I went over to see him while he was cleaning and
polishing his motorcycle.
"Did you see how pretty your mother is in her
new hairdo?" I asked.
He nodded and kept working.
"Daddy told us about Uncle Roy's new suit. He
went to the same tailor to get fitted. Isn't it
wonderful?"
He didn't speak, but concentrated on some
small part as if the whole world depended on it being
spotless.
"Harley Arnold, you could at least give me one
of your famous mints," I said.
He stopped looked at me and then stood up. "It just makes me nervous." he finally admitted
and after having done so, began to walk toward the
lake. "Why?" I asked running after him.
"I'm graduating, big deal. After the pomp and
circumstance and all the cheers, what happens next? I
haven't even applied to go to a college or do anything
else. I haven't even enlisted in the army.
"We'll go to the ceremony, go out to eat with
your parents, and then come home to... to nothing," he
said. "My mother will hang up her new dress and put
away her new shoes and purse and Roy will do the
same with his suit. All it will be is... is some
interruption."
"You've got to stop that," I insisted. I actually
stomped my foot, which brought a surprised smile to
his lips. "You've got to stop looking on the dark side
of everything. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is not some