~redhdjess

That’s nice I thought as I felt an arm plop over my side and rest itself across my stomach.
~Yay~

Oooh God! My head feels like a tiny person is doing a river dance on my brain.

I slowly start to remember bits and pieces of the night before... Suddenly Aaron’s voice enters my head. “ Two shots of Jager and a Joint!” he said enthusiastically as we all gathered in the kitchen.

At this point I was trying to decide whether or not to get up and try to puke or if I should go back to sleep. Sleep prevailed.

The sound of my alarm ripped my sleep wide open. Aaron groaned and rolled over. I fumbled with my phone to turn off my alarm. I couldn’t see the buttons, so I settled for whatever button made the noise stop.

Fifteen minutes later it happened again. This time Aaron wasn’t so happy about it, and I didn’t hear it. I fumbled again and got the same result. I made it stop.

I feel a nudge, “Get up and go to work or call in”, Aaron said. I knew he was right, but I had been snoozing my way to the eleven o’clock hour all morning. I couldn’t even stand without teetering. I knew that if I drove to work that I would be at risk of a DUI, so I quickly realized that work was not going to happen.

I made the call. The subtle stretch of the truth was just enough for me to try to get some more sleep. As I entered the room, I noticed Aaron laying across the entire bed, no blanket, and hogging both pillows. I don’t think I have ever loved and hated to sleep with a person so much in my life!!
~~AHH~~ I gave him a shove and he said something I couldn’t make out. He hurried to the bathroom like an Olympic athlete. He hurdled over me, the five foot pile of dirty clothes in his floor, out the door, and straight to the toilet. I was disoriented but impressed all at once. I heard the toilet flush and the shower start. I must have passed out because the next thing I recall is Aaron kindly bringing a cup of water, some aspirin, and a multi-vitamin.

When my eyes began to focus, I took the cup of water from Aaron’s hand. I feverishly swallowed the water and pills in one gulp. I looked at Aaron and then looked back at the cup and had to fight back the laugher. I think he brought me the smallest cup ever invented. That is how I saw it anyway. He might as well have given me a shot of water. At that point, I could have funneled two gallons of water, and I probably needed to. I chuckled to myself on the inside, and I thanked Aaron. I was amused and touched by his effort.

We both felt so bad. We decided to go sleep in the living room for a while. I looked around at the mess covering the coffee table. It was littered with empty shot glasses and pot seeds. It all came back to me at once. It almost came back up too! We cleaned up the mess as quickly as possible and slept together on the couch.

We were awakened by a beam of light that swallowed the room as the door opened. Our partner in crime entered the room and brought all the sunshine in the world with him.

We sat around and reminisced about the previous night. We had a laugh or two or three, and we decided to smoke some weed. At this point, I am the only one left that hadn’t paid a visit to the Porcelain Thrown, and I knew that the only thing that would settle my stomach was some good old fashioned marijuana. I was right, and it was good.

I was having a great time. Everyone else seemed to be too. We hung out listening to music, making fun of one another, playing video games, and smoking in between. It was a day of being obligation free, and recovery. So we embraced it.

Aaron and I went on the porch to smoke. Topher followed. We stood on the porch admiring the suddenly cooler weather. We were all delighted about the possibility of rain.

The sky grew dark and it started to rain. It was moving from the West. The darkness swallowed the light. Alligator size rain drops began to fall.
We all looked at each other and smiled. Topher went inside, not quite as amused by the rain as Aaron and I. The sound of the rain became louder, and to me, sounded like a waterfall. Wiping away all the dirt of the world for its duration. Making everything it touched sparkle and come alive with the wind. Aaron and I looked at each other and joked about taking a walk in the rain. If he would have led my out into the rain, I would have followed, but he didn’t. Instead, we stood under the shelter of the porch together. I watched the leaves fall and dance as they floated to earth. I closed my eyes so I could remember the smell, sounds, and the moment.
~~Beautiful~~

Back inside Aaron and I were greeted with another joint and The Simpson’s Game of Life.
~~It doesn’t get much better~~~
Topher and I briefly argued over the orange game piece. I know orange is Topher’s favorite color… We have been through it a few times. I had no intention of taking the piece, and secretly didn’t want it. My favorite color is green. I just like to mess with him. The game started out great. Since our reunion, everything had been great. I was happy to be having such a bad hangover with such cool people. I think the reason it all worked so well, is that we were all happy to be together.

The game was abruptly interrupted with a knock. Aaron and I were about to go have a cigarette, so he joined the neighbor and started without me. He came back without a smile to match my own.

“Topher, Man, your cats dead!” Aaron said as he entered the house.

It seemed so brutal. The delivery was harsh and tactless. I suddenly felt my heart sink. I heard Topher groan a bit, and then he said, “It is ok, it is not that big a deal.”
I knew that wasn’t true, he did, and so did everyone else. He slowly picked himself off the floor and headed outside where the sun was shining hot. The brightness made it burn to blink.

I wondered silently if Velcro died when it was raining, or after the sun came out.

I lingered in the house by myself a while. Not sure what to say, or if I should say anything. I watched as my friends huddled around a limp shell of a cat and cried together.

I watched Topher slowly and bravely fall apart.

My mind switched back over to Aaron. He recently lost his four legged friend. Isis.
Isis was a cool fucking cat. He supposedly didn’t like chicks very much, but he liked me… He always made me feel special. I thought about Isis for a few moments and returned my attention back to the current tragedy.

Topher found a wooden crate, and was just about to start Velcro’s burial. He was holding his cat’s wrapped corpse in his arms and sobbing. I couldn’t help but think that he needed time alone with Velcro. Aaron was off doing something, so I continued to keep my distance.

Even after the rain, the ground was dry. Topher placed Velcro in the box with his favorite shirt and a couple other meaningful items. He started with a shovel. Sweat poured from his body and mingled with the tears that soaked his face and shirt. The dirt was like brown cement. Topher got a pick axe and swung it with all his might. His perspiration soaked hands slipped down the short wooden handle each time. Each swing produced sharp pain, sadness, and splinters.
He pressed on and finally the deed was done.
We all stood frozen and watched as he said a few words to the fresh pile of dirt and strongly walked toward the house.

We all followed and walked quietly into the house together.

Topher collected himself in the shower, and returned to find a fresh joint awaiting his return. The music began again, new faces appeared, video games, laughter and cheer.

We each at times caught ourselves laughing and smiling as if the tragedies that unfolded that day hadn’t happened.
The unmistakable underlying tone of the day will haunt each of our thoughts forever.

We partied hard, we paid the price three fold, and we kept smiling!!!
~~~Two shots of Jager and a Joint Please~~~