Charlie

Chapter 1

"Caleb!"

"What mom?"

"Where are you going?" My mom asks me curiously.

"I'm gonna head over to the hospital to visit Charlie."

"Ok love you! Be back before dinner."

I know what mom thinks. I know he's not getting any better. He probably will never leave the hospital, but I can't help it. He's been my best friend since I can remember, he's my role model the only father figure I have in my life. We would spend hours, days, and sometimes even weeks at the lake during the summer fishing and camping. It's hard to see a man you look up to, a hero in a sense, slowly but surely, fade away. If only we could have caught the cancer sooner if only I had notice the sharp decline in his health.

"Hey old man."

"Caleb is that you?" Charlie asked with a weakened voice.

"Yeah, I figured I would come over and see ya."

"Did you bring it?" He asked. Straight to the point like a knife thrusting into a watermelon.

"Bring what?" I was racking my brain trying to remember what Charlie was talking about. I had remembered a tattered old worn picture he had asked me to bring him the next time I came. I luckily had put it in my wallet that day so I wouldn't forget.

"The picture!" He exclaimed before I could get the words out of my mouth.

"I have it right here." A smile came to my face seeing how eager he is to see this picture.

I handed it over, I could see in his expression that it had been a long time since he had laid eyes on it. He stared at the picture for what seemed like an eternity.

"Thank you! It's been far too long since I've seen this."

"Who are they?"

"That's me my boy and that fella standing next to me, well that's Tommy. He's my best friend, but honestly, he was more like my brother than my friend. We were inseparable when we were younger." He continued to stare at the photo as if he had seen a ghost. I noticed the tears forming in his dimming blue eyes as if this one photograph had brought up every old emotion he had for Tommy. He really must have thought a lot of him.

"Where is he now?"

"He passed away." Charlie said sadly.

"Why? What happened?"

"That my boy is another story for another day." And with that Charlie closed his eyes and went to sleep.

*****

I couldn't wait to get back to the hospital, so when I went back the next day I had a lot of questions for Charlie. I thought I had heard every story in his life. We spent so much time together on the fishing trips we went on together. I thought he had told me everything about his life, from his hunting trips in Alaska to his time in the service. He even told me about how strict his father was.

"Caleb, do you have plans today?"

"No, but I told mom I would be back before dinner." She doesn't like me being out after dark. Even though I'm almost 18, she still treats me like a child.

"Sit down Caleb, I wanna tell you a story. One I've never told anyone."