Tuesday, November 14, 2006
JohNava: How It All Started. (Part I)
November 11th was the 5-year anniversary to one of the most famous speeches in the history.
Well, history in the narrower meaning.
5 years ago, I came here on a business trip, to deliver a design camp on logic verification CAD tools to quite a big crowd of chip designers. I was very excited about going to Santa Clara, which I haven't visited for several years.
Now, at that time, The JohnnyB and I were merely acquaintances, from his relocation days in IDC.
We haven't seen each other for several years, so I contacted him via email and we decided to meet and catch up during my visit. a
You see, when The JohnnyB was on relocation, he was a legend, melting many hearts (without even being aware of that) and I was having my own life, which included not daring to speak English whatsoever.
The evening before my flight, as I was desperately trying to complete the introduction slide show in my cubic, a very dear mutual friend (we shall call him WolfieB) called me at work.
"So, when are you flying?"
"Tomorrow".
"Cool. Are you going to meet friends there?".
"Yes. John. Haven't seen him in over 5 years. Should be fun".
"Cool. Say - - (cigarette puff)... why don't you go for him?".
(- - - a short intermission is needed here, to explain that in those days, after losing Mr. Right, I was finally at the stage of trying to find another Mr. Right. I broke records in meeting all kinds of misters: from Mr. Wrong to Mr. Not-Right-Now to Mr. Yeah-Right... And WolfieB was one of the friends who tried to encourage me not to give up - - )
"Are you crazy???", I stormed, "John is an American!!! Can you imagine me with an American?! He is not even Jewish!! what is wrong with you???".
"Forget it, then", he said, and we parted as friends.
I tried to concentrate back on my work, but the thoughts were already circulating inside my head...
...5 minutes later, the phone rang.
WolfieB, again.
"Ahm... I have a little confession to make...", he hesitated. "You see, a while ago... Hmm... I kinda asked John... Ah, like, the same question I asked you..."
I was speechless - what was I supposed to do now?
John and I already decided to meet, I did it with the most innocent intention - and now it all got a whole new interpretation. That has also put a new twist on John's generous offer instead of a hotel, I should stay at his house (which, luckily, I politely rejected. My gut feeling never fails me).
What have you done, WolfieB???
And yet, in the name of seeking the truth, after my vocal chords agreed to function again, I inquired, "...and what did John say?".
"Ah", protested WolfieB (cigarette puff), "but you know I never gossip", and with a satisfied chuckle, he hung up.
OK......
Obviously, I didn't get much sleep that night.
And, in the morning, just before the camel came to take me to the airport, I shoved a mini skirt to my suitcase. Just in case...
Throughout the never-ending flight, I rehearsed steadying my voice and saying a cool "Hi", without surrendering the small-scale volcano that was starting to erupt.
'cause, y'see, WolfieB is a very, very smart devil.
He is a very good friend of John. He is a very good friend of mine. He knew I liked John. He knew John liked me. He also figured that we don't think of each other as potential partners, due to the trifle hurdles of cultural-lingual-religious-mental-national-geographical-you-name-it gaps, with thousands of miles in between us.
But a man like WolfieB never lets such minute nuances stop him.
Nooooo.
In his mind's eye, he saw a good match - and he started a small fire, trusting us do the rest.
And so, by the time I arrived at the hotel, the idea already grew on me, and I decided to give it a try.
I arrived at the hotel - and two messages were awaiting me at the reception counter, both from The JohnnyB, instructing me to call him at work, so he can pick me up for dinner.
I galloped to the shower, casually threw something on (yeah, right... "casually threw something on", who exactly am I kidding? when I finally left the room, the contents of my suitcase was spread all over the bed, floor, ceiling and bathroom, and I was exhausted by the decision process of what to wear to that crucial rendezvous).
As I reached the hotel lobby, I paced myself (and my heart), mincingly walking towards him, as if I couldn't care less.
It was Friday, which for The JohnnyB means tie-day, so he was really dressed up, with a cool tie and all, looking very, very, very good. Very.
I recruited the most alluring smile I had in my arsenal (not an easy thing to do, mind you, after that flight), , glamorously pirouetted towards him as he opened his arms for a friendly hug - - -
- - - and with charming femininity, stepped right on his foot.
Yup. That's me. Just call me Grace.
We spent the weekend together, traveled to San Francisco and Carmel, went to wonderful restaurants (I had my very first lobster that first evening).
Like, friends.
Y'know, hanging out.
The JohnnyB was quite impressed with my English (and with the fact that I actually talk), as in those days back in IDC, I did not utter a word when English was involved.
Took us about one day to become friends.
..Took me only one more day to realize that WolfieB was right - The JohnnyB was it.
....One more day to fall for him, completely.
......And then another day to realize that the man is as thick as two short planks...
........And only a couple of days later, I realized how bad The JohnnyB really is.
TexieD invited both of us for dinner.
The JohnnyB went out for a smoke, inviting me to join him.
There we stood, on the wonderful porch of TexieD and his wife (she is way too sweet to ruin her name with that stupid naming convention, so we shall refer to her as the better half, no - 95% of TexieD...), overlooking the Bay Area, with all the sparkling lights and the smell of fresh rain in the air, sipping red wine, The JohnnyB smoking, and the two of us standing side by side, savoring the silence that exists between two people who do need to burden the obvious with redundant words - - -
(that's when the violin starts playing on bad movies)
TexieD's better 95% came out to ask if we want more wine - - - and retreated straight back into the house.
(Violin playing gets into a fondant crescendo)
And The JohnnyB took a puff from his cigarette, looked at me with stars in his hazel eyes, and said softly:
"I don't understand why everyone keeps trying to leave us alone. Do you?".
(Whiney violin cut abruplty, one string breaks in astonishment...).
It's not every day that you witness such impressive thickness.
It's not every day that you look at an old monastery adobe wall and say, "Hey, that wall sure seems like a sheet of filo dough, compared to The JohnnyB".
Indeed.
At least when it comes to his ability to understand hints from a certain woman, 5 years ago.
Let us have a moment of silence to truly appreciate it.
Actually, let us have some long moments to savor it fully.
- - - To be continued - - -
Labels: Wonders of The JohnnyB
# posted by Nava @ 5:05 PM 
Comments:
"savoring the silence that exists between two people who do need to burden the obvious with redundant words..."
(teary eyed)
I sure miss that time of silence.
:)
I almost feel like I need a cigarette after reading that. A cigarette and a tall glass of Old Salt Ale.
Are you sure that here were really more than 3 sec of silence? I find it hard to belive that Nava can actually be silent for minutes!
# posted by 
: 11/14/2006 9:52 PM
Ha, WolfieB, you made a funny...
I miss you too!
As for my inaccuracies in the story: the long transatlantic phone calls to you belong in part II, or even part III...
I bet Johnnyb is glad for your lengthy blogs - at least he must then get the savory silence he misses so much while you're blogging.
# posted by : 11/15/2006 6:10 PM
Ah, there is a whole new level of meanness out there.
Must be a Republican's nightmare, foreigners putting on a clinic for you...
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(teary eyed)
I sure miss that time of silence.
:)
# posted by : 11/14/2006 9:52 PM
: 11/14/2006 9:52 PM I miss you too!
As for my inaccuracies in the story: the long transatlantic phone calls to you belong in part II, or even part III...
# posted by : 11/15/2006 6:10 PM
: 11/15/2006 6:10 PM Must be a Republican's nightmare, foreigners putting on a clinic for you...
