The Story As Old As Time

Let me tell you about a story as old as time. A story about a long and forgotten friendship waiting to be refurbished. A story about closure and resolution.

Sometimes I wonder, what does it take to break a fall?

Is it a cushion?

A parachute?

Maybe the ability to fly?

Well, to Alan, it is to not fall at all in the first place.

He decided to step back from the ledge after hearing a voice from behind.

“Look, I didn’t fire you, they did,” said his boss Ferrel, pointing down below.

Alan was quiet.

“Don’t do it. Just don’t. It’ll make a huge mess, and someone will have to clean that up,” Ferrel added.

Alan had a lot of things in his mind, what to say, or do, or anything at all. He was like pasta mixed with red and white sauce, not good. In the end, he decided to turn around and walk back in to finally pack his things.

“Alan, don’t take this the wrong way. Please, for me. Nothing personal?” Ferrel said after catching up.

Alan ignored him for a good while, taking his things from his cubicle. Actually, he didn’t want to ignore him, he just did not know what to say. He did not want to be mad, nor does he want to appear like a pushover. But he knew he had to say something. This is after all the last time he will ever come back to this place.

“I don’t care Ferrel, goodbye,” said Alan as he leaves.

This is Alan. A classic. Thirty. Somewhere between middle and lower class. Three hundred and seventy dollars in his bank account, remnants of his severance pay after spending it all on alcohol. Now he is lifeless. His eyes, half asleep, stares into the light from his TV. His room is yet to see at least a single ray of sunshine.

This is until he heard the door slam. It was not immediate actually. The first two rounds of knocking were overpowered by seemingly uneventful sounds from the TV. The third is when he actually started hearing it, but he ignored it. I mean, who would want to see him anyway? At least that was what’s going on his mind. It wasn’t until the knocking started to seem persistent when he decided to actually stand up. Working his away across what seemed to be a sea of empty bottles, he walked towards the door to finally end this knocking once and for all.

“ooh,” the person said, with a look of revulsion.

“ooh? You came in here, knocking nonstop, basically forcing me to make my way, and what you say is ooh?” Alan said with anger.

The person skimmed Alan from hair to toe trying to make of who it was before him.

“Alan? Is that you?” the person said, downgrading from a look of revulsion to surprised.

“Heft?!” Alan replied now sharing the same face as this person.

Let me give you a summary of what’s happening, as well as some little background information while they try to catch up. They need their privacy after all.

Heft was Alan’s friend dating all the way back to primary school. They were very close. So close, that Alan would often walk to Heft’s house as a child, they would eat breakfast together, and walk to school side by side. This has been their routine until Heft’s family had to move houses. It was not far by distance, it was just near the other edge of the suburbs, on the other side of the school. Would be impractical if Alan would still walk towards there, or the other. They would still meet up at school, do their usual pastimes, it just meant that they had to stop meeting beforehand due to impracticality.

They remained the best of friends until the end of secondary school. None of them really know why they stopped seeing each other, I guess they thought the other one just got slowly busy on their own time. Anyway, that’s about everything they have talked about so far. We should go back to the two.

“Anyway, I’m back in town for now,” Heft said

“For how long? I mean, you’ve been gone for ages,” Alan said

“I don’t know. Maybe a few weeks? months? Or even a year? It depends on the novel I’m writing really,” Heft said

“You’re a writer now?” Alan asked

“Yeah! I mean, I remember saying it to you before we actually stopped hanging out” Heft replied.

“I don’t remember exactly. You know what, never mind. So what’s this novel about?” Alan asked

“I don’t know,” Heft said

“well you can’t be clueless, you even went as far as visit your old town,” Alan said

Heft sighed. And after a short pause of looking in the ceiling, “Memories, I guess” He said.

After their conversation, Heft started to head off. Alan walked him to the doorway. They both waved goodbye, and when Heft was just about to walk away, he said “I’m staying on my parent’s old house. Come by some time” to which Alan replied with a thrilled “I will!”

