Thanks Jerry (page 3)

The joking was a mix of crass and nostalgic that night.  And even crass may be exaggerating it.  We fell back into our old selves, literally.  Our jokes ranged from sex to more sex just like the adolescent boys, I dare say, we've barely matured from.

And the stories came out too.  Joe tried pawning off the time when - and this sounds really odd and I don't remember why, but that's my disclaimer - we handcuffed him to the leg of a china cabinet.  Oh, it gets better. Then, apparently, we proceeded to throw down Hershey Kisses, which he would attempt retrieving via tongue and mouth since we made a "No Hands Allowed" rule.  We probably suckered him into this, in retrospect, humiliating game by saying we'd all do it.  Oh Joe.

Good times.

The bar was empty where we sat.  But the beer bottles kept collecting on the counter tops.  The rains still came howling down with the winds.  All the traffic had stopped rolling into the beach property.  I guess now that it was raining no one wanted to venture outside.  But it was a beautiful night in beholding such mystifying power.  Those that stayed safe in their homes couldn't have known what they were missing: Divine Power ravaging a civilized world in a completely harmless way like it was sport or some sort of reminder that the Divine still lives.

Those who aren't looking for such reminders will always take the heavy rains with their howling winds and crashing waves for granted.

Amidst all of our nonsense I still caught a glimpse of God's moving.

I was too quiet for the others though.  Mike finally asked why.  I told him I was cold, which I was.  And I don't know if he was searching for a better answer. So I also told him I was tired.  "You know, my energy level's still not up to par.  Cancer and all. Too many drugs to count. Lovely side effects."

I don't know what I was, though.  Or why I was so quiet.  It was partially for those two reasons.  

I finally called it quits after delaying past midnight.  My own silence had gotten to me too. Eddie Rand walked back to the car with me.  We talked, and what of?  Who knows.  I was so lost in my own silence that I probably spit out words mechanically.  I dropped him off at Sandy's after doubling back there. Then I was off.

A new memory was built that night.  I'm sure it won't trump others we had together.  But it will stick in the forefront of my mind because that was the first night I felt like we were actually going our separate ways.

And that's sad.

Mike lives in Florida now.  Married, with a beautiful little girl, doing the whole military thing. Learning to fly planes and learning the honor in defending his country.

Joe is also married and has a little girl who, I swear, has the biggest smile in the whole wide world. They're still in town learning how to make it as a young couple in such uncertain times.  But seeing them succeed is a comfort to me because I will soon be traveling a similar course.

Ed's quitting his job soon.  And he has to be one of the bravest among us to give up the comfortable and pursue uncertainty.  There's no doubt in my mind that he'll figure out his dream life and live it.

And me, there's no need to talk about me.  I'm just happy for the good times we've had together.  Maybe one day we'll get around to those monthly breakfast dates we set ten years back.  Dave's Diner would be perfect for those new memories, but I won't count on it.

I'll tell you though, I'd still do anything for those guys.  And I'm confident they'd say the same thing. That is part of the bond we hold.

Nothing, save God Himself, could break that.