Sushi Afternoon in Queens? Not really!

Saturday in New York, September 11, 2010.

I watch the clock in New York and I ask myself: why not? Immediately I take my phone and write a short message to Sophie in Paris that reads: It’s 4:02 PM local time, 10:02 PM your time. Let’s build this bridge!

Today becomes some kind of a surprise day choosing the time for me and at this specific hour of the day (or night) as in previous occasions we shall stop what we’re doing, take our Moleskines (my Dear Sophie and I) and tell in writing what’s going on right now, at this very moment I’m sending this message. Thanks Sophie for insisting to give me the honor of picking the time!

It was supposed to be a Sushi Afternoon in Queens, New York, (paraphrasing Sophie’s Sushi's nights in Paris - I know: I’m not original at all) if it were not because my beloved friend Sonia with whom I have agreed yesterday to meet at TOMO, texted me earlier, at midday, to ask me to bring her favorite soup, cancelling indirectly our encounter there, because she was not feeling well and only slept for an hour or so the night before. 

We haven’t had Sushi  together in like 2 months (nor any other type of meal), but I can claim the afternoon’s Sushi in Queens NY without any discomfort because even though I’m not crazy about Japanese food, Sonia like Sophie and Pichiplayas loves Sushi too and weren’t we fighting like it's the norm between the two of us, I’m sure no desires for that dish would have arisen from the knowledge my Parisian friend was enjoying her exotic fish dinner the other night.

Oh, I said it! And now it’s too late to go back and fix it. Yes, Sonia who is also a very dear friend of mine (interesting the origins and meaning of her name), and I, we argue a lot. I don’t know if we spend more time not talking to each other than the time we really do talk, but when we do, we share a lot. We share almost everything: life’s troubles, all the pains, betrayals, deceptions, sadness but the little joys of life as well, like when she passed her Latin test at the university, the movies we watch in the big screen, the TV or the PC and even enjoy Claire Lefilliâtre when she came to NY. And here I remember I have almost to steal her from a date she had booked the same night of such a wonderful performance of Claire’s and Le Poème Harmonique.

Why we fight? I can’t name all the instances where we have disagreements, because there are so many. We fight for everything: little and not so little things. Sometimes we have opposing views about stuff. Not to go too far, I’m going to the pharmacy to buy some prescription for her: where do you want to go? For me it doesn’t matter. I could go to any of the two options I have. For her is like I’m indecisive and in reality I really don’t care wich one I go as long as I bring what I’m asked to bring. I could go anywhere. When we go out for breakfast, lunch or dinner she always knows what she wants. I don’t. And I don't feel ashamed at all for that. Most of the time I want to try new things. I know it's harder for her than it is for me because she has to wait until I make my choice but I feel a little constrained if I rush to make a decision. And we can always share if one of us has picked something more appetizing than the other. And the list of issues doesn't stop there: it goes on and on...but, who cares?

But even though our differences sometimes hit a big wall, time makes all the resentments go away and like today, they disappear and we don't hold any grievances, not bad feelings until a new round of arguments will sure come but another day. For now, for this Saturday, we're pausing and enjoying each other's company like we usually do in the best of our times.

So, for once I’m not alone, I’m in Sonia’s place and I’m with her and her mother and remember that she’s a little sick. 

                          Sorry!  I like this curtain! It's like watching reality through color lens...

Sometimes I’m very good at pampering and entertaining people specially if they are good friends, and Sonia is a very special one to me. I can’t tell you everything we talked; it'd fill one hundred pages if you don't get totally bored before quitting, but to sums it up we did speak a lot and about almost everything. It was like decompressing two months of repressed talk in more than a couple of hours.

                                                                             

                                                                                 

                  

I know one thing though. I'm sure we are going to continue having misunderstandings with each other but I’m almost sure we’re going to recover from those fights, like they had never happened before because the things that unite us are stronger than those that make us fall apart.    

(this one was not too long, right Pichiplayas?)