Justine and I pushed through the glass doors and waited for the elevator, tapping umbrellas on the charcoal marbled floors.
“I didn’t do anything today. Not a thing.”
“I tried not to,” I said, stabbing at the down button, silently chanting home, home home. I stabbed until I heard the ding.
“Oooh, is that vintage?”
Justine was eyeing my umbrella, a designer number I’d inherited somewhere. Burnt sienna – that would have to be the color, if I remember my crayons right – with a caramel colored leaf pattern. I’ve never been particularly fond of it, preferring my raingear to have more of a Mary Poppins theme, but there it sits in my office ready for days like today.
“God no,” I said.
“Looks like it. So pretty!”
I looked at Justine in her grass-green tweed, then at the umbrella in my hands. “Wanna trade?” Frankly, I’m surprised she believed me, with all the bullshitting that goes on between us, but she did.
“Yeah! Clashes with your scarf anyway.”
She handed over her sturdy black one. Very Mary.
At the corner, before she headed one block uptown to catch her State Island-bound bus, we exchanged the usual see-you-tomorrows.
“I’m surprised you did that.”
“Me, too. I’m usually way too uptight for that shit.”
”No kidding. But black matches you better anyway.”
“True. I prefer non-descript. And that felt so very… playground.”
I swapped trinkets with a pale haired girl in the third grade, and immediately regretted it. The trade was undone the next morning by the teeter-totter. As it turned out, I’d liked my own jewel-bellied whatchamacallit better all along.
Justine headed north and I plunged into the MetLife building, rolling my wrist to get a better look at my new accessory. We will not be undoing this trade. Justine is such a sucker. This Mary Poppins has one of those buttons that makes it open automatically. My froo-froo designer number did not.
For the record, I delcare no takebacks.
woo! first comment! I prefer non-descript rain gear as well.. black umbrella, beige coat. that is, aside from my fabulous Burberry-patterned golashes. :D
Posted by: lauren at March 29, 2005 12:51 AMRemember the umbrella store in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?
"nous sommes deux soeurs jumelles,
nées sous le signes des gémeaux..."
I love that movie :)
I'm of the keep-hair-short-let-the-rain-fall-on-me persuasion, but I realize that I'm probably missing out here. On porn hair if nothing else ;)
Posted by: Mathieu at March 29, 2005 01:39 AMWow.....that makes me feel like such a loser. Nobody wants to trade umbrellas with me. :(
Not like I would trade with them anyway :-P My umbrella is blue with a wierd handle. It's like laminated wood.....or maybe it's just plastic. I dunno but it's one of those mini ones and I really like it. Wow this is useless.
Posted by: Danny at March 29, 2005 07:40 AMYes, well, this whole post is rather useless except to Justine, for whom it was written.
Posted by: Fish at March 29, 2005 09:06 AMi have a plain black umbrella, and i also have a really big clear one that practially envelopes me. it is AWESOME, and makes me feel like a little girl when i carry it.
Posted by: red at March 29, 2005 09:33 AMthanks for bringing back childhood memories. i traded with the other kids all the time. mostly, i'd give up something precious and they'd give up on beating me to a pulp for that day. mostly. the barter system saved my life.
Posted by: brando at March 29, 2005 09:49 AMI remember trading stickers, that is about it. I still have my sticker collection...hmmm. I like the smelly stickers the best. Of course, they smell like cardboard now.
Posted by: Kassi at March 29, 2005 11:23 AMI was a sucker for the puffy ones with googly eyes.
Posted by: Fish at March 29, 2005 11:24 AMi have a black umbrella with Little Miss Sunshine on it...now i want one with a auto open...lol
Posted by: Katya Coldheart at March 29, 2005 11:42 AMOh come on, y'all are so boring when it comes to raingear. My raincoat is spring green and my umbrella (that opens with the touch of a button) is turquoise and green stripe. The rain may be dreary but not me!
