Loyalty

I was once told by a good friend that I’m loyal. I assume what she meant is that when I make arrangements to see friends I always keep them and I don’t just drop them when I get a more exciting offer.

Say for example, if Gael Garcia Bernal asked me on a date on the one day he’s in town, but I had already made plans for coffee with a gal pal, I would probably decline his offer.

OK, I may not be quite that silly, but indeed I do have a thing for keeping my appointments, especially with friends. Something, I have observed of late, not everyone shares. What is with that?!

Last night I had an arrangement with a “good” friend. We had both been invited to a another friend’s 30th. I don’t know the birthday boy so well, but my “good” friend does, so I’d called the night before to see when he was going so that we might arrive together.

At around 5pm that evening my “good” friend calls to confirm what time the party starts and tells me he’s planning on getting there pretty early. In fact, he suggests that he’s going to be so early that we might do coffee before hand. I make sure I keep my end of the deal and plan my getting ready so that I’ll be there on time.

I’m on my bike, so getting ready when it’s minus one million degrees outside and having to account for the on-a-bike wind chill factor is a mission, but I’ve managed to work out ways to be all party chic when I arrive, and toasty warm on the way.

Jeans can go either way, so they make for good riding gear and convert seamlessly into the oh so cool “I don’t dressed up for parties” look. A black top to hide any sweat marks, nice girly top over black top, a pair of heels in my riding bag to slip on before I enter, and a massive puffer jacket over everything. I can even do big earrings with a helmet.

By now, I should have learnt my lesson about this particular friend. He’s one of those “My life is so exciting and cool that I don’t need to make plans or keep them if you make plans with me” kinda guy. Which in my book translates to something more like, “I’m not really up to anything so I have to pretend my life is more exciting than everyone else’s”.

Why I have not learnt my lesson I don’t know. I guess, I like to have faith that he will one day learn that keeping dates with your mates is important. Anyway, I had a nagging feeling that before I set out into the freezing night I should make sure he was actually on his way.

He’s not. He’s going to have coffee with some dude, coz the dude is Italian and so anytime is a good coffee time – even if your coffee compadre has made plans to meet up with someone else – and no, my friend doesn’t know when he’ll be at the party.

Where do you go with that? Do you say what you’re thinking?  “You’re a totally disrespectful shmuck, and if you make plans with me you goddam keep them, and if you can’t, because you’re in hospital with both your legs chopped off, then you apologies”!!!

Or, do you do what I did and politely say OK bye, hung up and then have a hair pulling, air punching fight on the veranda with your now imaginary friend, before going inside and trying to calming yourself down by reading some book about peace, love and oneness and finally, still in a rage, go to bed.

Oh and turn your phone off so that when your “disloyal” friend rings to find out why you’re not at the party, now that he has finally got there in his own sweet time, he thinks that on your way over you were knocked off your bike and are now in hospital with both your legs chopped off.