Friends Goodbye

Hot sun reflecting off the cracked, white-glazed brick façade.

Two boys sitting on either side of the front stoop watching as,

quickly…

much too quickly the small moving truck was loaded with furniture

carried down three flights of stairs by two sweating moving men.

The boys sat in silence as though were one to speak it would open

a floodgate of uncontrollable emotion,

and neither boy wanted to appear less a man to the other.

Beading their foreheads and upper lips,

sweat trickling down the backs of their shirts, neither moved.

The last of the items was hoisted onto the tailgate and secured with rope.

For the last time, a small women, a husky man, and a seven-year-old boy

walked down the stairs they’d  traveled so many times over the so many years.

Stepping through the wide entry the man nodded to the dark-haired boy, then,

with his youngest son following, the man went to the driver side of the car,

opened the rear door for the boy, then his door.

Stopping, the women looked at the boys and feeling their sadness,

holding back her own tears,

she kissed the forehead of the dark haired boy,

went to the car, got in and faced straight forward.

Sighing, the blonde-haired boy stood and looked down.

The other boy stood also.

Blinking their eyes, biting their lower lips in concentration,

the boys looked at each other for a long moment till,

turning away, the blonde haired boy went to the car,

opened the rear door, sat down and pulled the door shut.

The ignition turned,

the motor came to life…

and the car moved away from the curb.

Leaning his head through the window,  

he watched as the figure on the curb became smaller and smaller

and only when the dark haired boy disappeared from sight

did the other boy bring his head in.

Alone now, no longer able to control his tears

the boy ran through the long, now lonely hallway,

out the back entrance,

through what had been his life-long friend’s yard,

into his yard

and up the three flights of stairs.

©October 28, 2011 / Mark M. Lichterman