Renuion

Emotions of surprise and envy rose in George Holland when he saw the Rolls Royce turn into the driveway of his assisted living courtyard. The fawn-colored vehicle made little sound as it drove up to where George stood with his walker. The car's rear window opened, and the silver-haired gentlemen beckoned George forward. With the engine still running, the driver exited the vehicle and walked around the front to help George. Smoothly, the man opened the door, took George's arm, and guided him to the back seat. The man inside slid away to allow the new passenger to enter the car. When George was seated, the car door gently and silently closed behind him. After tucking George's walker into the car's trunk, the driver re-entered the limousine and followed the curved driveway to the road.

Most of the day and night staff watched the tableau inside the building in silence. They had all shared his excitement for the event since getting his first save-the-day notice for his high school reunion. That he was going to it in a Rolls Royce was totally unexpected. He had not told them of this part of the adventure, many thinking George was surprised as they were.

George was just getting comfortable in the plush seat inside the car as the auto reached the main road heading south.

"Good to see you, George," the other back seat occupant opened.

"I didn't think you would come with a Rolls Royce, Henry," George responded.

"I don't usually get a reason to use it," Henry Fromm said with a grin.

"But tonight you want to impress our fellow graduates?"

"No, to give you a chance to really wow them," Henry replied.

"But it's your auto."

"It's our reunion and you'll be the first one out of this car when we get there, they'll swarm you wanting to know how you got this car."

"They know it's your car."

"They don't know for sure I'm coming."

"We were counting on you to come so that we would have more than 50% attendance."

"There were one hundred of us."

"And we had 52 acceptances until Emma Holden, Emma Caldwell passed. Do you remember her?"

"Was she the brassy blonde cheer leader?"

"Yes, that was her, she married a preacher of all things, had four children."

"Who would have think of her, a preacher's wife."

"She was quite successful; the church was full for her funeral."

"Did you go?"

"No, it was in Ohio but apparently one of the reunion committee saw an account online."

"We turn out differently than what we were in high school."

"Not you, everyone said you would be a big success."

"I've done moderately well."

"Come on, everyone knows how rich you are," George countered.

"Everything you read or seen is magnified. I've lost fortunes along the way."

"But they'll know it's you in this car."

"By the time they see me, you'll be swarmed."

"Ha, ha, then the joke will be on them."

The men were silent for moments until Henry offered sandwiches, coffee, or sherry.

"The sherry will make me sleepy."

"This car will make you sleepy. Tyler hits the Interstate the smooth ride puts me asleep."

"I'm too excited to sleep. It's been sixty years, Henry, where has the time gone?"

"We spend our lives and get back pieces of other people."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I read it in a book back in Maplewood High. But don't ask me the name of the book."

"I bet you have a lot of pieces."

"Too many and let's not get too maudlin before we face our past later this evening."

"You know, you're right, we'll be seeing the past. I thought your wife was joining us tonight, your reply said plus one."

"She was, but her daughter is facing some tests for cancer and she wanted to be with her."

"She has two children from her first marriage."

"She had two, I had two, and we have two."

"Any still at home?"

"They all come back at least once but right now we're alone. Did you have kids?"

"A boy and a girl, he's gone, due to an accident and she's on the west coast."

"You don't see her much?"

"Not at all, she left us when she was 18 and never returned."

"Perhaps you're lucky?"

"Just lonely, if it weren't for the people at home, I be really gone, they're my family now."

After that last remark, the men fell silent, the silence not cut by the quiet motor. After silently inviting George, Henry took some coffee from the container. Both men looked out the window at the fading daylight. The silence continued for miles until George broke the silence.

"It's beautiful and in immaculate shape, but it's old. Like us."

"I bought this auto 32 years ago the day after I bought my first public company."

"How many miles do you have on it?"

"She's clocked about 32 thousand."

"In 28 years?"

"Well I bought her but when I showed up for a board meeting the directors at the time said I couldn't use it. They said our stockholders wouldn't understand."

"What did you do?"

"I fired them but the next board I put in said the same thing. I had to put the Rolls away and make do with a Mercedes."

"But you kept the auto?"

"Yes, by the time I could use it, the car was old enough to be a classic and I entered it the Concurs at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island. This is the only fawn colored Rolls for that model year."

"That's something."

"It's nothing, just something to do. But let's talk about you. I was surprised to learn you're living so close to me."

