Jack-Benen Sweeney, Jack-Benen Sweeney...
the name sits so familiar on my tounge, almost sugary. which is the perfect description for that boy, my childhood best friend. is someone like that your childhood best friend if you only knew him when you were 6-9?
Benen. Him and his sister were adopted from way out of state, and us 3 ended up being the only brown kids in all of that tiny town in Montana. the other kids were so endlessly kind to us, and the adults were too. in a town that's full of your family and friends, nobody would even think of wiping the glittery goodness of childhood off your eyes. in fact, they'd get a little violent to keep you safe from reality
I hadn't known pain and discrimination until I moved from that town. I hadn't known misery until I moved here.
I remember very clearly how I met Benen! it was the 1st grade. We sat on the floor for activities for the morning, reciting the alphabet, our vowels, our numbers, and the date of the day. it had to be January, because I remember the tip of my nose was biting cold as I turned to the classroom door with my teacher saying "Okay, everyone. here's our new student, so make him feel at home!"
Jack-Benen Sweeney. a boy that finally looked just like me. he had curly, short black hair. big doe-like brown eyes, he was small and quite thin in stature, and he had a gap in his 2 front teeth. all the other kids thought he had a weird laugh and was too much of a crybaby right off the bat, but I adored him. I thought it was the most unfair thing in the world that they'd keep me separated from such a kind looking kid while he took time to adjust.
Jack-Benen Sweeney, the boy who stuck beside me no matter what. We once decided to go to the local friendly corner store before school started, so we went hand in hand together, and ended up lost, late for school, and crying on my uncle's lawn...we were grounded for a century!
Jack-Benen Sweeney, when I went to his house for the first time, I was always disappointed that I couldn't actually see him. he was away, talking to case workers, such adult topics for such a young boy...but you never ended up living out your childhood in Montana without a damn bad reason.
Jack-Benen Sweeney, one valentine's day I got sick with a horrible cold. I was so disappointed I wouldn't get to see all my friends on my most favourite holiday ever, and even more disappointed I wouldn't be able to give Benen the candy I got him. That was a no can do on his end, he gathered a huge box of all my valentine's and walked with it to my house after school just to share candy with me in my bed. He got that horrible cold too, and they locked us in my room together until we got better. it was the best days I ever remember
Benen learned to ride his bike right alongside me on the sidewalks of the church across from my house, leaning against those huge doors with me to listen to the angelic like choir of girls singing. he was the reason I joined choir so young. I once joined a play for him, but quickly quit, because I scared him when I full force headbutted a kid right off stage!
But I'm 18 now, and Jack-Benen Sweeney hasn't been my best friend in 10 years. I often wonder how he's doing. where he's gone in life. and also, how I managed to love someone so dearly as a kid that I remember every single aspect of them?
my childhood in Montana was as sweet as a freshly picked peach
