My Best Friend Meryl
And Me
~Chapter One~
''My Dream Come True.''
The day first day of spring was above all the most eventful day of my life, two things happend that would change everything for me emotionally and phisically, forever...
one: was the fact that, with a lot of financeial difficulty, we where finally able to afford a holiday and I had decided to go to New York instead of England, the reason for my change of mind, was due to the fact that I knew Mum didn't really want to go to England and also, mum had mentioned about three months before the trip that England's suppossed to be very heavy with poloution at this time of year.
And two: I didn't know a thing about telling the future, but for some reason I had the feeling that I was going to meet someone in New York that would change my life forever...maybe...just maybe, by some utterly berwilding miracle, some dream come true, I would get the chance to meet Meryl Streep, the one woman I had been wanting to meet for what to me, felt like centeries.
We had to get to the airport quite early in the morning because of customs. We arrived at about eight in the morning, and where on the plane by ten, by the time we arrived in New York, and checked into our hotel it was midday the next morning.
''Ma! mum? where's my Nintendo, it's not in my suitcase!.''
''It's on the table.''
I walked into the beautiful dinning room, with it's dark rosewood floorboards and it's light chestnut oak table and chairs and noticed that mum had brought a copy of The New York Times, which was opened on a page that read:
Meryl Streep at the
Premiare of ''Julie And Julia'' on Monday the 25th of October at Centrel Park, 4:30p.m-6:30pm.
I stood there entranced and amazed there she was, standing at the bench just outside centrel park, with her three amazing daughters that looked almost identical to the beautiful woman they are lucky enough to be able to call ''mum''.
They looked like nothing in the world could make them happier than to be with eachother, and who could blame them? I mean having a mother that's as famous as Meryl, well, that was every girls ultimate dream, wasn't it?.
''Uh...Mum?'' I finally managed to choke out to the direction of her bedroom after what must had been about five minutes of staring transfixedly at the photo.
''Yeah?''
''Umm...well, this premiare thing that they've got on at centrel park on monday... I trailed off still staring at Meryl, wondering what the hell I was going to say that would end up in me being there.
''I knew you'd notice that sooner or later. she laughed, nothing gets passed you when Meryl's involved, does it?''
I smiled, more to Meryl than to myself. ''Can we go then, please?.''
''Okay.'' I could hear the hint mixture of smile and sigh as she said it. ''When's it on again, what time?.''
''Uh... it starts at 4:30 and goes 'til 6:30.'' I consaulted the time with my finger for a split second, before returning my eye's to the gorgeous woman that I was overwhelmingly proud just to be able to call my mentor, and her kids being able to call her their mum, well, they where living a waking dream wern't they?.
Not being able to tear my eye's away from Meryl, who was waving and smiling at the camera, with her brown sunglasses on top of her head, the morning sun illuminating her silky-smooth honeyblonde hair which was cascading down her shoulders like a beautiful waterfall, and her mesmerising blue eyes, I tore the page out, took it to my room, and carefully placed it on my bedside table before asking mum where a shop that sold a pair of scissors, some lightblue or purple cardboard, craftglue and a photo frame was.
''Well, the nearest craftshop is about a block from here on 57th Avenue.''
''Thanks, I'll be back later.''
''What are you-''
Before she could finish asking her question, I was out the door, in the elevator, and heading to 57th Avenue, It was the first time I'd ever ventured out to the shops on my own - ever. Having been born 24 weeks premature, I had been dependant on my mum for almost all my life - but today - with the help of a lot of painful operations, seemingly endless stresses, and a lot of hard rehabillitation, I could FINALLY walk on my own. The first actual celabratory thing I did when I'd finally relised I could walk all around the hospital without stopping and back to the physiotherepy room, was go outside and cry because I was so happy mum close behind me. Since then, Mum and I had donated my walker, sticks, and powerchair to the Childeren's Spastic Centre in Penreth and I had walked everywhere. It only took me approximately five minutes to walk to the nearest craftshop, about ten to find what I wanted, and another five to walk back to the hotel.
''Hey Mum!.'' I sang while slamming the door.
''Hey, where'd you go?.''
''The craftshop, had to get a few things.''
''For...What exactly?.'' She asked, the unmistakable tone of curiosity in her voice.
''...Surprise I shrugged, ''call me when dinner's ready.''
''Okay, What did you buy?.''
I didn't answer. I was already the desk in my room - or the room I was staying in rather, cutting up the cardboard, to fit and sticking it on the back of the frame, before retreiving the newspapper from my bedside table, and sticking it in the centure of the cardboard and letting it dry on my desk. When I came out, dinner was on the stove, the remarkable smell of mum's delicious chicken curry igniting my hunger.
