mad crazy day

I went to the API Heritage Month Celebration to set up the Department of Neighborhoods table. When I arrived, the woman sitting at the table next to me (U.S. Census) took me by the shoulders. The face registered, but the name didn't come to me for about five seconds.

It was one of my closest friends from middle school, Francesca! I hadn't seen her in over twenty years. We used to do fun dance routines together with her cousin, Giselle. Funny thing is that I actually searched for her on Facebook a couple months ago, wondering where she might be, and couldn't find her.


Turns out, we know a lot of the same people in the community and that she is the daughter of another woman with whom I've worked in the past in the state legislature. (Of course, I didn't remember her mother from middle school, so it never occurred to me all these years that Francesca and Ellen were related.) All these years I've been back, and we've not bumped into each other until today.

It also turns out that Francesca is the program liaison for this year's ACLF community project with the Census. And she'll be working with Department of Neighborhoods for census outreach work this year and next. So after over 20 years of not seeing each other, we'll actually be working a lot together this year.

After that crazy and random reunion, I left the Center House to run down the street to join the Pungmul (traditional Korean drum) group. I had signed up to drum in this afternoon's performance at the festival. While in practice, I got a text message from a friend from whom I never hear from. I texted back letting him know that I would call after the performance.

The performance was my first time drumming, and it was fun!

And after it was over, I called my friend back. He told me that several people had been trying to reach my brother all week. My brother hadn't been answering his phone or showing up to his regular community groups; his voicemail box was full and he never responded to a note left on his door. So of course, now I'm freaking out.

I texted several friends who know my brother asking if anyone had heard from him this week. People texted back saying no. Then my closest friend called and shared some frightening news about the last time she had heard from my brother. So now, I'm super duper freaking out.

Serendipitously, another good friend had just shown up to the API Celebration with her boyfriend. So I ditched the DON table, she ditched the boyfriend, and we got into my car and drove to my brother's apartment.

Thankfully, he opened the door. (Alive!) Sadly, he said, "I'm sick. Leave me alone." He closed the door before we could say anything. (Rejected!)

We came back to the Center House. Lorna picked up her boyfriend; I helped pack up the DON table, and said farewell to the friend I haven't seen since the 1980s.

And now I'm home - exhausted. What a day!