Found Her!

       I called P's aunt twice. I left a long message right after I last posted, and then called back again early the next morning. She said she had hoped to check with P first, but after asking me a few questions, she seemed to decide I was trustworthy, and gave me P's phone number.

       I waited an hour to call P, and found her not at home. I left a message with the boy who answered -- who got a pen and paper to take my number. And then I waited...and not for long. 

       Only around 45 minutes later, P called back -- surprised and curious.  

       She also sounded a bit reserved. But let's face it, I had let her down.  I told her that I thought it was my fault we had lost contact, and she did not disagree.  So we started slowly.

       We each talked cautiously at first about our respective marriages, our families, where we had lived, the different jobs we had held. And then, as we warmed up, we talked about our husbands and their foibles; she told me about her son and some difficulties he was having; we discussed our hopes, lessons learned, and our disappointments. And before the call came to an end over an hour later, we were nearly talking over each other about weight gain, early signs of menopause, and possible visits. 

       I didn't ask about the breach with her family, except to tell her that regardless of what may have happened, her sister-in-law had cared enough to give me her aunt's number.  

       And we didn't reminisce about the past at all. Rather, it seemed like we were just catching up on over 10 years of life...maybe with the expectation that we might move on from there.

       I learned that P, to my surprise, was not computer-savvy and did not even have an e-mail address. Obviously, that explains why I found no information about her on the web. So it looks like phone calls and old-fashioned mail will have to be our modes of communication once again. 

       We exchanged information, but I think it will be up to me to make the next foray, and possibly the next one after that as well. 

       And I will do it. She was a good friend, and remains a good person.  I think I not only owe her every effort I can make, I also think I'm going to enjoy re-discovering all she is.