Best friends are forever....

Best Friends


James and Remi were school-mates and best friends. From the day they met at little league registration, a special bond developed between the two boys. James was a pitcher and sometimes played first base. He was also was a terrific hitter. Remi, a natural infielder, was quick and sure handed at second base. But he was not very good with the bat, often hitting ground balls to the pitcher or striking out. They were great teammates, never complaining or making fun of the others for mistakes or lack of talent.
The boys played together for three seasons. James worked hard to help Remi become a better hitter, bear-hugging him at home plate on his only home run. Their team always finished high in the standings thanks to James’s hitting and Remi supported this each time he came up to bat by hollering,
“Hey batter, batter - hit on out of the park, King James.”
The wins and losses were not as important as the fun that they shared playing ball. Remi and James enjoyed everything about baseball including practices, games, and most importantly, the spirit that came from playing team sports. The two were fun-loving kids and their close friendship was known to everyone at school and in the neighborhood.
Sometimes life takes a funny turn, and near the end of his fifth grade school year, Remi’s mother and father told him that the family was moving out of state. Hoping to lessen the shock, his father said,
“Montana is a wonderful place, Remi. The sky is big, the stars at night are bright, and the summer grass grows as tall as cornstalks.”
He gave Remi a stack of magazines with articles about Montana, along with a map of the state to make the move an adventure. Although the magazines were interesting, it did not help. The shock of the impending move made Remi very sad. He didn’t want to leave his hometown and schoolmates, especially his best friend James, but the family was set leave before the new school year. Remi and James had six weeks before the move and they vowed to make the most of it. They swam together, played basketball, explored in the woods, and rode their BMX bikes behind the elementary school, never once speaking of that time when they would have to say goodbye.
Early August came quickly and when the moving truck pulled up in front of his home Remi knew that the time had come. He was leaving a town that he loved along with his best friend James. As the moving men began to cart out furnishings and boxes, Remi noticed a note on the porch addressed to him. Opening it he read,
Dear Remi,
We have been best friends for three year. Don’t worry, we’ll be friends forever. Here is a picture of us in our baseball uniforms. My mom took it last year. Let me know what it’s like in Montana and please don’t forget me.
Your best friend,
James
When everything was packed, the moving truck pulled out of the driveway. Remi’s family followed behind as the truck made its way down the street. Passing by the elementary school, the basketball court came into view. It was deserted, but Remi remembered games of HORSE played with James. He thought of recent summer mornings, the sun beating down on wind-whipped faces as they rode bikes down to the river. As the car passed the little league ball field where they first met, tears welled up in Remi’s eyes. He thought of returning someday to his old house, hoping that James would still live around the corner and two blocks down the street, waiting to renew their friendship.
Years passed and as the boys grew older, letters between the two became shorter. Eventually they stopped writing; however, the memories remained. It helped Remi cope with the challenges of growing up. It also helped in dealing with the pressures of junior high and high school. He remembered what James once said as they raced to the front of the line for lunch at the elementary school cafeteria.
“Don’t be a follower Remi, be a leader. It’s easier to see things from the front of the line.”
James’s words of advice about making new friends also helped and he became very popular in his newly adopted town, a true friend to all, highly praised by teachers and respected by his peers.
It was a cold winter day during his last year of high school. Remi had not yet committed to a college; however, the young man still dreamt of returning to his hometown. As Remi bounded through the front door of his Montana home he found his parents and a stranger standing in the living room. The man was carrying a briefcase and as he shook Remi’s hand, his face showed a seriousness that bothered the boy. Remi’s parents introduced him as Mr. Joseph Martell.
“Hello Remi, I’ve been waiting to see you. My name is Mr. Martell and I represent the family of a boyhood friend, James Beemer.”
He opened the briefcase and pulled out a small notebook. Flipping through the pages he continued.
“James Beemer contracted a very serious disease last year. During his hospital treatments he wrote in this journal, mostly of your time together as boyhood friends. The words were not meant for his folks - James did not want to burden them, but he just wanted to write down his feelings. The memories on these pages helped him cope with the illness and he wanted you to know that he was happy to have them.”
Remi felt something was terribly wrong and asked,
“So James….is he OK now?”
“No son, I’m sorry but James passed away recently, though in his last days, James told his parents about the journal. He wanted it sent to you so that you would know that the memory of your friendship helped him in those dark hours.”
The man handed Remi the journal and an old baseball, the one that he’d hit for a home run many years before. James kept it as a memento and the man told Remi,
“It was James’s wish to see that you received it along with the journal.”
Remi sat down and opened the notebook. One by one Remi read aloud the pages, so that they could hear James’s words. Silently they listened. When finished, and with tears welling up in his eyes, Remi stood up. He picked up the ball and read the inscription,
‘Home Run Remi, my best friend’
Then he continued, “This gift proves that James is still proud of me. I’ll save this forever. Someday, if I have a son, I’ll name him James and I’ll tell him all about my friend James Beemer.”
He put the ball in his pocket and said to his father,
“I was thinking that after college, I’ll be going to medical school – become a doctor, a medical specialist, or something like that. I want to save the life of someone’s best friend. I think that’s what James would want me to do.”
Remi turned away and climbed the stairs to his room, glad to know that James was still his best friend.

THE END