#12 You have just swallowed your pride and done something you didn’t want to do.  Your friend wants to know why.  The two of you are driving around an almost-full parking garage looking for a space for the friend’s oversize pickup.  Write the scene.

Like most women in their forties, I lived like a college student.  (Oh, that isn’t the case?) When I say I lived like a college student I mean that none of the furniture that I owned has been paid for with my money. Until two years ago I had slept on a mattress on the floor.  At that point, one of my co-workers took mercy on me and helped me get the box spring out of storage. All it cost me was lunch at Culver’s. Then my BFF Barbara got me a bed frame.  Every step into adulthood required an intervention from one of my friends.  As you can imagine, I didn’t own a dresser.  For five years I had been storing all my clothes in plastic bins.  (And honestly, the floor.) So, I decided to finally bite the bullet and buy a dresser.  Being the cheapskate I am, I decided to go to IKEA.  I was thinking that since it would come unassembled in boxes it might fit in my car.  When I told this to my BFF Sue she said that I was crazy and she would use her neighbors truck.  “Since when have you been talking to your neighbors?”  I questioned.  This sounded very fishy to me.

“Well, they owe me a favor.  I watched their dog when they were in Acapulco for two weeks,” Sue explained.

I tried to talk though my laughter, “You, agreed to watch someone’s dogs for two weeks?  It must be a very cute dog.  Pomeranian?”

Sue went on to explain that yes, it was a Pomeranian and that the couple had only planned on being in Mexico for 5 days but then lost their passports and it took that long to get back into the country.

When we got to IKEA we were struggling to find a parking spot.  Sue was getting furious.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I love the Swedes, but this parking lot is a nightmare!!!!!! The spots are only big enough for Smart Cars and Saabs!  Maybe I should just take up two spots.  But I suppose they’d call the UN and get me on crimes against humanity.  I don’t think I should get a ticket in my neighbors truck.  Why aren’t you saying anything??”

I stared out the window but decided it was time to tell someone.  “I”m just mad because I had to ask my arch enemy for help.”

Sue was worried.  “Who?”

“Remember the guy that was my co-operating teacher when I student taught?” I whispered.

“How on earth could anyone forget him? Also, co-operating is not a word that I would use to describe that guy.”  she said in a way that only a BFF could, equal parts disgust and venom.

“Well, they are honoring someone else at the school he used to work at. And of course I agreed to be on the stupid committee.  I missed one meeting and they put me in charge of finding someone who could give a nice speech.  I asked the honoree and they wanted Voldemort himself!” I screached.  Seriously, only dogs could hear me.
“When you called him was he nice?” Sue asked hopefully.

“That’s the thing, he didn’t even remember me.  I practically threw up getting up the nerve to call him and he had no idea who I was. So typical.  He said that he’d do the speech and thankfully, I don’t have to attend.  All is right in the world.” I huffed.

“I think this calls for some meatballs.  Screw it.  I’m taking up three parking spaces.  What are they going to do to me?  Put me in IKEA jail?” Sue proclaimed.

You gotta love friends.  They make everything better.  Meatballs, yeah, meatballs help too.