#55, Trenches

trench: a place, position, or level at which an activity is carried on in a manner likened to trench warfare —often used in the phrase in the trenches

At one time or another, we have all gone through hardships. No matter how hard we try to avoid them, they remain a constant in our lives. Some are merely a blip on the radar; a pushy old woman on a subway car or an offhand comment about your shirt. These are forgotten by the time our heads hit the pillow. Others penetrate deep into our subconscious, and despite our best efforts, simply refuse to go away. I can remember one such hardship vividly.

In fifth grade, I had my first girlfriend. I met her on a breezy Saturday evening at my friend Brendan's (no really) birthday party. Up until this night, I was not even aware of her existence. Brendan was a rather progressive young man and held a rare boy/girl birthday party. When the girls arrived, tension was high. This was uncharted territory for many of us. We reacted predictably, keeping a safe distance from each other. In his basement, the boys stuck to the ping-pong table and couches while the girls camped out near the fridge. We did our best to look cool, but stay separate. The division would not last all night though. As the party was winding down, Brendan and his girlfriend Chelsea courageously broke down the awkward gender barrier. They sat the six girls on a cream colored couch and began matching each girl with their new boyfriend. There were exactly six boys to match them to. Now, I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood, so virtually all of my childhood friends were caucasian. I was the only Asian at the party except for the sole Asian girl seated on the couch. It was a match made in heaven.

I played a positively spirited game of soccer the next day, energized about the bright future ahead for Susan and I. Talks on the phone, notes in each other's locker, walks along the beach at sunset, Broadway shows in New York City, and if things went well...maybe even some hand holding.

On Monday, I was ecstatic to find a neatly folded note in my locker from her. "Hey Brenden! It's so cool that we met each other at Brendan's party (yes, that was so cool). I had a really great time...(me too!) , but I think we should break up (wait...what). We never talk to each other (you didn't tell me your phone number) and it's best for both of us (how can you destroy one of the great love stories of our generation?!?)."

I was heartbroken. My first relationship had come to a cruelly abrupt end. It had been the greatest thirty-six hour stretch of my young life. I stared into the endless void of my locker and felt my stomach knot up and suddenly a deep longing for a person I hardly knew. I played it off cool and told my friends that we never started dating, so she couldn't dump me. But, in my eleven-year-old heart, I was crushed.

This week, write about a trench you've been through.

-Brenden Lee Teacher

feeling like a fool, adieu