I Didn't Want To Talk To Her Anyway

The news that Rudy Huxtable was going to attend our school spread like wildfire once it leaked. She would be in second grade. I was a couple years older. We were told not to approach her or ask for her autograph when she started because, “She doesn’t need to be bothered with that stuff at school.” Translation: they were afraid we’d scare the shit out of her if, in our excited state, big groups of us all rushed her at once.

Me, being the cool cat that I am, thought it was neat that someone from TV would be in our midst, but I wasn’t freaked out about meeting her. Apparently some of the older kids were, and did not heed the teachers’ advice. They attacked her the minute they saw her and did exactly what the teachers didn't want them to do. They scared the shit out of her. Of course, that’s all hearsay because I didn’t witness any of it, but I am inclined to believe it.

After a few weeks passed and things died down, I saw her waiting at the bus stop after school. As I casually walked by to get to my bus I said, “hi,” in an effort to show that some kids could be friendly without wanting anything from her. The response I received scarred me for life.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said without even looking up.

Rudy Huxtable blew...me...off.

“Fine!” I said, just short of a sulk, and walked away.

As we got older our paths only occasionally crossed, and only literally at that, but each and every time I saw her I could have sworn I saw a look of apology on her face. As if she somehow knew she’d missed out on making a friend.

Either that or she’d never seen a Hapabukbuk before. Because really, how many of us existed on television in 1987?

Or for that matter, even today?!