tears, drawn with a
freshly sharpened lip-liner, falling oh-so-pitifully down my right
cheek. Just in case you missed the big bold DRAMA QUEEN
announcement, the tears were sure to eliminate any and all doubt
about exactly who and what you were dealing with.
Life gave me Drama, well,
hello. Squeeze, add sugar, ice, Queen and stir. Shake it,
girl.
I mean, in hindsight, what man in his right mind would have even
thought of me as a girl you’d want to date? Jeez, I came with a
label! More like a disclaimer: ‘Buy me drink at your own risk." It
seemed like the kind of costume Glenn Close would wear. Fatal
Attraction material.
Frankly, my dear, I didn't give a damn. I was having fun! I
was after all, out on the town with my roommate Michael. And he was
having fun too, dressed as a Space Cowboy with his metallic cowboy
hat and sparkly shirt and pants. As he and I gallivanted about the
Castro, then ended at a house party, we snapped many many pictures.
Vogue, vogue, vogue. The Drama Queen was out tonight.
As we were wrapping up the night, Michael got a phone call from his
brother Greg, whom I had never met before “Let’s meet up at the R
Bar.”. Greg was apparently out with a friend too. As Michael looked
at me questioningly, I said, “Sure, whatever. Whatever floats the
boat.”
So, there we were. For anyone who has ever been to the R Bar—it's
really quite a little hole in the wall, and the location isn't
exactly five star--- but people are drawn to it: people are
cool, laid back, the drinks are overflowing --- and it’s a
people-watcher’s delight! There are always many characters hanging
about.
This particular Halloween night was no exception. If anything, the
characters seemed doubly amplified. There was this guy dressed as
the Son of Man, you know, the painting by René Magritte? It was
hysterical, this guy, trying to walk around with this green apple
hanging in front of his face! “Quite creative, not practical” I
mused to myself, as the walking, talking, Son of Man tripped all
over himself while transporting his drink from the bar, green apple
completely in his line of vision, spilling his beer all over the
place.
And then there was this other guy. “Oh dear,” I thought. “Someone
please tell him he is NOT, Repeat!, NOT Russell Crowe!”
As the very un-Russell-Crowe vision approached, armor, leather
skirt, sword, goofy hair and all, my roommate Michael welcome-hugged
a pirate with an eye patch and very a very frilly shirt. Next, he
welcome-hugged THE Gladiator.
"Uh-oh. I think he knows
them.'
As we introduced
ourselves, I smiled at both, and as most Drama Queens do, I said,
“Gladiator, my foot.”
With such sweetness
(refer to lemonade, paragraph 3) I made my first acquaintance with
Greg, the pirate in lace. And Tim. Yes, Tim!
That night he was Maximus Timoteus. (translate: Dude, nice
do.)
The night went on, and
Michael and I continued mingling. We took some more pictures.
More vogue-ing for Drama Queen! We laughed. I was
physically lifted into the air -- gladly. More photos,
more drinks. The night ended, we parted ways, nothing
eventful. Little did I know.....
This Gladiator well.....
I'd see him again.... at a barbecue, at the R-Bar, and on the eve of
my 30th birthday. Seemingly uninterested, he'd stand me up for my
30th birthday party. I'd fume, but not really. I'd run into him on
Valentine's Day. And again, he'd almost stand me up for my
31st.
 But there are forces of
nature that are beyond our control. He showed up on my 31st
birthday over at my friends Lance and Rico's home. The welcome
sign on their door says, Chat Lunatique. How telling.
And there our romance began,
amidst the feather boas, masks, wigs and a Strictly Ballroom rendition of Love
is in the Air. Love was indeed brewing.
I believe that on October
31, 2003 ---- I wasn't ready for anyone other than myself
(refer to Drama Queen monologue, paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 7).
Yet love waited. It
waited to happen, and when it did, it was right. It was true.
Three years after Halloween 2003, as I'm cleaning out the bottom of
drawer, I'd find a CD that I would quickly throw in the trash.
For some reason, a voice inside me would say, "Hey, check it
out before you throw it out! It might be important. " I would
upload the CD and would, with a squeal of delight, find the
forgotten photos from that night, a silent documentary of the
first night that we met.
To this day I’d still
tease him about his goofy hair, and THAT outfit. He’d proceed to
call me Drama. I’d wrinkle my nose and we’d laugh. I’d poke him in
the rib,
then we’d dance… to no music, really, just the music in our hearts.
My beloved has come to me in the most unexpected of ways. I am
blessed that he did.
Still, I like to tell
strangers that we met in a bar, to get that most predictable
reaction, the big-eyed “Oh!”
This is most appropriate,
no? After all, he is my Gladiator..... and I am forever his
Drama Queen.
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