Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Adventures with a High School Classmate


The other day, My First Wife and I were in the mall when she spied a familiar-looking face walking toward us. (The face wasn’t walking; it was a familiar-looking person.) His head hung, tired-like. He walked slowly with a distinct and heavy limp, cane in hand.

“Izzy? Izzy!” My First Wife shouted. “Izzy Fulible, it’s me: Chancie!”

Izzy looked up, then he lit up when he saw Chancie. “Well, lookee there!” He broke into quite the smile, opened his arms and the two of them shared a hearty hug. “Aren’t you the pretty one! You’re pretty as you ever were. How you doing?”

“Oh, thank you,” she said. “You’re not so bad looking either. How are you?”

“Pretty good. Who’s the lucky guy?” he asked, pointing to me. He stretched out his hand, which I took and shook.

“This is my husband, Paul.”

“Well, I was heading down to get me a cup of joe,” he said. “Can I buy you a cuppa coffee? Got time? We can catch up a little. Jeez! When’s the last time I saw you?”

We began our trek to the food court. The banter between the two heated up, leaving me to tag along. Chancie and Izzy graduated together in Georgia, far from the Heart of America. “How long have you lived here…?” “What kind of work…?” "Kids? Grandkids?" Izzy limped along pretty hard. In the food court, he sat down with a loud, heavy sigh. “Aaaah!”

I got the coffee for all of us and delivered it. Chancie and Izzy were still buzzing. After her first sip of coffee, Chancie asked directly: “Izzy, why the cane? What’s with the limp.”

“Aah, that’s nothing,” he said. “It a hockey injury down here on my ankle. Got it several years ago.”

“Really? I didn’t know you played hockey,” Chancie said. My mind started racing. I like watching hockey when I can catch it on TV. I don’t know all the players, but my mind couldn’t place the name Izzy Fulible.

“It only bothers me when the weather turns cold.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Chancie said. “How long ago?”

“Oh, it was in during the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1988.”

“Stanley Cup?” I asked. “You played for the Stanley Cup?” I suddenly felt like I was in the presence of greatness. Or at least really coolness.

“Well, in that match," he went on, "I lost a hundred bucks and hurt my ankle when I kicked in my TV screen!”

14 comments:

Herb said...

I really did laugh out loud.

Jennie said...

You were in the presence of a serious hockey fan, I think. Too funny!

WV: steorn...I think he played for the Canadian Maple Leafs

srp said...

You did it again..... sucked me right in and hit me with the punch line!!! Well done!

I have voted today..... done my small part to get the country back on track.

kenju said...

You sucked me in too!! LOL

Senorita said...

Hahaha ! That's funny !

Scarlet said...

LOL - What a great ending! :)

Monique said...

I love it!

Ralph said...

Okay Paul, I have had a bad day. A really, really, bad day. This is only the second thing I have read, seen, or heard today that has made me laugh. The other was from Cliff a few minutes ago. I might start not getting out of bed until 6:00 PM. Thanks for the laugh.
Ralph

cassie-b said...

I didn't see that coming. Great story.

Cliff said...

Man, we gotta find you a job.

Heather Trent Beers said...

Paul, you really know how to yank the rug out from under us and leave us laughing!!!

Joy Des Jardins said...

Oh for just a moment...in the presence of greatness! Hysterical Paul.

Janell said...

OUCH! What a painful way to acquire limp! Makes a good story, tho.

j said...

Oh this was FUUUUUUUUNNY - well, sort of. I mean I don't like to see people who are hurt. But being a 'serious fan' myself, I get it.