Friends

PART THIRTY-SIX: 4-US

December 31, 2007, Monday

In the next consecutive hours, it'll be another mirthful year full of jubilant memories. Fiona rumbles in the kitchen to organize every casserole the table will be having.
She called me, "Are you sure you checked the cabinet?"

"Yes, I am sure there are no almonds. If there were, I would've fed them to the squirrels in my room," I said, passing her the sauce of the pasta.

She faced me with a disgusted look, "There are squirrels in your room?"

"In the trees, but that doesn't mean they're hideous."

"Oh, props to you. They might as well vanish into my room. Because fear not—I can sense movement and silhouettes past my window," she said.

"Isn't Tony coming?"

"He's stuck in his hometown, besides, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity having to spend time here," she said, tossing the sauce into the saucepan.

"But you lived here for almost five years."

"And that doesn't stop me from having another memory, here taste this," she replied, giving me a taste test of her bolognese pasta.

"It's great," I said with a twitch in the eye.

"I can sense that you want me to add more salt."

"That was one time. My eyes always twitch."

"And it's a faint in the dark, I'm adding it. Can you call the others?"

On the way to the living room, everyone is on a phone break. Missing the calls from their loved ones, eventually looking for time to find them. Situated enough from the fall of the snow, they're stuck in their households.

I made a deranged sound and caught everyone's attention, "Let's get started on the decorations, shall we?"

Wayne took a detour and ended his call, "Yes, sir."

Harry found balloons to toss around the room's ambiance, "I'm taking the balloon. Where's the pump?"

"Here," I said. "For balloons, Golding's in charge. For the banners, Wayne."

He looked at the box of decorations, "Oh, this one. I got this."

The door opened as keys were tossed to the lock. It was Jade, who came from her shift, looking tired but ecstatic to see us.

She said, "Are we getting started on the decorations? Let me change out of this outfit."

"Hurry, or else you'll get stuck with the fireworks."

"No," she shouted, wanting to avoid it. "Rode, take them into your hands. Please."

"I would but Fiona needs—," she shushed me, as she ran down the stairs in brand-new clothes. "Sorry, I can take that job.'

Everyone has their own composition of work but I am stuck in the fireworks. Who knows they might as well explode as I set them aside in the snow.

Fireworks being set aside, Fiona cooking food, Wayne measuring the decorations distance and perfecting, Harry bringing home doughnuts as soon as he finished, and I am not sure what I'm here for. I don't want to write a poetry book at midnight before New Year's Day.

"Rode, come here. Did you set them aside?"

"I did, Monroe."

Fiona looked at us, "Why are you calling her last name?"

"I wanted to try something out."

Jade said, "Sure, Goode. Rode is a great nickname though."

"It is. I don't know where that nickname came from."

Wayne overheard us and ran to the pantry, "It came from me." He sounded excited, "I developed that nickname. Not entirely your last name, but it's what I used to call you before. I'm not sure how they ought to call you that too."

Fiona smirked, "No, you didn't. I was friends with Charlie way before you. I hadn't heard that nickname until." She paused when Harry came in with the doughnuts and pointed at him, "Until he called him Rode."

Harry joined in, "What's all of this about?"

Jade answered, "We were trying to figure out how Charlie got his nickname Rode from."

He answered, "Well, that's easy. I called him Rode because calling people by their last names is the most memorable for me."

"That explains everything, just not why you didn't bring my favorite doughnut."

Fiona said, "Did they run out?"

He answered, "They did. Sorry, Rode. They were left with this stock."

Wayne comes in with a smeared chocolate on his lips, "These are always great."

Jade handed him a tissue, "Wipe clean your face, will you?"

"Enough with chit-chat. Thirty minutes left, let's place the food on the table."

Wayne added, "These look great—scallops, bolognese, roasted ham. Spectacular."

As soon as we finished, we went outside for the fireworks with a lighter in our hands. Harry played the radio loud, as we tuned in for the countdown. Before the countdown goes to Happy New Year, Wayne already blasted his fireworks.

"Hey, it's not even a countdown yet," Fiona said.

"I was excited, after all, we've got tons of fireworks here," Wayne added.

"Three, two, one, Happy New Year," all of us said, lighting our fireworks as they flew across the sky. Red, white, blue, black, and yellow all over the sky.

We ended our New Year's Day with a greeting for everyone's lover and became drunk over cake and champagne.