Old Friends Die Hard

The doorbell brought Patricia out of her Friday afternoon reverie. She had been daydreaming about a perfect date with a mysterious dark-haired man whom she had yet to meet. She got off the recliner and knelt on the couch to peek through the curtain. A UPS woman got into her truck and drove off. Patricia wasn’t expecting a delivery.

She opened the door and didn’t see anything at first. She went out the door. Then, she saw it on the edge of her pot of marigolds by the steps. It was a small box, about the size of a box of granola bars, wrapped in brown paper. There was no return address, and she didn’t recognize the handwriting, but her address in Reno was accurate.

Patricia took the package to her kitchen table and tore into the paper. It WAS a box of granola bars, but it had been taped on top. Inside, was a smaller gift box and an envelope with a name scrawled on it which she hadn’t used in a long time: Patty.

“It couldn’t be…” she said aloud with a fond smile. Patricia thought back to when she was 10 years old. She had two best friends then, Billy and Stevie. The were the only ones who were allowed to call her Patty. They had great, creative adventures together, building forts in the woods, canoeing as pirates, swimming as mer-people, or hiking a hill at night, searching for aliens. The three also stuck together in school, helping each other with homework and rude classmates when needed. When Jody Sipinsky called Patty “Hamburger,” the boys called her “Spitinsky” and made hacking noises, which shut her up. There were many fond memories, but some were bittersweet, and even outright bitter.

Patricia opened the envelope.

“Dear Patty,

I wrote to tell you I love you and I’m sorry. I know it’s late in the game now that we’re 30, but I didn’t want to leave this world without you knowing how much I care. Remember when Willy’s parents took us to Lake Tahoe and I found that hunk of sandstone with raw emerald inside? I always meant to have it professionally cut for you. I finally managed. The green will match your lovely eyes.”

Patricia opened the gift box and gasped. Inside, was the biggest gem she had ever seen, exquisitely fashioned with an emerald cut, complete with a necklace bail and gold chain.

Patricia went back to the letter.

"My biggest regret was how I treated you and never made amends with you and Willy. Having lost my dead-end job, there is nothing more to say other than, “Farewell, love.”

Always Yours,

Stevie"

Patricia put a palm over her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes. She croaked, “Stevie, what have you done?”

With no phone number or address, was there a way to stop this fatal rollercoaster, or was it too late? Patricia rushed to her computer and googled Steven Thomas Hackney. She got a last known address in Nevada City, California, 84 miles from Reno.

Patricia grabbed her purse and keys and bolted for the door. She was relieved that she just gassed up her Corolla. En route, she thought about the last time she had seen Stevie and Willy, just as they were graduating eighth grade. Willy had begun flirting with her, but he was so insecure, and she had been impatient. When Stevie made a move, she jumped at the chance. She knew she wasn’t his first, but she liked the thought of someone with experience.

The three drifted apart in high school. Stevie was hanging with stoners, Willy was a science nerd, and Patty fondly remembered her years as a band geek, playing the flute. Why hadn’t they stayed in touch? Patricia sped up, knowing Stevie was likely to follow through on his threat.

*

William was glad to be home. He enjoyed his new job as a biochemistry professor at the University of Southern California in Sacramento, but California traffic was torturous. He noticed a package on his doorstep just before he drove into the garage. He went through the house and opened the front door to retrieve it. It looked like a shoebox, wrapped in brown paper, with no return address.

William tore the paper off and discovered a Nike box with a letter taped to it. “Willy” was the only name on the front. Immediately, William thought of his childhood friends, Patty and Stevie. He pulled open the envelope and read the letter:

"Willy,

I wanted you to know that I’m sorry that I made a move on Patty when I knew you had an interest in her. It was just one mistake in a long string of errors which brought me to where I am today. I wish I could see you one last time before I leave this world – just one more regret. Remember that Green Day concert we went to when Patty got punked out and spiked her hair? She was so sexy. I couldn’t help falling for her. I know you wanted to buy a shirt and didn’t have enough money, so now I want you to have mine. Love you, man.”

William opened the box gently. There it was – Stevie’s prized possession – his Green Day shirt. William held it to his chest.

William pulled out his phone and discovered Stevie’s address in Nevada City. As much as he hated California driving, he had to see if he could stop his friend from ending his life.

Just over an hour later, when his GPS announced, “You have arrived at your destination on the right,” William thought, “This can’t be right. This place is incredible.”

