It was midweek when I got this text message from a friend, “Do you want to watch ’80 for Brady’ this Friday?” Whatever it was, it sounded good to me. With all the domestic, menial tasks at home and the endless paper work, I was ready to relax, so I immediately texted back my yes to the invite.
It was a beautiful but busy Friday for me, and I could not wait for the day to be over. Already, I was anticipating a sumptuous dinner with my two friends at a local restaurant before heading out to the Cinemark for a movie. So, as soon as the final announcement at work was over, I was one of the first to leave my post toward the exit. I usually stay an hour or so after work to ready my room for the following week, but not this time. I am going out to have a blast with Emma and Bella.
Driving hurriedly home, I found my friend Bella waiting for me as I parked on the driveway. I quickly took my stuff in the house before riding with her to meet with Emma, who was waiting for us in the Lotus Cafe. Now complete and hungry, the three of us chose a well-lit corner of the cafe. The waiter came by in a few seconds and handed us the menu. We went for the Friday specials. Emma ordered Hunan Beef with fried rice and cabbage soup, Bella ordered Moo Moo Gai Pan also with fried rice, and I ordered the Hunan Chicken with fried rice and cabbage soup. Fried rice the common denominator!
As we ate, Bella gave us some background information about the movie, “80 for Brady.” The excitement was building up, but we were not in a rush to go since we also wanted to relish the time just talking and eating together. Emma’s children and mine were all gone and on their own, so most of the time we are by ourselves at home. So, this was one of those days we needed some company. After enjoying our meals and taking out the left overs, we did not anymore wait for the server to bring us the bill. We thought it would be faster to pay straight to the cashier. Like some teenagers on a date, we hurried to the car and sped away toward the mall.
The movie was at 7:00 o’clock, and we were there on the dot. After a series of ads, “80 for Brady” came on, and we finally met those four gorgeous, classy women characters. The most charming for me was Lou who put aside her medical appointment to see Brady; Betty, the math professor whose forgetful husband depended on her to proofread his presentation, was hilarious when she joined an eating contest and forgot her money bag. Of course, we all giggled at the flirtatious Trish who was caught by the other women kissing with a guy in the locker room. The most dramatic of all was the slim-fit Maura who drinks the wrong medication and is locked in her room right before their trip to Houston! Seated between Bella and Emma, I glanced at them once in a while and like me, both were grinning throughout the movie. It was indeed a stress-reliever for me.
I did not think about it earlier this week, but that number 80 in the title, had me thinking – “How can women in their 80s still enjoy life?” Perhaps, as we near the age of retirement, we want to know how people live their lives at that age. I know a few precious women in my life who either passed away before reaching 80, bedridden, or just constantly ill and unhappy at that age. What this ’80 for Brady’ obviously taught me was the joy of having company. Perhaps, having women support might make my retirement age more fun, if not exciting.
This Borrowed Scrap of Time 