Shorties: Number 33

Susie answered the door and more memories stormed in.  From the sad to the mundane to the hilarious, they lived it all.  She and her dearly departed husband opened there home to Michael the year he and Paul were in the same class.  After many meals and camping trips, Mike was like a son to Susie.  She threw her arms around Mike and said, “Oh I’ve missed you young man.”

“I missed you too SuperMom.”

Susie pulled back to look at the middle aged man and added, “I’ve missed hearing that too.”

Michael smiled.  “How is he?”

“Not much improvement lately.  He still can’t speak.  He just repeats the same thing over and over again and his left side is still paralyzed but you can tell he knows what’s going on.”

The words stung.  Michael and Paul were inseparable throughout school until different college ambitions parted them.  Even then, they remained in contact.  Still, time, distance, marriage and babies wedge in between even the closest of people.  Eventually, contacts came only on holidays and special days.  Bad news needs no invitation.  Though Mike wanted to travel to visit his friend the moment he received the news of Paul’s stroke, there were pressing issues he needed to resolve first.

“Put your stuff in Dave’s old room.  Paul’s in his old room.”

“Ok SuperMom.” 

Mike heard SuperMom whispering to Paul in the room two doors down.  Then he steeled himself for seeing his friend.  He’d never met anyone who’d had a stroke before and feared the unknown.  He forced a happy face and walked to Paul’s bedroom.  He saw various medical paraphernalia as he neared and entered the room.  Then the two friends locked eyes. 

Mike’s heart sank but he smiled through gritted teeth.  “Hey, man!  How are you?”

Paul sat up in the bed and the half of his face that had muscle control smiled.  He blurted out, “Wheel wheel wheel wheel!”  Mike looked at SuperMom for an interpretation.  “That’s all he can say right now.  We hope his speech returns.”

Michael leaned down to Paul and hugged him.  Then in a scolding voice, added, “You know, you’re not supposed to do things like this and scare us so much.”  Paul responded, “Wheel wheel wheel.”  Something about his body language told Mike Paul said, “It wasn’t my choice.” 

Instinctively, Mike replied, “I know.  That’s okay, buddy.  We’ll let it slide this time.”  Then he turned to Paul’s mother and added, “Won’t we, SuperMom.”

“Of course.”

Then Michael added, “Hey, gimme a minute to use the John.  I rushed here so I could see you.”

“Wheel wheel wheel wheel.”

After Mike finished his business in the bathroom and washed his hands, he fought emotions tearing at his soul.  Seeing his best friend like that was a knife in the heart.  Still, it was his friend trapped behind those bars.  Something about Paul’s eyes registered the fear he was a prisoner in his own body.  Mike would do what he could to set his friend free.