A Very Long Time Ago

Around 1968 or so three friends lived and played together on Maple Drive, in Philadelphia USA. They were Teddy, Ryan and Andy all thirteen and now enjoying a long summer break out of school. Now Teddy was tall and thin for his age so they called him "Sticks". A rather shy boy with large brown eyes and protruding front teeth. Then there was Ryan, handsome with curly black hair, a dimple on his left cheek and a swaggering walk that all the girls adorned. Finally there was Andrew, (Andy for short). A somewhat intimidating boy with large hands, head and body. He seemed to be the one intent on protecting everyone.



The day was hot, about two weeks after the closing of school the boys waited in anticipation for the hot sun to move over the field, carrying its hot rays and heat so they could play ball. Ryan carried the bat, while Andy and Sticks carried the ball and glove. Now they sat under a tree for shade waiting for the passing sun.

"Give me some water" said Teddy, reaching for the bottle.

"Go slow man. It has to last us" said Andy, frowning

"Yeah man, we haven't started sweating yet" said Ryan



Teddy growled as he took a swig of cold water, then belched as the cool liquid went down. As Ryan looked up over by the gates entrance he saw "Potts" the Doberman coming their way. Each boy glanced at each other and started running for the nearest tree. Andy and Sticks didn't make and huffed their way to the fence, while Ryan climbed a tree but lost his sneaker as the dog grabbed at his foot. Over the other side of the fence stood Andy and Sticks laughing at their friend.



Ryan shook uncontrollably as Potts the Doberman snarled and growled at the bottom of the tree, determined to wait him out. Ryan of course was only thinking of his somewhat new sneaker, now in the dogs mouth. The dog sat down with the shoe in his jaws and chewed. He then got up and walked off with it in his mouth. By now, Teddy and Andy had come back to check on poor Ryan as he sat helplessly in the tree.



"Come on down man, he's gone"

"Yeah, its been almost two hours"

"Just shut up and help me down" shouted Ryan.

"Man why didn't you follow us out the gate. You done got yourself trapped up a tree" laughed Andy.

"Follow you! And get eaten alive. The dog was on my heels, I had to climb the tree"

"Well he's got your shoe now. What's your mom going to say?" asked Sticks, giggling.



Ryan went home with one shoe and one blackened sock from walking on the sidewalk. He hesitated before going into the house, because his mother had paid good money for his shoes. He heard her in the kitchen and slid quietly upstairs. He got out his old pair of sneakers and put them on, convincing himself she'd never know.



During those years the three boys worked at fastfood restaurants, went to proms, summer school and any other activity they found themselves involved in. Ryan became interested in girls first, then Teddy and now Andy soon followed after having lost eighty pounds from his almost two hundred pound frame.



As they graduated, received their diplomas and became young men, each had a goal. Since they came from poor families, college was like a fantasy, so they all took up trades. Ryan worked for the city repairing potholes. Andy became a painter, even painting his old high school, while sticks worked for the gas and light company. All had good benefits and lived within a two mile radius of one another.



None wanted to marry, feeling this would break their friendship up, until Sticks fell in love with Carla from the supermarket. Andy, with his new found weight, fell in love with Marian, the cute librarian and Ryan well he kept his options opened and liked Patty, this young woman at his job. Each weekend they all triple dated and went out on the town, always remineising about their childhood antics.



Soon the girls got fed up because their relationships didn't seem to be going anywhere. The routine of dating became boring and the guys friendships outlasted their dates. One day Ryan's job sent them out to unclog the streets sewers by the old field they used to play ball in. Well Ryan was excited to go see his old stomping ground where he used to play ball. While clearing the muddy sewer he came upon an old sneaker, and it was the very shoe the Doberman had taken off his foot some twenty years ago.



He cleaned it off a little and took it home. His workmates thought he was crazy, but Ryan felt a tinge of nostalgia in that old sneaker. He washed and dried it, but it was so old and worn, it barely held together. He called Andy and Sticks over to his apartment and they all got teary eyed looking at the old thing. Each held the sneaker in their hands and made a speech about that hot day in June, of 1968.



When Ryan went to find the owner of "Potts" the dog, he was told they'd moved, but the old dog died some years ago, but the owner had found numerous shoes, belts, balls and many things under Potts doghouse. Ryan decided to tell his mother about that day twenty years ago, but she'd already known. She said as long as he'd worn his old shoes again, she didn't have to worry about him asking her for new ones.



Time marched on and Ryan, Teddy and Andy grew old together, never marrying, deciding they loved their lives as it was. Ryan got the old shoe dipped in gold and mantled so he could put it on display. One day while they were all sitting around eating and drinking Ryan said.



"I wonder why that old dog never buried my shoe under his house with the other things?"

"Why do you wonder about that" laughed Andy

"Yeah we all know why" said Teddy

Ryan looked puzzled as he looked at his friends.

"Why?"

"Because it probably smelled so bad, the dog just dropped it in the sewer where you found"



They all laughed at the possibility and then they became somber again. Time was moving on, faster than any of them could keep up with. So each day they tried their best to appreciate each other and live the best life ever, because our past fades quickly and no matter whether it was ten or twenty years ago, it's still a very long time ago.



END