11 year “Old Friends”

It was an easy task to fly to Arizona, stay for a few days, and then fly home with my grandson in tow. All the Minnesota relatives were anxious to totally spoil him for 3 ½ weeks.

11-year-old Brady had been anticipating this for months.

At the airport, after passing through security, it was just him and me alone. With no competition for air time the young man began to talk – and talk. Before we even found our gate, he asked a question he had asked me at least three times before.

He asked, “Grandma Cathy, do you know where Chase is?”

In the past, every time he had asked, I just let the question slip away thinking that he would forget about it. I mean really, can his memory really go back to toddler days? Is it possible for an 11-year-old to have an old friend? They were only 3 ½ years old the last time they saw each other. That means it’s been 7 ½ years since Brady played with Chase at daycare. And yet each time Brady comes to MN he asks me the same question.

As kids the two were inseparable. They played with toy telephones and the walkie talkies were their favorite. They liked Legos too, and they had unlimited time to just play. Mostly I remember how inseparable they were at my daycare…Mutt & Jeff, Pete and Repeat. They were loyal to each other too. When I got to take grandson Brady shopping for a toy on the weekend, he would carefully choose something and then say “Buy one for Chasey too!” And so the toy boxes were heavy with duplicate toys, one for Brady and one for Chase.

“Should I try to find him?” I asked.

“Yes” he said simply.

I filed it away in the back of my brain once again.

Nearly a week had passed before the thought resurfaced and I assumed I would make a few attempts and then later would woefully apologize for not being able to find Chase. I doubted that I could find him because I knew that Chase’s family had been moving and changing locations several times.

Finally, a two-day phone trail led me to the director of the agency where Chase’s mother works. I explained to the woman on the phone that I was Brady’s grandma and that I had had both Brady and Chase in my daycare years ago and now I was trying to find Chase’s mother in order to bring the two of them back together. I knew, of course, the director could not give me a phone number nor could she even confirm that Chase’s mom worked for the agency…I entrusted her with MY phone numbers hoping my urgency would motivate the director to pass the message along.

At the end of the day, the message light on my answering machine was blinking. 🙂

My first phone conversation with Chase’s mom was a reunion for the two of us. This was followed by more days of back and forth phone calling that finally led to definite plans. Chase and his family would come to Alexandria and we would go pontooning together. It wasn’t until all arrangements were finalized that I told Brady he would be reunited with his ‘old’ friend Chase in just a matter of days.

On the phone, with Brady’s dad back in Arizona, I told him that indeed the two childhood friends would be reunited this forthcoming weekend. He paused and said, “You’re a good grandma”. Hmmmm…not so sure about that! Brady had asked his ‘good grandma’ before and I hadn’t heard what he was saying to me.

When the day of the reunion finally arrived, Joe put our pontoon on the lake where Chase’s family was staying for the weekend. We crossed the water and found the house. As if we were a taxi, we pulled up next to the dock. Chase and his mom and Chase’s little sister boarded with beach towels and snacks.

Chase’s mom and I reunited easily…both of us excited for the day ahead.

At first, the two boys sat glancing sideways at each other as the pontoon drifted from shore. I can only assume they were letting the physical changes from age 3 to age 11 sink in.

Chase-And-BradyThe first while was filled with talk about the facts;
Chase had a little sister now, so does Brady.
Chase likes school, so does Brady.
Chase has a cell phone, so does Brady.

Joe and I and Chase’s mom all participated in this beginning part … then gradually the conversation split, with adults talking amongst themselves … and Brady and Chase together.

As the pontoon floated away … so did the seven and a half years.

Seven years had passed since they were small. Brady was usually the ‘leader’ in their play time together, choosing make-believe scenarios as they talked on their toy ‘chatter phones’. They often picked identical riding toys during playtime outside.

But now, as grown-up 11-year-olds, there was no leader. Now in the sun and the sparkling water, it is companionship. Joe had inflated a water raft big enough for both guys to climb on and be pulled through the water together. Totally at ease in the lake, the two would find a rock – throw it in the lake and both go diving to find it. We all watched as they played Frisbee, jumping, hooting and splashing together. They came back on board only to eat. They were talking nonstop … they were BACK!

When the sun was setting we delivered Chase’s family back to dry land with warm goodbyes and promises.

I think Brady got what he needed from that day. What my grandson had been asking for … was the final piece of his Minnesota picture. After they moved to Arizona, Brady still had his Minnesota grandparents and Minnesota cousins and Minnesota aunts and uncles … the Minnesota family part of his life was still complete.

But the jigsaw puzzle picture of his 11-year-old life had been laying on a table … silently … missing one piece … an “old” childhood friend had been missing … until now. – Cathy 🙂

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