Asking For Whom The Bell Tolls While It Is Not Tolling For Me

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.

Hardly a month goes by, or so it seems, without me hearing the bell toll. Or get the news that the bell will be tolling soon for someone.

It seems the main cause of the bells tolling is cancer in one of that dread disease's many forms.

Last month it was Solrun for whom the bell tolled.

I think it was my Junior year in high school that Solrun showed up. From Iceland. Barely speaking English. Solrun was a year younger, which would have made her a Sophomore.

Solrun's nickname was Lilla. I never called her Solrun.

I think I spent a lot of my time in high school in some sort of a state of traumatic shock. Because I don't remember a lot of it.

For instance.

I remember Betty Jo Bouvier and Honey Lulu conspiring to get me to go with Lilla to some prom/ball/dance thing that required going out for dinner before or after the dancing. I agreed to the conspiracy. I remember Honey Lulu's "date" did the driving, with me and Lilla in the back seat.

I have no memory of being at the prom/ball/dance. I do remember the dinner. Til corrected I thought the dinner took place at the Lighthouse Inn in La Conner.

It was what happened at the dinner that I totally remember. One of us ordered something that was of the flambe sort that the waiter set to fire upon delivering the plate to the table. When the plate went to flames Lilla did not know what was happening and proceeded to douse the fire with her glass of water. I believe we were asked to leave, but I am not sure of that. I do remember being totally mortified.

So, after I learned that Lilla had died I exchanged messages with Honey Lulu. Honey Lulu informed me that the food on fire incident took place at the Hope Island Inn, not the Lighthouse Inn. Honey Lulu said this took place after the prom/ball/dance that I don't remember dancing at. I don't remember dancing and I don't remember ever being at the Hope Island Inn.

And then Honey Lulu informed me of a bit of information that had been kept from me for decades. As in Betty Jo Bouvier and Honey Lulu had to pay Lilla an undisclosed amount of cash to get her to agree to go to this event with me.

I was shocked, shocked, I tell you. Like I already said, my high school years were traumatic for me....