Moment of Weakness:-
It lasted for about 10 minutes. All I had to do was type out
” I miss flying” followed by a frustrated looking emojie and the phone rang. It was him. Napoleon. We chatted for over an hour and probably for the first time in our friendship, I expressed to him what he meant to me. What our friendship meant to me. Why it even meant something.
It was important to let him know this because when you spend over an hour talking about someone (who can crawl under your skin so often that you try and shake them off, they are still hanging there,) it means something. They mean something. He means something.
It means that you are your true self with this person and they love you for who you are, just as you love them for who they are. That is a FRIENDSHIP.
Flashback:-
Yesterday, all the memories flashed in front of my eyes and they made me laugh and realise how lucky I am to have a friend who has very good morals and ethics and very annoying personality. Who doesn’t?
We were laying over in Trocadero- Paris ( the crew hotel was full and the overflow was sent off to the 2nd approved hotel, in this case: Trocadero). It was early morning, 6:00 AM when a knock on the door woke me up.
“Service au chambre!”
Pardon??
I didn’t order any room service, and that too this early!?
“Non, Merci!”
Well, the knocking continued and I hopped out of bed to open the door. This man, perfectly dressed up with a crisp clean white undershirt, perfectly creased black trousers, hair slick and shiny, one hand at a right angle with a white towel hanging and the other one holding up a tray full of food. An assortment of danishes, hard-boiled egg with baguette and cheese/butter and a glass of orange juice.
I looked at the delivery guy and laughed at the joke. He wasn’t having it, he kept a straight face, handed me the tray and went off. I took the tray back to the bed, still stunned at what had happened and smiled, the biggest smile because it warmed my heart and it fed my spare tyre!
Napoleon was the delivery boy
The flight had been long and tiring, probably due to a mad flight scheduled cupped with a very active full day, before the flight. All I remember doing was getting the call lights the whole night after the end of meal/drink service. It was an active flight. Paris flights are, especially when the crew you are flying with is witty, fun and real. It was a good flight. The drive from Charles de Gaulle to Saint – Germaine is a good hour-long drive during rush-hour. I tossed my heels and was horizontal on the last 3 seats of the crew bus getting a strong-handed foot rub. I am a sucker for massage, and if you love me, you give me one! Somehow it has always fallen in my favour. No, wait! It is because I am so lucky to have people who love me so much that they are willing to give me a foot rub.
Forever indebted. Not them, I!
Like the time we sneaked into the movie theatre and the price for having access to 3 movies on a day off, with only paying for the first movie- well, a strong-handed FOOT RUB.
Napoleon was the Masseuse
My parents were moving to Canada in 2009 and I had no conveyance arranged. A casual mention of this came up in the conversation and next I am saddled up in the Jimmy GMC and on my way to the airport to greet my real parents, his adopted parents. Our friendship was in its infantile stage then as we had only met twice before on a flight and a layover in Cancun, but I believe that day it laid out its first cement block.
Napoleon was the Driver
The day in September 2012 when the Oncology nurses station received the biggest bouquet for my mum from someone in Montreal, was the day the foundation was set in stone. It was the gesture of care and love, wanting to uplift the spirits of everyone.
Napoleon was the sender
In Venice, early morning, bumping into an ironing expert in the Crew ironing station on the 4th floor, I learnt for the first time that the area above the shoulders also needs to be ironed. Who knew that it even existed? The shoulder patch. Who irons that? I surely can tell you now that it makes a whole lot of difference!
Napoleon taught me to iron right
Bidding same days off so we could go to New York. Help set up shop for the New York trade show and get ready to represent my sister’s collection at – http://www.allemstudio.com throughout engaging the possible buyers into a product we believe in, all with hearty laugh and giggles.
Napoleon was the Salesman
Heading on a road trip with him towards New York, only to receive a call reminding me of the evening get-together at my place, that I was supposed to be hosting. The car was turned right back around and I was dropped home, to get busy preparing a feast for 4 friends that I had promised to feed that evening. Well, guess what? My “4 friends” all cancelled on me an hour before showing up at home. My food was still enjoyed but by real friends this time.
Napoleon, my sister and her friend. The ones that mattered.
Beholden:-
It is seldom acknowledged and that is the sad part. Our brains, our ego, our persona is so primed to spit out everything that isn’t going right with a situation, people in our lives, our jobs etc. We forget or sometimes don’t even come close to ever realizing, leave aside acknowledging those that truly matter. It is often quite late by the time the realization sets in, by then the situation, the people, those that matter the most are on a different path altogether, and your self-indulgence, which was throughout so clear to others while they were there in your life supporting you, becomes clear to you.
It feels good to tell them that “their friendship” brings something to “your life.”
Thank you Naps for being a true friend . You uplift me, sometimes 😀
Jas, out!
Mirthspot 