Regini Gupta where are you?

Oh man, grade school! Awful! Painful! Hidious. I was just recently talking with my fella and my friends Gina and Leda about school and how much I hated it! It informs me to this day!There will be a lot of school stories going on up ins! Expect it.

Full on weirdo me, I never had a chance to be anything but a complete outcast. And what do outcasts do? Well, if they are the type like me: totally uncool yet still completely obsessed with being "the leader" or at least part of some kind of diabolical duo then they look for other outcasts. Preferably people who are even more pathetic or hopeless than they themselves are. In school I was kind of like the US military searching desperately for "at risk youth" who would climb on my bandwagon and join me in my schemes and dreams (thanks mom and dad).

I started school in the first grade because my mom wanted my sister and I to start together. So she started in Kindergarden and I in first grade. I cried everyday. Everyday. It was horrible. Everyone messed with me or ignored me. That is until Regini.

Regini had to deal with a prejudice way more unfair than the lot of being a dirt poor trailer park kid in school full of rich blondies. Ya see Regini was Indian! At least the other kids saw me as somewhat like themselves. Regini was an ALIEN to them.

She was deep chocolate brown with bright fushia velveteen when I first laid eyes on her. Shoe laces untied, as they would regularly be for the whole time I knew her. She stood out more than me and I knew that she was to vulnerable to say anything but yes to the prospect of at least a regular recess and lunch companionship between us.

On top of all that though Regani was just fascinating to me. She was increadibly smart. Only my first grade crush Brandon Love, and this girl Jennifer were ahead of her in class. She would read voraciously. Her parents wouldn't allow her toys but they did allow her books by the barrel.

They were strict and conservative parents. The polar opposite of my unstructured and unbridled upbringing. They lived in a condo community in New Port Beach. Everything in their condo was pristine and brand new. I remember thinking that it reminded me a lot of the Keaton's place in Family Ties. Especially the kitchen. And it was in that kitchen that i tasted the first Indian food i would ever have. I cant remember the name of the dish but i know it had lentils in it and it was spicy. I liked it but my palette had not yet graduated from Taco Bell and Macaroni and Cheese so it was a bit too sophisticated for me.

Regani was my best friend and i loved her. I loved her because she was so smart and different than me. I loved her because she was strong and opinionated and fun. She invited me to her condo community one halloween and we filled pillow cases with candy. There weren't very many kids living there so we cleaned up! She came to my very small 7th birthday party at the movie theatre. We saw Beverly Hills Cop.

I'm leaving for India in three weeks and I cant help but wonder if i will come across any Guptas'. I think it's a pretty common name. I don't even know what part of India they are from.

Regini, if you are out there and you read this: i love you and i want to hear from you. I hope your life turned out wonderful!