2018

Ethan has just removed his bike helmet, which he is resting on his left knee and he is carefully studying Kenny's hand drafted document.  Carl has just placed before him on the coffee table a plate loaded with Costco potato salad, buttered sourdough bread, cheese and tomato slices and large black olives from a tin.  "Thanks", he says without looking up. He further studies the document, then looks perplexed, "Could you explain this to me please?" "Does nothing here ring familiar to you, Ethan", says Kenny. "Kenny!" he says suddenly, turning to look at my old friend. "So you do remember me." "I was working in your florist shop...in Duncan...Remember?  I was doing bike deliveries. "And you spent the night with us in Carl's mansion near Chilliwack." "That I did." I have just sat down on Ethan's right.  "Do you remember none of the story you were telling us?" "Before I started working for Kenny two years ago, I was studying ancient church history at Malaspina College.  So I was telling you about what it was like under the persecutions of Diocletian." "What else do you remember", says Carl, pulling up a chair from the dining room table. "We were eating chocolate chips and drinking milk like a bunch of kids.  It was lots of fun." "The next morning, you came into the bathroom while I was stepping out of the shower", say I.  "We were both naked." His handsome olive toned face is reddening and he mumbles, "Sorry." "Nothing to be at all sorry about.  We both comported ourselves like chaste Christian gentlemen." And Ethan sputters, "Yeah, dammit", and now we are all laughing. "And then, after we were both dressed, we went onto the grounds through the gardens, to a southern magnolia tree in early bloom.  There were two peacocks, a blue and a green one, and there was a beautiful teenage boy waiting for us, and then you two went off together..." Ethan's eyes are widening, and yes he is now remembering.  "Oh my God", he says, dropping his fork on the plate..."Oh my God!"