We both lay on our backs looking up into that vast Texas summer sky which appeared as a sea of darkness, sprinkled with specks of planets and twinkling stars. The shimmering landscape below was lit by a fully waxed moon. At almost thirteen years old, neither of us had been to an ocean, but the unrestricted panorama that colored the palates of our minds eyes easily brought visions that must have fascinated every seaman since Noah. The old quilts we lay on were just soft enough to blend with the sand that lay beneath us. The day's heat had been unbearable, and since we had no real air conditioners in our houses we opted to camp out in the back yard; and perhaps even stay up all night. Charlie was the quiet type and often just smiled when you expected him to say something. It wasn't that he didn't have anything of value to say, he was simply the careful type who thought before he spoke. That was one of the things I liked about him.
We met in the sixth grade; I was new to the school and he had been there since the first grade. We became friends because we both walked the same route home; his house was a long block before you got to my home. We discovered that we both loved baseball and football and we both loved to watch old horror movies on television. Charlie became my very best friend and we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out together. My mother was ill with cancer and Charlie would come in and visit with her; telling her humorous stories that made her laugh. His Mom was a cheerful lady with a heart of gold. Her name was Lily and she was one of those folks who chose to be happy in spite of any circumstance. She had two sons, and though Charlie was the pensive type, his older brother was a rachet-jawed purveyor of hateful dialogue who spread dissention everywhere he went. They were a typical dysfunctional family and Charlie was destined to be the most successful of the bunch. Neither of us were straight A students that year, but we both made better than average grades.
"What do you want to do when you grow up?, he asked.
I stared deep into the great vastness of the unending sky and realized that I had no idea what I wanted to be. College was out of the question; Dad struggled to pay the doctor bills and I wasn't going to qualify for any kind of scholarship.
"I don't know, but I know that I don't want to be a bricklayer like Dad; he has to work too hard and he has to travel to find work." I finally said.
Charlie's Dad was a city bus driver who had made a career of civil service and earned just enough to keep his family fed and clothed. The city bus line ran next to his home, so he rode the bus to work everyday. Like my family, they had a modest home and a television and they struggled to make ends meet. Our Mom's and Dad's loved us and sacrificed to provide all our needs; it was the mid-1950's and our needs were not great.
"I'd like to go to Texas A&M and join the Aggie Corp of cadets." He said.
"I don't know how, but I'd really like to go and learn to be a veterinarian, I like animals and I'd like to learn to be a Vet."
Now I was a TCU Horned Frog fan and I hated the Aggies, but Charlie was my best friend, so I said, "I hope you can go there, if I ever get a dog, I'll bring him to you when he is sick." I then rolled my eyes back to the heavens and thought, 'I'm not smart enough to go to college and my folks can't afford it, and his can't either, but boy wouldn't that be wonderful.'
We then switched to talking about girls that we liked and about football teams and players that we followed at TCU, and Texas A&M, and in the Southwest Conference.
The stars were rolling across ever so slowly as we talked and pondered the unfathomable questions of the universe. Who would win the World Series this year? When would our families be able to afford a color TV? When would we be able to get our driver's license? Why were the Dodger's going to Los Angeles? How many stars were in the sky? How far can you see? What exactly was it like to kiss a girl?
After serious discussion on each of these issues we checked our watches and discovered that it was nearly four o'clock, and we were suddenly feeling a wee bit tired.
In fact, we were exhausted and by four-thirty we were both sound asleep. The universal questions were unanswered and the silent universe slowly kept on rolling above our heads. A brilliant Texas morning sun rudely pried open my eyes and I could feel the intensity of it's heat before I fully awoke. I pulled my quilt underneath the large leaves of the nearby sycamore tree and managed to get a few more moments of sleep, until the blue jay landed overhead and began squawking at the top of his lungs. We got up and managed to wake up enough to eat a bowl of Cheerios before Charlie had to go home. I managed to get several naps during the day to make up for the loss of sleep.
The following night was Saturday night and the local TV station had a regularly scheduled horror show that lasted till after midnight. We always watched it at his home because we didn't want to disturb my Mother so late. The walk to his home was a very long block that equated to two regular city blocks, but there was a sidewalk all the way from my corner down to the front of his house. I went down early enough to eat supper because Lily always had a hearty meal prepared. We had meatloaf and mashed potatoes and green peas along with a slice of delicious lemon meringue pie. Charlie had a rabbit hutch out behind his house so we went out after supper and fed his pet rabbits and then played with them in the grass. It was the first time I had ever seen a lop-eared rabbit. Afterwards, we gathered around the TV and watched the Perry Como show and Red Skelton and then at ten-thirty the horror feature began. Lily popped some popcorn on the stove in a pan and then gave each of us a bowl of our own to munch on as we watched the feature. That night the original 'Wolfman' was showing and both Lon Chaney and Bela Lugosi were featured. Before the age of CGI, we actualized the horror in our minds and we were literally scared out of our wits. Our popcorn had been devoured and both of us sat wide-eyed as the movie ended shortly after midnight. As I wondered where I might find a silver bullet to keep around, I realized that I now had to walk home alone. I said,
"Uhh, Charlie, why don't you walk with me and we can talk about our plans for tomorrow."
"Uhh, sure but you could uh, you could just call me tomorrow." He responded.
"But I've got some things to talk about now, while I've got them on my mind. Come on; just walk with me half-way at least."
"O.K. I'll go half-way with you." He said with bravado.
He was my friend and though he too was terrified, he would do his part. We started out briskly and stayed close as we walked silently down the long sidewalk. The walk seemed unusually long that night and the air seemed cooler than the previous night. The moon was behind a cloud and there were no streetlights; it was as pitch black as the previous night had been brilliantly lit. Just as we reached the half-way point, the full moon lurched from behind the clouds and as if on cue a neighbor's dog simultaneously cut loose a blood-curdling howl that made our hair stand on end. We looked into each other's saucer-sized eyes and without a word, one and the other made the same decision. The two of us broke into a sprint in opposite directions and the last thing I heard was Charlie's voice trailing back over his shoulder,
"I'LL call you tomorrooowww !"
We were close for several years and then we drifted apart in High School as he played football and I played in the band. We had a few classes together in high school, but somehow we were never the same as we had been earlier. Charlie realized his dream and went to Texas A&M University where he was a part of the Corp. He didn't become a Vet, but he got a good job after attending there. I got a job that reimbursed my tuition, so I attended TCU Evening College for a few years and acquired a two year Management Certificate. Over the next few years I attended TWC in Ft Worth and Regis College in Denver; and eventually, I graduated from Amber University in Dallas. Neither of us thought we would ever have the chance to attend college, but we took advantage of the opportunities we had. We remain friends until this day, but we seldom see each other. He still lives in Texas and I live in North Carolina. Both of our parents have passed on and we are both married with families of our own. He was a true friend and I regret that our paths took such divergent directions. The last time I saw him, he was the same gentle spirit as when we were boys, still careful to speak and considerate of others. He is a true Texas gentleman and a great childhood friend.
In the ensuing years, I have learned the answer to most of our questions from that summer night.
1. The Milwaukee Braves beat the Yankees in the '57 World Series.
2. My folks never could afford a color TV, I bought one for myself in 1968.
3. I got my driver's license in 1961.
4. The Dodgers moved because the City of Brooklyn wouldn't build Walter O'Mally a new stadium.
5. I still don't know how many stars are in the sky.
6. I don't have a clue how far you can see.
7. Karen Westernhagen helped me figure out that kissing thing the following year.
8. I'm still searching for that silver bullet.
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