What am I gonna wear? Would I recognize him? Would he recognize me?? What do we say to each other? Do we hug? Do we kiss? Do we shake hands?
Francis and I have not seen each other for thirty-eight years. We were church and school friends in Hong Kong. Then I came to the United States and Francis immigrated to Canada. We lost touch until tonight, when he flew in from Toronto.
I recognized Francis instantly (we hugged). Life has been treating us well. We have aged, but not terribly. It was lovely to drive to a restaurant, talk about our past, look at our children’s photos, etc.
Only when he mentioned church did the conversation became uneasy. I stopped going many years ago. He wanted to lead the black sheep back. I said Baaaa.
And realized that we were no longer playing in the same box, that time has taken me to a different place, and what we have of each other are only memories.
Graphic by Rockwell Kent.
