Tunesday : Something

Something

(Rossi/Harrison) Performed by The Beatles

Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

You're asking me will my love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around and it may show
I don't know, I don't know

Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

I've been pretty much avoiding adding a story about the last of my best Stouffville friends -- the fourth of our quartet -- Laurie, because honestly, she hasn't left much of an impression on my memory. But I feel like I need to say Something, right?

If I remember correctly, she moved to our school in grade seven, and because she was also a Beatles fan, Cora and I invited her into our fold. Her parents were Italian-Canadians and her Dad owned a successful concrete business in Toronto -- that sounds so mobbed up -- and they moved to our area to get out of the city; they built a large dream house in the country and they had a beautiful property with rolling green hills and no visible neighbours. Unlike other Italian mamas I had known up to that point, I don't remember Laurie's being particularly warm and mangia-mangiaing, but I think there was some back story about her unhappiness over moving out of the city and away from her own family. Her Dad was big and bald and rarely around; always back in Toronto working.

I started with the picture of Howie Mandel because that's who Laurie always reminded me of -- she had the same kind of energy spurts and the broad hand gestures and the big smile that, while not exactly funny in themselves, were totally engaging and likeable; just very much like old Howie Mandel stand-up -- not exactly funny, but there's a smile on your face anyway as you watch. Something in the way she moves...

Laurie was born on July 1st, 1967 -- Canada's Centennial -- and because of that, she had a congratulatory certificate from the Prime Minister framed and hung on her wall, and I think she said that she was expecting a small scholarship for post secondary because of it -- and that the person who was the first to have been born on the centennial in Canada was promised a full ride. I clearly remember being in her room and seeing the certificate, but I have no memory of what we would have done together at her house, who else would have been there, or how many times I would have gone there.

Laurie was also a Paul fan, but because Cora "got him" first, she was somehow assigned George to be her favourite Beatle. And that was kind of hilarious because no matter how many times Cora would tell Laurie that George was hers, Laurie would say, "Okay, but Paul's still my favourite."

And that was the thing about Cora: she was just so bossy and in charge. I once made some comment about how even though me, her, Laurie, and Andrea were a best foursome, me and her were still best friends and Cora lost it, saying that she didn't like me any better than she liked the other two; everything was equal in her eyes. And that was such a hurtful thing to say to me, her best friend for years before Laurie or Andrea appeared on the scene.

And that's it -- I have no other memories of one of my "best friends" until the three of them came out to visit me in Alberta after my first year there (and Laurie couldn't come with us to the Calgary Stampede because she had debilitating cramps and as the other two swooned and comforted and conferred knowingly over Laurie's condition, I was shut out thinking about how everything had changed; a year earlier, when we were all together, no one ever talked about periods and cramps and how "nipply" the weather was outside; the distance between us was suddenly much greater than the provinces between). 

I have nothing but warm feelings when I think about Laurie, but there are so few actual memories tied to her. I wouldn't be surprised if she's never thought of me at all in all these years. 

So Laurie, always cutesie, both taken at Cora's house