That night, Alan could not sleep. He was kept awake by the ramblings in his head about, everything really. His life, where it goes from here, what can he do, is he happy, things of that sort. He would eventually stare at the ceiling until the next day when gets an idea that will change his life forever. He stood up, took a shower for once, went towards the nearest bank, withdrew all of three hundred and seventy dollars in his name, purchased a three hundred and fifty dollar used sedan and drove towards Heft.

I know all of this is too sudden. But you have to understand, what is a man with nothing have to lose?

“Jesus Alan, I know I said come by, but I never meant it this early. What are you doing?” Heft said as he noticed the rusty sedan on the road, “along with that sedan that’s about to fall apart?” he added.

“No time to explain! Just hop in when you’re ready” Alan said

Heft didn’t take his time. He washed his face, took his pen and paper, placed it in his sling bag, and rushed towards the sedan.

“so what is happening?” Heft asked

“just like you said, Memories,” Alan said with a smile.

Alan would drive for minutes as they talk about their past. They talked about their first experiences, stuff they remember. Two friends are reunited, once again.

Alan stopped at a field. They both walked out and took a big smell of the air.

“Corvell’s!” Heft said

“Not anymore, they sold it to Pipo ages ago,” Alan said.

“Pipo?” Heft asked

“Yeah, you wouldn’t know. He came when you left,” Alan replied

“I figured,” Heft said

After a few minutes of sitting by the edge of the dirt road, they both decided to walk back in the car. Alan drove back and after a few minutes, they arrived at an old and abandoned building.

“This is our school?!” Heft asked, shocked

“Yeah, it kind of closed down. I think it was two years after we graduated,” Alan replied

“I can’t believe it,” Heft said

“Me too at first. But people did start to move towards the city. ” Alan said

“Jesus. I mean, there’s a lot of memories here. Look at that shed there, that’s when you got your first kiss!” Heft said

“You still remember that?” Alan asked

“Yeah, and you were with… Margaret? Yes, Margaret. How is Margaret anyway?” Heft asked

“She’s fine, got two kids of her own” Alan replied

“Really? I thought you were serious about her?” Heft asked back

Alan didn’t reply.

They walked and talked some more, and after a few minutes, they finally decided to start heading back towards the car. Alan started driving once again and as he was, he saw the diner they used to hang out in.

“I guess lunch is due,” Alan said as he slows down to turn into the lot.

“Man, Vicki’s place, can’t believe I’m back at Vicki’s Diner, you must’ve been here often if it’s that close to yours,” Heft said

“It’s actually my first time in years too,” Alan replied

They both walked in, surprised that everything was left the way it way. The only thing that’s different is that the jukebox doesn’t seem to work anymore. That, and the server.

“I guess I’ll get my old usual, eggs and bacon. What about you Heft?” Alan asked, looking at the menu.

“Oh don’t worry, I had something this morning. I don’t usually eat till near dinner,” Heft replied

“But this is Vicki’s we haven’t been here for years, are you sure?” Alan asked back

“Yeah, don’t worry. I can go back here anyway,” Heft said.

I guess I can tell you what’s really going on while he’s eating, to pass the time. Doesn’t something seem weird to you? About the events that have happened so far. Oh wow, he’s a fast eater. I guess I’ll have to save this for later.

After Alan finished eating, he stood up, left ten dollars and walked back with Heft towards the car.

“You should come by here often, from now on,” Heft said

“I guess I will,” Alan replied

The continue on their journey along the road. After a few minutes, they would eventually come across an Arcade.

“Is that the Arcade?!” Heft asked

“Yeah! They kept renovating it, keep up with the times,” Alan said

Alan pulled over. They both entered the Arcade and when they finally got in, they were surprised about how different it looked from how it was before. They walked all around the Arcade, trying to look for a machine that they at least know. However, after looking for about ten minutes, they finally gave up.

