Saturday Morning Smile

Saturday Morning Smile


This morning, I woke up before Mary. I was hung-over, but my head did not hurt as much as it usually does after a night like last.  The covers were all over Mary, and I had none, but I didn’t mind. Mary doesn’t have air-conditioning in her house, and it was just cool enough to not need it. I smiled. I had a pretty great night. When Mary woke up, I sat up and we read embarrassing stories and sex tips from a magazine. We laughed and made jokes about how mature we were. I am lucky to have such a great friend. I am going to miss having her around all the time. When Mary’s mother came in, we talked about going away and all the things we will need in our dorm rooms. Kathy Williams told a funny story about shopping for a mini-fridge. We all laughed. When Kathy left, I brushed my teeth in the bathroom and slipped on my navy blue dress. I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering if the dress was too short to wear a thong under it. It was, but I kept the thong on anyway. Once I had collected all my stuff, washed all the tangerine vodka smell off of my mom’s shot glasses, and pinned my bangs back, I said goodbye to Mary’s parents and hugged Mary goodbye twice. We promised to see each other tonight, before she leaves for college in the morning, ten days before I leave.

I got into my car and turned on the radio. WHUV was still on from last night. On weekend mornings, they play Irish music. I smiled. I drove down the Williams’ street and turned twice onto the main road. I drove down to Starbucks, listening to Irish music and thinking about last night. I got a bottle of water and a medium coffee because my hangover still wasn’t quite gone. I thought of how stupid I was to not have dinner before drinking so much. Then I thought of how skinny I must be this morning; that made me smile. I got over to the ‘milk and sugar’ station and put in two drops of skim milk and a dash of sugar. I usually drink my coffee black, but this morning I needed to drink it quickly to get rid of my headache. I drove back down the main road to the bagel place. Before I got into line, I took the empty bottle of vodka and threw it out into the garbage bin. No one will notice. I got into line, waited, then ordered an egg and cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup, on an everything bagel, not toasted. I heard somewhere that thick, greasy foods get rid of hangovers. I looked down and saw the front of the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times. John Stewart looked up at me from that stack of papers, making a face of disbelief and amusement. I smiled. When my breakfast was ready, I paid with my parents’ credit card and left. I sat in my car, eating my greasy sandwich and drinking my almost black coffee and listening to Irish music. I saw a girl who went to my high school in the bagel store, but I didn’t say hi. I didn’t feel bad because she saw me and didn’t say hi either. Her car was parked next to mine. As she was getting into her car, I was stuffing my face and listening to Irish music. I felt embarrassed. She had her hair done, she was wearing designer jeans and a nice top, and she was wearing a ton of makeup. I thought it was ridiculous of her to dress like that for the bagel store, but I also felt kind of frumpy in my navy blue dress, greasy hair, and the same makeup I was wearing last night. I turned down the Irish music. I felt better about myself, because of what I did last night. She couldn’t do what I did, though she probably wouldn’t want Jesse anyway. She pulled out of her parking space. Oh well, I thought, I have a nicer car than she does. I finished my sandwich and drove home, now almost blasting my Irish music.

When I got home, I greeted my dad and brother, and then went inside to put away my mom’s ‘Kearney’ shot glasses, right were I found them last night. They still smelled like tangerine vodka, but it didn’t matter. I am the only one who uses them anymore. My sister was upstairs, packing for college. I told her a few funny stories about last night, and also about the girl I saw at the bagel store. I told Lizzie that I said hi to her, even though I didn’t. I don’t know why I said that. I got into the shower, and I noticed that my conditioner wasn’t in there. I didn’t bother to get out to get it. I just used some of Lizzie’s. I washed off all my makeup and shampooed my hair twice. I got out of the shower feeling so clean. I smiled. I got dressed back into my navy blue dress and went downstairs. Lizzie was about to leave for camping and my dad, my brother, David, and my other sister, Maggie, were all dropping her off. I let Maggie wear an old shirt of mine and I said goodbye to them. I went upstairs, blow-dried my new chin-length hair and sat down on my big red chair and listened to Irish music while I wrote for the first time in months.

I can’t wait to see Jesse today. Despite my own resistance, I think I am falling in love with him.

The Irish music stops at 1:00 PM. At 1:02, NPR tells me that Russia and Georgia just signed a cease-fire agreement. I smile. This is going to be a great day.