Posted by: Charlotte at March 29, 2005 12:15 PMLook at me with my very own dedicated post! And I got a super snazzy umbrella out of the deal as well. It's a good day. ;)
Justine
Posted by: whirlygurly at March 29, 2005 12:29 PMMy umbrella is a freebie from the old job. Pilfered from the inventory intended for potential clients. You know, because umbrellas definitely incent you (or thank you) to buy a five-digit page of advertising.
Whatever. Marketing sure knows how to pick out sturdy umbrellas - the thing's an engineering masterpiece.
Posted by: PLD at March 29, 2005 12:35 PMI was just in NYC yesterday, walking around like a sodden rat in the pouring rain with my visiting relatives. I was people-watching, of course, and I kept thinking, "Hey, that could be BicycleFish! Maybe that's her! Oh, wait - there she is! Maybe!" I'm a dork.
At any rate, thank you for your wonderful writing and the sharing of your life.
I know this isn't apropos of your post... but I had to chime in.
Posted by: anne at March 29, 2005 01:10 PMjewel-bellied whatchmacallits:
i think they were called "sweet secrets" or something because their bellies opened and you could keep secrets in there. i remember a panda pink one of mine that i hid in my underwear drawer.
maybe that's not even what you're talking about but it sure invoked some memories for me!
Oh my god! That's it! Sweet Secrets.
Sounds like a porn shop.
Posted by: Fish at March 29, 2005 02:23 PMOh actually I was talking about my comment, not the whole post.
Posted by: ~!dAnNy!~ at March 29, 2005 02:40 PMI have very clear memories of trading Barbie outfits with a friend of mine in second grade only to burst into tears in a WHAT HAVE I DO? moment and force her to trade back a couple hours later. Right now I would be happy to trade my umbrella in for any model that did not turn inside-out immediately at the lightest trace of breeze.
Posted by: jennn at March 29, 2005 05:05 PMA woman I work with gave me an umbrella with a very obnoxious giraffe pattern all over it. I like giraffes so she thought this was a perfect gift for me. What she forgot to take into consideration is, I'm the reserved girl in the office who would rather not have lots of people noticing me....and I get noticed plenty when I use it. And, it doesn't even have those buttons that makes it open automatically!
Posted by: MsOktober at March 29, 2005 05:36 PMOh, Fish, I thought you were talking about Trolls! Those things always creeped me out, though their jewelled bellies were fun.
Someone "traded" my good black umbrella for a non-existant one, alas.
Posted by: janna at March 29, 2005 06:14 PMI do not remember really trading anything and especially not umbrellas. I kind of collect them. And at one time had about 9 that I could pick and choose to match what I was wearing that day.
Posted by: tinker at March 29, 2005 10:02 PMhahha..I have about 6 black umbrellas because I have a tendency of misplacing them ya know? Somehow, I ALWAYS end up with the heinous paisley one in my trunk...I think its a conspiracy. As if my hair isnt loud enough in the rain..I need a paisley umbrella to top it!
Posted by: Jasika at March 30, 2005 07:55 AMoooh i likes trading those 80's plastic charms thank clipped to the plastic link necklace. The charms were mini baby bottles, hair brushes, hair dryers, ducks, puppies, etc... and all had tiny bells on each charm. I miss being a kid.
Posted by: Island Girl at March 30, 2005 12:31 PMI wasn't allowed to trade.
Posted by: Rachel at March 30, 2005 01:42 PMOMG I forgot about those junk necklaces - those things could get heavy!! I had sweet secrets too, ahhh memories :)
I was the kind that always traded and immediately regretted it. Maybe that's why now I hang onto so much junk.
Posted by: Tinkster at March 30, 2005 03:48 PM"jewel-bellied whatchamacallit"
Troll? I'm sure other already prolly said that but I didn't read all the comments.
Loved those Trolls, still have a few.
Posted by: She who shall not be named at March 31, 2005 03:37 PM