I celebrated New Years Eve with the old gang. The people from high school, you know, Cecilia and Klas and Johan, etcetera. First, there was the dinner, only for the specially invited. The day before, when trying to decide what to wear, I had looked over the guest list and realized two things. One: Out of 19 guests, me and four others were the only people not bringing a partner. And two: out of all the people I knew on the list (that is, everyone except the new partners), only I and three others were still studying. As for everyone else, they had all graduated and were now working as engineers, dentists, teachers, lawyers, physiotherapists and child psychologists.
The thought of going to a party in that company completely drained me, and I didn’t feel like going at all. I guess I feel like I’m kind of behind, among my old high school peers. But I went, and it turned out to be a nice party. They are all still my friends, just with new things to do in the weeks. It was hosted by Elin, and she lives in a shared student apartment in Gamla Stan. The old town is always a nice place to be.
To the after-dinner-party, Natalia came, and both my last hours of 2014 and my first hours of 2015 was spent with her. Just like last New Years. Incredible person. I might have had one too many gin and tonics, because I can’t completely tell the events of the night apart, but I remember: drinking Prosecco down by the docks with Natalia and her boyfriend Magnus at midnight, getting my New Years Kiss from Natalia, discussing Burkinabe politics with Magnus and some other random dudes in an Old Town basement, dancing with Cecilia and Natalia, having a really surreal conversation with an ex-date of mine, who, by the way, didn’t know anyone at the party and therefore had crashed it. Weird guy. I was also given a cheeseburger by Isak. He had bought one each for him and Cecilia, and they were standing in the basement hallway about to eat them when I walked past. He offered his cheeseburger to me, with the statement: “It’s the only one I have, but do you want it? That’s how much I like you.” He always knows how to melt my cold, rational heart. I took a bite, and then I gave it back to him. Officially, I’m not a carnivore anymore, after all.
I was one of the last people to leave the party, together with Natalia, Magnus, Cecilia and Isak, and it was already six-thirty in the morning when I finally crashed into bed. Quite a start to the new year, I must say.
Katja Malmborg 