He got out of his car just as another car pulled up behind him in the circular drive. A lady was looking at her phone and scratching her head. As she got out of her car, she looked his way.

William exclaimed, “Patty? Wow, you look amazing!”

“Willy? Look at you with your suit and tie. You’re quite handsome.”

“I didn’t take time to ch…Wait! Did you get a box from Stevie?”

“Yes. Will you go in with me? I’m scared that we’re too late.” Patricia grasped William’s hand on the way to the door.

William whispered, “How did Stevie get a place like this?”

Patricia shrugged. They walked up to the huge, hand-carved door. William rang the doorbell.

Approaching footsteps sounded from inside and the door was opened by a smiling young boy, about five years old. He said, “Hi, I’m David!”

Patricia smiled back and said, “Hello, David. Does Stevie, er, Steven Hackney live here?”

“Sure, that’s my dad,“ the boy crowed. “Come in. I’ll get him.” Then, he yelled, “Dad, you got company.” He went to the left.

William and Patricia looked around with amazement at the posh interior.

A door to the left opened and closed. Around the corner came…

“Stevie!” William and Patricia chorused and pulled him into a group hug.

Patricia sighed, “I’m so glad that you didn’t do anything rash.”

Stevie smirked, “Why would I do anything rash? I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. But please, call me Steven.”

“And I’m Patricia.”

“Call me William.”

All three laughed. Patricia noted, “We really have grown up. Then she glared at Steven and complained, “You said you lost your dead-end job, and the only thing left to say was ‘goodbye.’”

“Well,” Steven smiled mischievously, “I didn’t really lie. I may have exaggerated things to expedite matters because, as I also said, I wanted to see you guys.”

William asked, “What’s up with the mansion? Is this yours?”

“Yeah, where are my manners? Come in, and I’ll tell you why I sent the packages.”

When everyone had settled in the huge living area, Steven explained, “Remember how I used to make up stories and said I was going to be a famous sci fi author?” The other two nodded. He continued, “Well, after I lost my job three years ago, it really happened. I sold a bunch of stories under a pen name, and the first movie is coming out this weekend. I want you two to go to the premier tomorrow evening.”

Patricia’s mouth dropped open. “Wait, YOU wrote the Calista, Alien Warrior series? Wow! Congratulations!”

William furrowed his brows and said, “Why didn’t you just ask us to come?”

Steven said, “I couldn’t take a chance. I wanted both of you here. I always thought you belonged together and that I messed everything up, so here’s your chance to rekindle that flame.”

Patricia stood up and shrieked, “That was a low trick, pretending you were going to commit suicide, and how presumptuous, playing games with our lives! You didn’t even know if we were dating someone else, or married. You can’t just toy with our emotions. Jumping to…” She looked over at William, who was smirking, and her mood softened. William nodded, knowing the spark was there the minute he laid eyes on Patricia again. She thought of her earlier daydream, and smiled. After a deep breath, she said, “Well, okay, I guess I’m game if you are. I won’t mind having a date with two best friends.”

A beautiful brunette walked in and gushed, “Oh, you must be Willy and Patty. Steven has told me so much about you.”

Steven stood up and put an arm around her. “This is my wife, Amy. She’s a highly-sought-after interior designer. This is her work.” He gestured around the room.

Patricia again took in the surroundings and whispered, “No wonder.” She told Amy, “It’s stunning!”

Amy grabbed her hand and said, “Patricia, you must come with me to see if any of my dresses will fit you for the premier. If not, we’ll go shopping tomorrow.”

As the ladies left, Steven lamented, “I really am sorry for taking away your chance with Patricia.”

William shook his head. “I wasn’t ready for a relationship in middle school. I was too shy and focused on science. I wouldn’t have admitted that, and I was mad back then, but I’ve had my toe in the water since, and I’m ready to dive headfirst. Patricia is worth the wait.”

Steven nodded. “I’m so glad this worked out. You two are the reason I was able to crawl my way out of my self-destructive path. All those fond memories made me realize that happiness is of my own choosing.”

Saturday, Patricia borrowed Amy's green dress, which hugged her curves perfectly and matched the emerald necklace Steven had given her. With a sitter to watch David, the double date was like old times to the three friends, with Amy fitting into their group as if she had always been there.

William and Patricia left the premier hand-in-hand. Steven left with a smug smile on his face. Looking at his wife and friends, he knew life was just about to get interesting again.

Suicide is a serious issue. If you or a friend are having suicidal thoughts, please seek help. The number for the Suicide Prevention Hotline is: 800-273-8255.