"My wife was from around here and when I retired we decided to go into the Meadows. It's one of those places you go into an apartment, then an assisted living space and finally a hospice."

"Do you like it."

"Actually, I do. When my wife got sick, they were wonderful. She progressed quickly to hospice care. I was close by and visited every day. She's been gone now four years and I'm in the assisted living section now."

"The house is getting too big for just my wife and me, we're thinking of downsizing."

"Where would you go?|

"Our house in Florida is just about right for us. I even bought the house next door for when the children visit."

"That's smart."

"We'll see, how do you think tonight will go?"

"It'll be one hour of drinks, dinner, and then some of the committee has put together a video of our years at Maplewood High. Those that are staying at the Lodge are having get togethers and the rest of us are going home."

"How do you know all this?"

"I'm on the reunion committee, helping plan this. I've been thinking about this all winter, tonight's events, seeing old friends, everything. This ride is icing on the cake."

Henry was taken aback by George's intensity of anticipation. He said nothing for a few minutes, watching George slowly ease his breathing. Carefully modulating his tone, Henry spoke.

"You remember Spiros, the barber on Main Street?"

"He was the only barber in town, if he wasn't around you had to go to the ladies salon with old Mrs. Brady."

"I forgot about her, she did my hair once, shave it all off, took me a year to grow it back."

"You had such great hair, the girls used to swoon."

"My wife teases by saying they still do. Now it just helps me win proxy fights. But you remember in our senior year Siros kept talking about going back to Rhodes."

"He had this big map of the island and pictures on one wall so he could look at them while he cut your hair."

"I forgot about the map but Spiros. I went by to have my hair cut for graduation and his shop was shut. He left and never came back. An Italian barber came in just in time for me to have it cut before I went off to Princeton."

"I remember how proud your father was when you got into that college."

"Where did you go, the state college at Amherst. I got an engineering degree."

"I got a history degree that I never used but one vital connection."

"You were his protégé?"

"You might say that, when they sent him and some of his people to prison I was the only manager they didn't convict. I guess I was too naïve or lucky not to be involved in their shenanigans."

"They never did find out who blew the whistle on those guys."

"Everyone thought it was me, but it wasn't. I never knew anything."

"That guy died in prison."

"The killer was a man who lost everything through the company's failure."

"But you saved the company?"

"The bankers did but that's another story. What I wanted to say is remember how Spiros looked forward to returning to Rhodes."

"Wonder what happen to him."

"That's the interesting part. My mother lived in town until she died. On one of my visits while going to college, she told me what happened to Spiros."

"How did she know?"

"She was vague on that but I think one of the other Greek people in town told her. She was friendly with almost everyone."

"She talked and worked with everyone. I remember."

"Well, anyway she said Spiros walked off the ship at the Rhodes port and collapsed and died after five steps."

"You're kidding?"

"No, the reason I recall the story it was one of my first instances of someone dying whom I knew personally. The story has stuck with me throughout my life. That's why I always keep my anticipations low for any occasion. It's helped me weather some tough situations. Good or bad, I keep my expectations low."

"I never could, like tonight's event; I've been looking forward to it for months."

"Good for you, as for me, I'm going to take a brief nap so that I'm fresh to meet our past."

"I don't know if I can but that's a good idea."

Henry adjusted his seat for sleep and was quickly softly snoring as the car rolled on. George continued looking out the window as the day turned to night.

A wash of cold air and the gentle tugging at his coat awoke Henry to Tyler's urgent voice.

“Mr. Fromm, Mr. Fromm,”

"I hear you Tyler, what's wrong."

"It's your guest, Mr. Fromm.

"What about him?"

"He's dead, sir."

"What do you mean 'dead?'"

"Like you ordered before we started out, I pulled into this rest area so you could use the restroom and notice your guest hadn't reacted to the stop. When I went back to see why, he was white. I seen enough dead people in the army to know one when I see one. He's gone Mr. Fromm, he's gone."

Henry reached across the seat to George and verified what his driver said. Thinking for a minute, Henry got out of his side of the car. Closing the door quietly, he motioned the driver closer and said softly: I

"Are you up to driving back to our guest's home, now."

"As soon as I have some coffee, yes, I can."

"Then let's bring him home to his family and let them take care of him."

"You're going to miss your event."

"I wasn't looking forward to it that much. Not as much as he was. Get us there as quickly as you can, I'll pay any speeding tickets, I think I want to be home tonight."

"I'll pay for any speeding tickets and I'll ride up front with you."