We’re playing a drinking game called “I never.” If you have done the suggested thing, you drink. Annie drinks the most. Water, since she’s dry, but a lot of water because she’s done almost everything we “I nevered.”
Most everyone else have been drinking dark and stormys (rum and ginger beer called Stoney Tangawizi) or gin and tonics. We end the night before dinner playing “Celebrity.” Everyone writes celebrity names on pieces of paper and puts them into the celebrity keeper, an empty cereal box.
I write “Lord Chamberlain” and “Patty LaBelle” and put them in the box with several more popular choices.
It was my turn after Cher, Princess Di and Michael Jackson fall easily out of people’s mouths. I reach in and read “Lord Chamberlain” to myself in the dim lantern light.
“For the Nazi’s in WWII” I scream.
“What?” from the crowd.
“My Blank and Ladies,” I try again.
Everyone’s yelling but not what I need to hear.
“Gay actor who played the priest in the Thorn Birds-”
Someone shouted “Richard Chamberlain.”
“Yes!”
“Time!” Yells Ron.
In the fog of alcohol I realized that I’ve picked names to stump others that have stumped me. I can’t remember a Patti LaBelle song but know that I’m going to pick her name out of the box for the next round.