“Alan?” a lady on a uniform said

“Oh no, Sandy?” Alan replied

“I knew it! What are you doing here?” Sandy teased

“I’m about to leave anyway. I guess I don’t belong here anymore,” Alan replied

“Of course you don’t silly. These games are for kids” Sandy said

“I figured” Alan replied

“There’s a door at the back, it’s got all of dad’s old machine. It still works! I just couldn’t get myself to sell them. You know, reminds me of dad once in a while,” Sandy said

Alan and Heft immediately proceeded to the next room where they played most of the games.

“Didn’t know Sandy would eventually pick up after his dad,” Heft said

“Right?!” Alan said

After a long pause, Heft would stare into the ceiling as Alan continued to play.

“What do you think of Sandy?” Heft asked

“She’s okay I guess,” Alan replied

“Relationship wise, I mean. Aren’t you supposed to be at the age to really start thinking about that kind of thing?” Heft asked back

“Like you’re one to talk,” Alan replied as he continued playing. He stopped for a moment and looked up. “I don’t know really,” He added.

After a few more minutes, they start heading back at the front where Sandy was, busy with all the kids and teens trying to get their tickets reimbursed. Sandy saw them.

“Are you heading out? Sorry I couldn’t come back there, kind of busy at the moment,” Sandy said as she tried to manage the tickets.

“Don’t worry, wish you could’ve too, but it was all fun, thanks,” Alan said

“Oh you don’t want that, I’ll beat you in a blink,” Sandy said laughing. “Come by again though,” She added

Alan didn’t say anything. He smiled and waved before he finally got out.

“What are you doing?” Heft asked

“What do you mean?” Alan replied confused

“She’s definitely interested in you. Don’t you want to hang out with her?” Heft asked back

“I guess, but let’s be honest, it’s not going to happen,” Alan replied

“You were also never going to come out of your stinking house, but you did,” Heft said

“But that’s only because you…” Alan tried to defend himself until he started to cry.

“Don’t cry, we’ve talked about this,” Heft said

“I know, but,” Alan said

He cried quietly for a moment and after staring at the moon for a good while, Heft was gone. Alan tried to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Alan was stunned. It wasn’t until he heard a voice “do visit me sometime” is when he started walking back towards the car and started driving. He drove all the way to the hospital. He walked in, up the stairs, four times, and end up in front of room 503. He took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in.

It was Heft on the bed. He has been, for a very long time.

Heft has been admitted to the hospital about a year after they graduated from secondary school. His parents would eventually pass away and he would be entrusted to his father’s closest friend, the owner of the hospital. Alan would visit him for a good while until he started getting busy with his university work, and eventually his job where he finally gets fired earlier in the story. He had slowly forgotten about Heft over time. But now, he is back.

He cried again, as he walked closer to Heft’s frail body.

“Oh come on, not in the sheets, you know how long it takes for them to change the sheets?” Heft said

Alan didn’t say anything. He just laughed, trying to control his crying eyes.

And just like the rest of this story, they talked. They talked, and they talked, and they talked. Only this time, Alan was now finally talking to Heft. Alan would eventually talk about the events that happened to him today and Heft would laugh to it. “That’s crazy” is what he would say every time. Eventually, because of visiting hours, Alan would have to go. He didn’t want to at first. “I’ll stay here for the night” is what he said.

“You can’t do that,” Heft said laughing

“well I want to talk with you more,” Alan said

“I’m not going anywhere,” Heft said, “and besides you’ve got a date to catch up to,” he added

Alan smiled. He hugged Heft and after a short while, he started walking away. Just before he gets near the door, he said, “I’ll be coming back tomorrow to tell you what happens.” Heft laughed for a while, and Alan’s gone.

This is the story as old as time. Not specifically the story of Alan and Heft, No. It is but one of many. Friendship. Friendship is the story as old as time, maybe even older.