She's A Brick House

Today is Nadine Wood's birthday.
Barrett.
Sorry.
She's married to a man now.
And his name ends with Barrett.
Nadine likes Lionely Ritchie a lot.
I couldn't explain to you why that is.
But I know that it's true.
Anyway.
It's her birthday today.
Hers is the easiest birthday to remember because it's a month before mine.
And it's easy to remember for that reason because I'm self-absorbed.
Her family used to have an anual croquet game.
I stayed at her parents' home a couple of times.
It's in Nova Scotia. Off of the highway.
Her mom used to call me Screech.
She'd cook me food and let me stay in a bed.
None of this 'pile of hay in the barn' stuff.
I think I stayed in her brother Donald's room.
He's a comic as well.
So he and I have a bond.
Because I used to rummage through his things.
But not like my bond with Nadine.
I'd tell you all about it if I could remember any of our time together.
I know that we must have walked places.
Classes in overbearing buildings.
Shops that sold stuff we didn't need.
Y'know, I can't recall ever seeing her throw up.
We were together so often that recalling an isolated moment is difficult.
But I can tell you this one:
Once at a party in my last year I wrapped my arms around Nadders and said, "I love you."
Now, to interject, this wasn't some drunken confession.
I told her I loved her all of the time.
Anyway.
I said, "I love you."
And she said, "My bum is wet because I sat in something wet."
It's my favourite thing that she ever said.