Meet Me In The Garden

We had been in Warsaw for nine whole months and made only one friend.  Tonight was the night! Ricky-Bobby and I are not the most outgoing people, luckily Manly didn’t inherit this trait…he is a social manfly!

Entering the event in the lavish garden, I felt like all eyes were on us. People laughing and chatting about whom they are and where they come from.  We smile and forge on as I spot the wine table, ‘Jackpot”!  We grab a couple glasses of red wine and make our way deeper into the garden. By the way, garden is just a fancy Polish word for backyard. 

It’s time to make our move! In other words, Ricky-Bobby has to make a move for both of us.  We were reverting to our old awkward ways of just standing there gawking at each other pretending to be in deep conversation, and that was not Polish Mandy!  I tell Ricky-Bobby to just start talking to someone.

Ricky-Bobby turns and grabs the first body he sees, “Hi Nash! How are you” I can tell Nash’s wheels were spinning trying to figure out how he knew this guy chatting him.  Then it hits him that we are all wearing nametags.  “Hi Ricky Bobby and Mandy”, says Nash.

As the guys chat each other’s ears off, I hear three words…”Nash & Environmental Engineer”. 

I then exclaim, “ Nash & Environmental Engineer! Is your wife Annoula!?!”

Nash looks at my crazy excited eyes and knows not to question. “You must take me to her now!” I order Nash.  And that is how I found my way to Annoula; it was Karma!

I was sitting there drinking my glass of wine surrounded by a wonderful group of women just like this:

Where the hell was Nash? Finally, I looked up and I see my short cup of tea waking towards me.  Oh shit, who are they?  Bring me another drink! 

I remember Nash saying “hey do you know who this is?” My clairvoyant mind kicks in, F&$# me running, it’s Mandy. The chick I am pretty sure I pissed off via email back when we first moved here.  She’s the one our relocation agent just knew we would be great friends.  Ok, so it was nice to have someone to email the weeks before and after the move.  Once we arrived the sightseeing, the settling in, the friends visits, my graceful adjustment to being a SAHM (hate this word) and then my dis of her for family pizza night was for sure the end of our never really started friendship.

I stand up and say in my most excited voice “Oh, It’s Mandy!” We hug and I meet Ricky-Bobby. Nash leans over and says “its ok they hate it here too”.  The breathe comes out of my lungs, I look at Mandy with a bit of a tear in my eye…”are you pissed at me?”  “No, No,” she says that was right around the time I was homesick”.

Ahh Soul sister…it was fate!