my friend darla (the only one named darla)

so... the interview was postponed until friday and i thought it went really great, but... he hasn't called me back. the "interview" basically consisted of the manager telling me all about the job and presenting it to me to see if i wanted it! he was very friendly and enthusiastic and he even introduced me to the staff and everything. he said that had to process the results of my personality test and then he'd call me. (hmmm...i've always kind of suspected that my personality was total crap). the worst part is, i'm expecting his call, so its like i don't want to leave the house in case he calls, or i don't want to get on the internet and tie up the phone line. it feels sort of like back when i would like a guy and be waiting for him to call and scream at my siblings if they so much as touched the phone. it doesn't feel so good.

all the nervousness i've felt at the prospect of being interviewed for the first time in 8 years finally erupted in the form of a big, beautiful cold sore. i have been getting these for as long as i can remember, so its really not a big deal. the problem is that i seem to somehow have transmitted my cold sore to my best friend darla via email. darla has never had a cold sore in her life until now. she blames her schoolwork for this. i blame my computer.

i have known darla since we were in the same kindergarten class together 20 years ago. i have a distinct memory of her eating kiwis at recess time. i also remember that she was a stubborn child. she said, "no" to the teacher a lot. she has not changed much since then in that regard. we didn't become friends until many years later when i began to "go out" with her older brother. ("going out", at the age of 13 really meant that you held hands when no one was looking and called each other on the phone a lot. if you were lucky, you got a few kisses in there, too). our friendship had a rocky start though, because she and her brother would always fight about who got to talk to me on the phone. they would ask me who i wanted to talk to, and whoever i chose, the other person would be horrifically mad at me. it was not a great situation.

once darla's brother and i broke up, we were fantastic, inseperable friends. people would ask us if we were sisters and we'd giggle like crazy. we wrote notes to each other constantly and every time we saw each other, we'd have handfuls of notes to exchange, all folded in a very intricate way to make a perfect little square. throughout highschool, we drifted apart a little, but were always there for the Most Important Parts. darla was the one who held my hand while i got my tongue pierced and i was the one snapping pictures as a needle went through her navel. after she got married, nothing changed. in fact, we were closer than ever...burning plastic patio furniture in her backyard bon fire, drinking the entire fogg n' sudds martini list without passing out... we had some very memorable times together. but the most memorable was when we both decided that, together, we were going to try the whole christian thing again.

we both just started where we were, and took little steps at a time. before you knew it, we were leading a girl's bible study group together! we both became completely passionate about God and about sharing His love. it was amazing having a friend who was at exactly the same place in her spiritual journey as i was. the bond we had, and still have from that experience, is indescribable. darla is the one i go to when i don't know who to talk to. i can share absolutely anything with her and not be afraid of being judged. i know that any time, day or night, she would drop everything and be there for me if she had to. she is my bosom friend.

and now, darla is a mother of the most adorable one year old boy named chase. not only that, but she is in nursing school full time, pursuing her dream of caring for others through nursing. she just told me that she has something like 9 papers and 7 exams in the next 5 weeks. (hence, the cold sore) if i were her, i would be bald from pulling all of my hair out by now. i don't know how she does it, but i am so proud of her, my best bud.

love you, doorknob.

~heidi