In the fast lane with a Mercedes

It seemed like the whole time I hung out with John, he changed girlfriends faster than he changed his socks. I guess it made me feel a bit better, since I was one of the few exes he had that he hung around with, and certainly the only one he was with almost every day.

Around spring of 1999 John started going out with this girl named Mercedes. She was this Portuguese firecracker, an exotic beauty. She had this wild dark curly hair and beautiful eyes. You could not help to notice her when she walked into a room.

Mercedes was not afraid to speak her mind, in fact I don't think she filtered much of anything. Most times I found her to be so funny, but I'll admit, at times it was a bit embarrassing. (like the time she told the guy behind the counter at Tim Horton's he looked like his face had been hit by a Mac Truck. He was a jerk though)

Despite being a bit jealous, as I was of all of John's girlfriend's, I really liked Mercedes. We seemed to hit it off right away. There was never a dull moment when she was around, she was not afraid of saying or doing anything. Unfortuately and John only went out for a short while, and I did not see much of her after that.

About 2 years later, Mercedes was going out with a friend of my then soon-to-be ex-boyfriend Scott, so I was seeing her around quite a bit. After Scott and I broke up, I started hanging out with Mer a lot, we'd play pool, go for coffee, hang out at the bar. She was really kind to me while I was pregnant with my oldest son, we often stayed up until the wee hours of the morning drinking tea in her kitchen, talking about anything and everything.

The night I went into labour, Mer and I were out playing Bingo. I was 5 days past due, and feeling like a beached whale, but she encouraged me to get out, have a last bit of fun before I embarked on the task of being a Single Mom. She was laughing her head off at me in the Bingo hall, the labour pains would hit, and I would squeeze the bingo dabber ink all over my cards.

After Bingo we went to Tim Horton's, or Horny Tim's as she called it. The pain was not too bad yet, and really random, so we knew it would be a few hours. We laughed like crazy when some guy there tried to tell us he knew I was close. Apparently he had helped birth calves in the past, and felt he was an expert. Mercedes chastized him for comparing me to a cow, really tore a strip off him. And while reading the Toronto Sun, we got a giggle from my BioDex, it said "You'll soon encounter a great deal of water in a manner most unexpected" We hoped that did not mean my water would break right there!

Well I made it home in one piece that night, actually early morning, and by 1:00pm the next day I was a mother to a beautiful baby boy. Mercedes was there to shower me with gifts, and shower the peanut with love. She became part of a support system of friends that were ever so valuable to me during that time. Truthfully, with people like Mercedes around me, I rarely felt much like a single mom, She was always willing to help out, hold the baby, give me a moment to myself. And her mom was great to babysit so Mercedes and I could get out. She loved my little boy and for that I loved her.

Mercedes and I had some really good times together, but foolishly, as I did with so many of my other friendships, I let her go. We drifted apart and by the time I was getting married it had been so long since we had spoke I did not even know where to send her an invitation.

Luckily, a few weeks ago I saw Mercedes name on Classmates and I sent her an email. I was so happy to get one back from her, she sounds like she has not changed too much. It was comforting to know she is happily married, and enjoying life.

It really is great to hear from old friends, no matter how long it has been. The more I write in this Blog, the more I come to realize, I let some really good friends go. It has made me see how precious friendship is, and I have resolved to work that much harder at the friendships I have now, and perhaps find some more that have drifted away.