Thursday, March 5, 2015

Remembering Roma

"Exactly," she asks cuing the ball, wearing a red lace glove so the stick slides effortlessly through her fingers, "what kind of Preacher are you?"

Leaning on my stick waiting for her to shoot, I look at her as she looks at me ... "A Damn Good One!" I answer.

Roma's laugh starts in her brain as she processes my reply, makes it way to stomach as a slight smile builds on her lips then there's an eruption of joyful happiness.

It's a Volcano laugh.

I no longer remember how I became a member of "The Bored" ... the daily gathering at Fannie's-On-The-Beach for libations, laughter and ... for many years ... pool.

The all time best meeting in the early days was when Johnny O bought a brand new white pick up truck and drove it "down Front" on a blustery winter's day.

Roma, Chicago Bob, Bil-with-one-L, Johnny and I are inside Fannie's shooting pool when Henrietta's ... Roma's Life Partner ... car pulls into the mostly empty parking lot stopping like a "Stock Car" beside Johnny's new truck ... leaving black tire marks on the pavement.

Roma's already grinning as we stop playing pool gazing out the large plate glass windows with views of the ocean on the other side of the parking lot.

Henrietta jumps out holding loafs of break ... laughing hysterically ... as Roma's eruption begins.

Opening a loaf, Henrietta throws a slice on top of the cab of the truck ... and proceeds to empty four loafs over the vehicle.

Seagulls appear from nowhere and in seconds we cannot see the truck for the blanket of birds.

"NNNNNOOOOOO!" Johnny screams.

Roma, Chicago Bob, Bil and I are holding each other up laughing as hard as we've ever laughed.

With the bread gone Henrietta blows Johnny a kiss, gets in her car, peels out the parking lot, leaving Johnny's new truck looking like a pile of Seagull shit.

A month later, strolling outside in the pre-dawn darkness to make my way to The Breakfast Club  a lit, reindeer is affixed to the top of my car.

I recognize the reindeer as part of the display in front of City Hall.

"Aw shit," I mutter, "they're going to think I did it!'

Quickly throwing the lit reindeer in my open trunk, I slowly drive to Johnny O's house and put it in the back of his dirty but brand new pick up truck ... then speed away to The Breakfast Club.

Later ... at the Bored Meeting ... I ask ... "Roma did you?"

"NO," she yells emphatically before ... the laugh's born in her brain, moves to her lips and erupts like a Volcano.

Shaking my head ... I know that she knows that I know ... and we wait on Johnny to arrive.

The last good talk with her ... Sarah and I are taking a walk ... it's almost dusk when she speeds by in her Golf Cart ... stops when she sees us... hits reverse ... and in the middle of 5th Ave and 12th ... we have a family reunion.

I got to see her right before she died.

"Hey!" I say walking into her bedroom, she laying in a Hospital bed, breathing oxygen through a tube, "you want me to make your boobs move without touching them."

A slow laugh bubbles from one side of her mouth.

"No," she slurs.

Brushing her hair, my eyes fill with moisture and ... I don't know what to do.

"Love ..." she says ... and then fades out.

"I love you too," I say brushing her hair with my fingers ... "Thank you for everything."

I have lots of Roma stories.

How can I not?

She was such a big part of my life ... a wonderful friend ... glorious partner in crime ...mischievous little girl in an old woman's body ... when Henrietta died I was there ... and when I was abandoned she was there ... and when Sarah and I became us ... she was there too.

That's a friend.

Today's for you Queen Roma!

Here's to us!

Who's like us?

Damn few! 

I love you.

I know you getting any rest or peace.

There's too much Hell to raise in Heaven.