If I Can Make It There…

by Jeff Baker

“Okay,” Chris said, standing on the corner on the sidewalk. “Where to now?”

“Not sure,” Nick said.

“Hey, it’s your city now.” Liz said.

“Hey, it’s hardly New York.” Nick laughed. “Or Chicago.”

“I know! I’m from Chicago, remember” Roberta said.

“Long way from home,” Chris said.

“I know.” Nick said, wondering if the big city would ever feel as much like home to him.

“Well, we ate, we saw the game, we walked along the river and now what?” Liz said.

“Whew.” Nick said. “We’ve done a lot today.”

“Yeah.” Liz said.

“Hey, how long’s it been since we’ve all been together?” Chris asked.

“About three years.” Nick said. “The reunion at school, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” Roberta said.

“Sure isn’t like the old days. Seeing each other every day, walking down the stairs of the dorm or going to class.” Chris said.

“And I knew you before that.” Liz said. “Back when you still went by ‘Kristoff.’”

“Kristoff!” Nick laughed. “I never heard that!”

“You weren’t at my Graduation.” Chris said grinning. “Named after my Grandfather. From the Old Country…New York!”

“Back to New York again.” Roberta said.

“I wish your Enrico could have made it out here.” Nick said. I’d like to meet the guy who stole your heart.”

“Yeah,” Chris said with a smile. “Same here, but he had to work.”

“Guys I got an idea.” Roberta said.

“What?”

“What to do next.” Roberta said. “Go back to the hotel. To one of our rooms.”

“Calling it a night?” Liz asked.

“No!” Roberta said. “All of us. Sit around the room. Like we used to. Talk. Enjoy just being together.”

“We’ve done a lot of talking already.” Nick said.

“Yeah, but we can never do too much.” Chris said.

“After all,” Liz said as she started down the sidewalk to the hotel. “Who knows how long before we’re all together again?”

On the walk to the hotel somehow, in the noise of cars rushing by on another street they seemed to hear the music that played from the radios all those years ago when they were younger…

—end—