IV. Where it all started.

 I don’t think I have told you about the day the soul sisters met? It was an ordinary day in Montvale, NJ. The two girls, aged 7, were set to start school. I am sure they both started their days like any other children of their age. Excited and apprehensive of the new chapter in their lives. Their parents no doubt gave them a hearty breakfast and explained to them, with great excitement, about the wonderful world at their fingertips. Regina awoke that day and immediately ran to her fathers side, “Daddy! Today I am a big girl!!” Regina loved both of her parents, but her mother provided the structure, and her father, the comfort. Regina’s other comfort, the classic TV show “I love Lucy”. From when she was a little girl, she loved that show. She didn’t love TV, she loved that show. She, like most people, were both enamored and intrigued by the comical genius of a silly Scottish redhead. Such a simple plot, such captivating entertainment. Life wasn’t easy for Regina or most children in her generation I would venture to guess. Money was hard to come by, feelings were not discussed and family dynamics were difficult to maneuver as a child in the family. Regina loved her dad and Grammy had a pure heart, but she was a force to be reckoned with and that’s true no matter whom you ask. But Grammy and Grandpa were a team. When Regina was a little girl, she used to get terrible ear infections. She loved to swim and most likely this was the culprit, and I don’t believe that ear tubes were a common solution in those days. So when she had an earache, Grammy would sit on one side, Grandpa on the other and they would hold pressure on her ears with two warm towels to help her feel better. I always liked that story. No matter what difficulties they had, their world stopped to help Regina in those moments. 

Regina and Maggie, both woke up in their own homes the first day of second grade, filled with excitement and anxiety about their new school year ahead. Both girls were given permission by their parents to walk ahead on their way across the parking lot and into the school. Maggie saw Regina a few steps ahead and approached her. “Hi, I'm Maggie. I am going to Sister Noel's class. What's your name?” “Hi. I am Regina, I am in the same class. Want to walk together?” And that was that. A brief interaction in the parking lot of grammar school and history changed forever for both girls. 

The students in Sister Noel’s class were placed into four rows of six students each. Regina and Maggie were next to each other. They would very discreetly pass notes and exchange secret glances at various occurrences in class. They never made fun of other children in class, they more laughed at themselves. A wrong answer and a scornful glance from Sister and the girls had fuel for their fire. As the years passed on, the two girls were not always in the same classes, but they always made time for each other. They were not the kinds of friends where your physical separation causes an expected distancing in friendship. They always made time. And by the time the girls were in school where they had to change classes throughout the day, they were peas and carrots. They had a three ring notebook full of composition paper. They would write notes back and forth and pass it off in the halls in between classes. Sometimes they would even draw each other mazes or start hangman games to be played. One day in middle school, they decided to skip class. Both came from strict homes and this was very much the object of thought, but never the object of action. But they were feeling their oats on a particularly warm and sunny spring day. They skipped class and went down to the beach to sit on the sand and watch the waves. They tied their shoelaces together and tried to hobble along down the sandy waterfront. When they returned to school, Sister Mary asked where they had been. “We got tied up.” replied Maggie. Only fear a nun could bring prevented them from full on eruption of laughter at Maggie’s witty response. 

One difference in the girls was that Regina was always early and Maggie was always right on time. Maggie's ability to consistently make it to her destination right on time was some sort of an unexplainable occurrence. She was never early, she was never late. Regina, on the other hand, was set to be early to every event in her life based on one situation. When Grammy was a young girl, growing up in NY, her mother would never allow her to go out in the cold before the sun came up. She feared polio and illness and was convinced the children were better off going to school late in the sun than on time in the dark. And every day, Sister would ask Grammy and other other late students why they were late to school that day. On one particular day, the nun was passing student by student hearing their reply. Grammy was incredibly worried because, much like every other day, she had no excuse. When the nun stepped in front of Grammy, the nun spat “You! If you were every on time, I’d drop dead!” Astonished, Grammy went home from school that day and immediately expressed “Mom! I do not want to be late anymore”. And that was that. And Grammy was never late again. And that nun is dead now. Of old age or something I am sure, but either way. 

Maggie and Regina fit into each others families too. Both sets of parents frequently said “I should get a tax write off for you!” The siblings all got along too and sort of adopted the outsiders with welcome arms. A sibling's best friend was always a fun addition. You get the benefit of a close friend without the infighting of a blood relative. One day, Regina’s older brother Francis was going to travel in NY for the afternoon. He bravely agreed to take the duo and promised to keep them safe. Grandpa no doubt threatened him with loss of life or limb if anything were to happen. While Francis got his own room and was allowed to have his own car, he was also required to make sure his siblings were always safe, because they were girls. Regina and Maggie piled into the Oldsmobile, insisting on riding in the back seat for the full chauffeur experience. They were 15 and the world consisted of a million days of unknown adventures.