Just Prompted - 2. Making Memories

Kenny sat on the floor of the garage, his long legs stretched out in front of him, watching his best friend go through storage bins that had been in the garage as long as Kenny could remember. He’d moved down the road from Tim when he was nine and Tim was five. The two had bonded over basketball. He could remember carrying boxes in out of the moving truck and seeing the tow headed little boy walking down the sidewalk, bouncing a basketball like a pro. Intrigued, he’d sat down the boxes he was carrying and watched the boy sliding the basketball through and around his legs as he dribbled it. As if he could feel Kenny watching him, Tim had stopped dribbling, looked up and waved happily at him. Kenny had waved back. Tim ran across the street and down the sidewalk, into Kenny’s new yard. The two boys didn’t know it at the time, but it was the beginning of a long, steadfast friendship that would withstand each other’s happiness and sadness for years to come.

“Hey, whatcha thinking about so hard? I’ve spoken to you twice.” Tim waved a hand in front of Kenny’s face.

“Just thinking about how long we’ve known each other and about how cute you looked dribbling that basketball down the sidewalk twenty years ago. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. It seems like yesterday that we were wearing gold crowns at Burger King, and you were asking me how to kiss a girl.” Kenny laughed at the blush that stained Tim’s cheeks. He couldn’t believe how shy his best friend was, even though he’d be twenty-six in a few days.

Thinking back to several months ago when he’d turned thirty, Kenny remembered the “over the hill” birthday card Tim had given him. They’d spent the evening out with friends and crashed at Kenny’s apartment that night since Tim had drank a few too many. Kenny had planned on telling Tim his secret that night, but knew his friend probably wouldn’t remember it the next morning, so he decided to wait.

“What’s that?” Kenny peered over into the large bin Tim had just opened. “You kept that? I thought you through it away after you had to get rid of the falcon you just had to have.”

.Tim held up the piece of leather that fit around his arm. He’d begged for a falcon for his sixteenth birthday. After several months of trying to bond with the bird, he’d given it to a man over in Port Smith who had another falcon. “You know, I felt good after I give Brutus away. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I don’t think he knew how to show me. I’ll never forget when he pecked my hand lightly when I handed him over to his new owner. It was as if he thanked me for letting him go. When we went to visit him, he always knew me. Wonder how he is? They can live up to fifteen years, you know.”

“He’s probably in feather heaven by now. If not, he probably has gray feathers, wrinkled claws, and has to take a laxative every day to keep him regular.”

Tim swatted Kenny with a piece of broken cane he’d found in the bin. “That’s not funny. Brutus was a good bird.” He dug deeper into the bin, smiling when he found the “sexy calendar.”

Kenny saw what Tim held in his hand and chuckled. “Remember when we found that in your dad’s toolbox and showed it to your mom. She came unglued when she saw the scantily clad women on each month. I’ll never forget supper that night. It was lying in your dad’s plate with a note that said, “Eat this.” Your dad was in the dog house for weeks. Thank goodness she never told him it was us.”

Tim thought for a moment and then said. “Don’t you think they probably laughed about it later in life? I miss them. It’s hard to believe they’re both gone. It’ll be three years next month since the wreck. As heartbreaking as it was to lose them both at the same time, I don’t know what one would’ve done without the other. Losing the one I’ve loved all my life would be devastating.” Tim looked at Kenny, seeing his shocked expression. “You know what I mean…”

“I’m going to get us a beer out of the house. Be right back. Don’t be snooping without me” Tim went out of the door on the side of the garage that went into what was now his kitchen.

Kenny quickly raised the bin up that Tim was still going through and popped the top of the one beneath it, sliding something into the bin. Moving back to his original sitting position, he waited on Tim to return with the beers.

Tim put his head against the front of the refrigerator thinking of what he’d said. Kenny had looked shocked at his words, even after he’d tried to generalize them. Opening the refrigerator, he grabbed two bottles of beer and went back out the door into the garage. “Here you go.” He handed one of the beers to Kenny and then settles back down beside the open bin he was going through.

“I don’t see anything else in here I need to keep. Shove this one to the side with the things we’re going to take to the dump later on.” Tim popped the top on the next bin while Kenny moved the other one to the trash side.

“Wow. Mom must’ve kept every picture she ever took. There are hundreds of envelopes full of pictures, and one lone book.” He moved the book to the side as he picked up one of the photo envelopes. Pulling out the photographs, he saw himself in his cap and gown at his high school graduation. He stood with Kenny, who was smiling just as proudly as he was. Shuffling through the pictures he found one of him and Kenny sitting at one of the picnic table in his parent’s back yard at the after graduation cookout. Kenny was sitting across from him, watching kids in the pool, and he was staring across the table at his best friend, the expression on his face an open book. He was as in love with his friend then as he was now. He put the photos back in the envelope, and looked up to see Kenny watching him. Knowing the other man had seen the pictures, he felt his face grow hot. He reached for something else out of the bin in an attempt to move on. He came up with the book in his hand. “Wonder why mom threw this in there.” He turned the book around, and felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was titled, Coming Out.

Kenny saw Tim’s reaction to the book and waited for him to say something.

“She knew. My mom knew and didn’t say anything. All these years, she loved me anyway.” Tears spilled down Tim’s cheeks. Trying to wipe them with the tail of his shirt, he handed the book to Kenny. “I guess it’s time for you to know too. I’m sorry I never told you.”

Taking the book from Tim’s hand, he opened the front cover, holding it so that the other man could read the words written there.

Life deals us cards that aren’t always the ones we want, but we have to play with them anyway. I’ve known I was gay since I was thirteen. I watched you grow from a kid to a teen, and finally to a beautiful young man that I’m in love with. If my heart is telling me right, your cards came from the same deck. I love you. Kenny

Tim read the words through the blur of his tears, raising his eyes to look at his best friend, his heart bursting with happiness. “Why did we waste so much time? We could’ve been together so many years.”

“They weren’t wasted my friend. We know each other’s flaws, failures, successes and habits. Now, we can make our life together, going into it with the knowledge of not only each other, but each other’s love. Now, come here before I combust. I want to kiss you senseless.” Kenny held his arms out to Tim, folding the other man into them and feeling the warmth of their bodies as they melded. Gently moving back a little ways, he lowered his mouth to Tim’s sweet lips, finally coming home.

laws, failures, successes and habits. Now, we can make our life together, going into it with the knowledge of not only each other, but each other’s love. Now, come here before I combust. I want to kiss you senseless.” Kenny held his arms out to Tim, folding the other man into them and feeling the warmth of their bodies as they melded. Gently moving back a little ways, he lowered his mouth to Tim’s sweet lips, finally coming home.