''Mmmm! smells good ma.''
''Hello! finally came out have we.'' she smiled before turning back to the stove.
After dinner was cleared, I thought I would start to orgonise what I would wear on Monday, after all, that single day would change my life forever...and a girl had to look nice when meeting her mentor. I told mum what I was going to do and retreated to my room once again. I decided on a nice dark purple sleeveless, kneelength dress, with little diamonties on the end, a little white handbag and flat white sandels. I then thought of a plan for my hair...I twisted it around my hand tightly, so that It gathered together in a nice scrunch, and held it up with a silver pin, while letting the sides of my fringe surround my face. Nice.
Suddenly I remembered Meryl's photo was still on the desk, I sat down, put the back on the frame and turned it over so Meryl was facing me and a surge of excitment flooded through me like a fire...I jumped up, plugged my Ipod into my Idog amplifyer, closed my door, grabbed Mer's photo and turned my Ipod's volume all the way up before playing Dancing Queen from the Mamma Mia Movie soundtrack and singing at the top of my voice while gazing lovingly at Mer and spinning around pretending I was dancing with her I closed my eyes, and imagend us laughing while I spun her around on a dance floor as big as two ball rooms in Buckingham Palace put together, until she was laughing so much, and was so dizzy she collapsed in my arms. I caught her, flung her around, so that she was underneath me and her weight was on me entirely, she held on to me, tilted her head back, and laughed:
''Oh Bell!...You caught me!.''
''I'll always be here to catch you Mer...you know that sweetheart.''
I smiled, pulling her upright again. She looked absolutely beautiful. She was wearing an ankle length navy blue dress which matched her eyes perfectly, and made her hair look as though it had been handcrafted by someone using strands of sunlight, it was out compleatly except for her fringe which was clipped back out of her face with a silver hairclip that was imbedded with little rosequarts that had glitter on them. Her shoes were navy blue, and looked almost the same as Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard Of OZ except for a little gold on the edges - and the fact that - they where blue not red. Once she was on her feet again, she put her arms around my neack, smiled, and began staring at me, as if she was looking for something that was hiding deep inside me...something that she wanted to find no matter how long it took her-What she was looking for exactly I didn't know. She put her forehead against mine, I smiled back and looked at her with an expression full of love and admiration.
We where now swaying from side to side with our eyes closed, arms around eachother in the silence of the ball room. After around an hour or so of dancing in silence, just enjoying being together, Mer whispered in my ear:
''I'm the luckiest woman alive...'' she laughed. I smiled quietly and whispered.
''Oh?...And why is that?.''
''Because I've never...never known anyone so...AMAZING...''
''Nor have I darling...Nor have I.''
Suddenly I was ripped from my beautiful thoughts by a knock on my door. I must have fallen on my bed, because I was now lying down still holding Mer's photo. I swung my legs over the side, put Mer's photo down on my bed, turned the music down, and opened the door a bit.
''Hey ma...What's up?.''
''Nothing just wanted to see what was going on...you had your music up REALLY loud...I thought something was wrong 'cause you've hardly said anything to me all day, and you've been in your room a lot.''
''Sorry...and nothing's wrong..i'm fine. Just excited.''
''Okay...Get some sleep, big day tomorrow.''
''Sleep?.'' I said utterly bewildered, ''what time is it?.''
''Ten thirty.'' She said smiling, ''Honestly, when Mer's involved you loose track of everything don't you?.''
''Oh, stop it!...Night''
''Night.'' She said. When I closed the door I heard her laugh very loudly. I got dressed in my P.J's, took out my hair, which flowed down my back like a dark brown snake, went to the toilet and did my teeth. I returned to my room, closed my curtins, and turned off my music before climbing into bed. I held Mer's photo, kissed it, and whispered:
''See you tomorrow, my love.'' I put Mer on my bedside table, turned out the light, snuggled into bed, and sung Mer's Version of ''Amazing Grace'' to myself.
''Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost
But now I'm found
Was blind but now I see
'Twas grace that taught
my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did
That grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers
Toils and snares
We have already come
'Twas grace that brought us
Safe thus far
And grace will lead us home
When we've been there
ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing
God's praise
As when we first begun
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost
But now I'm found
Was bound but now I`m free.''
I felt the last bit of my strength leave me so I closed my eye's and let Meryl, her laughter, and her beauty, come to me once more until the day when my dream of meeting her came true on monday...This would have to do.