Tonight is soup night.

Lots of carrots and celery soup. Sage tyme and savory… And lentils. Because sometimes, lentils are just the best way to wink at a friend. And they are yummy in the tummy too, you can’t argue discuss that.

I am thinking about what to write, and remember that most of my Likes happened when I wrote about my sentimental life. What is there left to dig up? My life is not that interesting after all…

And the only thing I can think of is my first shared love story.  So, here we go for a quick trip to Memoryland…

I met my first boyfriend while attempting my first steps in college. Not US college, but rather Québec college, which means two years before University, or US college… Confused? Life is complicated, I know.

Not knowing anybody attending Laflèche College, I had paired up with him for some work we had to do for our French class. We got along really quick, we worked well together, and enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually, he introduced me to his group of friends. We shared many classes, and started spending our lunchtimes together…

He was very special. He was incredibly tall and had the largest hands I have ever seen. He explained that he was born with an extremely rare type of dwarfism. The growing hormone therapy had reversed his system and turned him into a giant. A giant with the biggest heart. A talented artist on every possible level. He drew, wrote poetry and played any instrument he could get his giant hands on. He had perfect pitch. But he had a troubled soul, that had pushed him into seeking loneliness.

Week after week, he allowed me little by little in his life. We used to sneak out to the college’s amphitheatre on lunch time, and he’d play the piano until it was time to run back to class. At night he’d read for me. He had a fantasy novel that inspired him poems and drawings, and each night he’d read me a chapter or two… I didn’t want the novel to come to an end.

By the end of our first year of college, we were the best of friends. I knew there was a little more than just friendship between us, but I think we both wanted to keep that friendship intact and there was never the slightest ambiguity.

That summer, his family was traveling to France for a month. They had a cat that needed to be cared for, and I offered to come to their house every day to feed and entertain the kitty, and water the plants.

It was an incredibly long month…

Day after day, my thoughts were clearer. With every bus ride, every readingless night, I knew I didn’t just miss a friend.

I wrote a tale about sirens… I wrapped my heart in it. I might try to re-write it and post it someday… And the night before their return, I left it on my friend’s pillow. I went home and waited…

The day after, the phone rang.

-Chérie?

The dawn of my first love story… Thought I’d tell you more? Maybe next time.

Soups and love stories have a lot in common… All unique in their own way.

Here’s a bowl of today’s lentils soup… Enjoy!