32
Levi
I ran as far as my starting-to-feel-its-age, out-of-shape body would take me. When my lungs began wheezing the brisk air in and out, I decided that nobody would benefit from my sudden death by cardiac arrest.
After walking for a few minutes, I found a bench that looked out over the busy harbor. Boats were rocking, metal was clanging, and seagulls were swooping. The familiarity of the seaport’s sights, sounds, and smells were soothing as I tried to get my frantic panting to return to a more normal breathing pattern.
When someone sat down on the bench beside me, I didn’t even have to look over to know it was my lifelong friend, Dean Waters. Dean and I had been the best of friends in elementary and middle school, but had started growing apart in our late teens. Dean had wanted to
