Thirty years ago I fell in love in a bathroom. It sounds bizarre but it’s true. Every now and then I feel nostalgic for that lovesick feeling I had as an eighteen-year-old boy. It’s a feeling that I’ve never been able to feel again and I miss it, but I guess being young and in love is different to being in a comfortable marriage with a woman who is a great mother to your children.
You may be asking why I fell in love in a bathroom. Well, I was freshly eighteen and drinking alcohol for the first time. I was drinking alcohol that was pretty much lolly water and it down so easily. I didn’t realise I had consumed too much until it was too late.
I vaguely remember the next few hours, even to this day. If I hadn’t fallen in love that night then I’m sure I wouldn’t remember any of it, but I did fall in love whilst I had my head in the toilet. We were at my friend’s house and he was getting bathroom renovations. In Melbourne, renovations are pretty expensive and the girl that I fell in love with decided to look after me in the half-finished bathroom for the entire night. She warned me to keep my head in the toilet and not to ruin any of the renovations. I trusted her with my entire heart.
Even to this day when I see a fancy bathroom design, I think of her. We dated for four years until she had to move away for her first job after university and I haven’t heard from her since. I’ll never forget the moment I laid my eyes on her. Our connection was so instant and strong that she sat with a guy she had never met before whilst he puked his guts out. I think I will always love her. I wonder what she’s doing now.