An urgent email from my friend in Zambia arrived in my mailbox yesterday.
Her thirteen year old daughter had been invited to a Prom.
All good, right?
Well, perhaps you'll remember a) what it was like to be a hormonally charged thirteen year old who alternately LOVES and HATES everything and b) the amount of emotional distress that went into choosing your own perfect outfit for the event.
As a side note, I need to mention that I attended my own high school Prom with Ralph Celentano. I was a vision in polyester. Ralph carried an umbrella, even when it wasn't raining. When he went to pin the corsage on my chest, the pin went down my top. I can say, with 100% certainty, that I am decidedly a late bloomer who has gotten much better with age.
Anyway...back to our story.
Magnify daughter's stress by about 150 because she's living in Zambia. Any she never asked to move here, did she? (You can hear her voice reaching window shattering peaks.)
What do teens love to do? Go to the mall? How many malls in Lusaka? Not too many.
Daughter wanted to order something online and get it shipped to me so I could take it over. Not a bad idea really, except that I'm leaving today.
Tears. Tantrums. Tiaras.
So, I said, everything is returnable.
Why not let me take a shot at finding you something. If you don't like it, no worries. I'll take it back.
I had a picture of the type of shoes she was looking for, but the dress...all she could tell me was black, classy and no bubble hems. That pretty much eliminates....one or two dresses.
Her Mother said, "Ooooh, you're brave. I KNOW her, and I can't figure her out!"
To which I replied, "Years of living with gay men has given me an enhanced shopping gene. I'll invoke Donatella."
What'd I get her?
- The Jessica Biffi Dress (in black) from Winners.
- Silver strappy sandals
- A matching silver clutch.
The sandals are the EXACT pair she emailed me. This should help. But the dress. It's darling. But it's a crap shoot.
She'll probably hate it, but it sure was fun to go shopping for the daughter I'll never have.
5 comments:
the jessica biffi dress!!! good on ya - it comes with a good story too...
Wow, who needs reality tv when there's your riveting blog, which I totally forgot about. You have GOT to tell us what happens...
I'll take it if she doesn't want it.
Present the sandals and clutch first.
great story.
safe travels.
Can we talk about screen repair and countertops again?
oh yes, i am definitely waiting to hear the cliffhanger ending of THIS story!!! hope your trip is going well and the goddesses of comfortable travel have upgraded you! :) xow
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