A story I wrote oh so long ago. There are only 3 people who might find this entertaining, but I have had this story tucked deep in a dark corner of our storage for some time. I figured I would dust it off and post it on the blog. Perhaps someone might find it humorous enough to get a chuckle. We shall see. Oh! And I’m aware that there are numerous grammatical errors and missing punctuation. This is a first round draft that I cleaned up several times…but lost that copy. Go figure! Anyway, Just thought I would post it….probably no one will ever read it anyway.
Chapter 1.
It was a cool night for early September and David rolled down the windows of his car to bask in the last days of summer. He was heading home after a rather boring night at the fire department and was looking forward to some down time. He glanced at his watch casually as he drove the familiar roads and noted that it was just after 1A.M. The wife and kids would most likely be asleep and only the cat would be awake as he would quietly trek in. The plan was traditional. Come in, kick off your shoes, pet the cat, Open a beer, sit down and relax. No noise, no TV, no talking, Nothing… David would just sit and unwind and lose the stress of the day . Sometimes he would take a shower or make a sandwich or other snack as he sat and enjoyed his alone time. Sometimes Tracy would still be awake and tell her how her day went. But she usually was in bed by 11 P.M. since she had to wake up earlier.
David pulled into the driveway and turned off the car and pulled out his keys. He grabbed his coat off the front seat and gently shut the car door . The air smelled crisp and full of autumn. The Moon light was fairly bright in the clear skies. 
He fumbled with his key as he stepped up to the door and inserted it quietly into the lock. One quick turn and a brisk push opened the door and he stepped over the threshold and into the dark house. Without looking he put his keys into an invisible bowl and fumbled for the kitchen light switch he knew was there. The light flickered on with a warm glow and stung his eyes as they adjusted to the new brightness. The Cat had leapt up on the table to greet him and await pets which David gave readily. He tossed his coat over one of the kitchen chairs and moved to the fridge for his long awaited reward when the phone rang!
David nearly jumped out of his skin startled by the sudden intrusion of noise into his silence. Who could be calling at this hour he thought. Without checking the caller Id or allowing the phone to ring again he picked it up.
“hello ? David answered.
“Dave? Came an unknown voice.
“yea? Who is this? David replied.
“Hey Hey! Dave! Your up! Came the voice bubbling with excitement and.. Something else. Relief? “this is Ethan!
“Ethan? David only knew one Ethan. A childhood friend , he had been best friends for the better part of thirty years. Ethan? I Haven’t heard from you in a while. What you up to at this time of night? David responded as he opened the fridge and grabbed a cold adult beverage.
“Not much , I was just in the neighbor hood and was wondering if we could catch up one some old times . Ethan said.
“yea yeah sure when you want to get together? David glanced over at the calendar looking for day with no plans.
“How about tonight? Ethan Asked.
“tonight? David asked bewildered. ‘Eth, Its 1:30 in the morning.
“so? What better time? Your up ? Right?
“Tracy and the kids are sleeping! David said
“ Don’t worry. We’ll go out . Ethan explained
“Out where? Nothing is open this late. David shushed. Trying to keep his voice down.
“McDonalds is open 24 hours now in Eastman Ville. Ethan responded.
“Eastman Ville? Where is that ? David asked
‘Along the highway on the way to Grand haven. Ethan explained
“Isn’t that a little far for some all night coffee? David asked. The cat was brushing up against him begging for more pets as David twisted off the cap of his beer.
“Not at all actually it will be on the way. We can stop back there when we get done doing this little errand I have to do. I’ll even buy you a big Mac . Ethan explained.
“Errand? David asked incredulously. Ethan had never offered to buy David lunch before, or any meal for that matter. “What errand is that?” David mused at the thought that he could be bought off so cheaply
“Oh! Yeah I forgot to mention I have this little something to do and, well, it’s kind of a two man job. It wont take long and since you’re the only one I know around here that might still be up I figured I pick you up and we can catch up while you help me. It wont take long I promise. Ethan replied casually.
“What kind of job is this? David asked cautiously. The cat was now batting the phone cord as it dangled along side the table
“Oh nothing much. A delivery if you will. But it will take two people to lift it. It’s kind of heavy.
David had heard that Ethan has a furniture mover once. And he had not seen nor heard of him for several years, Last he knew Ethan was working for the Department of Natural Resources until he lost his job due to budget cuts. Perhaps he had signed on with the movers again . Ethan had helped David and Tracy move before when they were just starting out . The thought of moving a hide-a-bed sofa alone was burned in his memory. Dropping the sofa down a flight of stairs after throwing out his back. 
“How big is this thing? David asked. Pushing the cat away from the phone with his beer.
“It’s not a sofa, Ethan responded as if reading David’s mind. “ Its nothing two people cant handle trust me. I could do it myself but we both know what happens when some one doesn’t follow the buddy system. Ethan’s voice was laced with sarcasm..
“Yeah Yeah. David acknowledged the hint. Ok fine I’m still awake and I ‘m still dressed and have not taken a shower yet. Five minutes later and I would have been in bed and you would not have been able to blast me out of there
“Looks like it was my lucky day! Ethan acknowledged
“when will you get here? I don’t want to wait all night.
‘About 10 minutes Ethan replied
“10 minutes! Where are you now? I thought you were calling from home. David was surprised.
“I told you I was in the neighborhood. I just crossed the bridge so I should be there shortly. Go ahead and finish your beer or whatever.
David picked up his beer and studied it for a moment. “how did you know I was having a beer? David asked before looking out the kitchen window
‘Lucky guess.
“Very lucky guess
“Dave, You’re a fireman, You’re coming home after a long day at work, you’re German and I’ve known you got over 30 years! Ethan explained. “not to mention that is something I would probably do.
David smiled to himself, 30 years of friendship does create a strong bond even though there might be several years of separation. There was a time when Ethan and David did everything together. Funny how time, priorities and distance can change things. After David had gotten married It seemed that there simply was never time for the duo to get back together. David Had not realized it but he was actually looking forward to seeing him again …alone without Tracy or the kids. Just two friends doing some male bonding over coffee and maybe a bacon egg and cheese biscuit.
“ok then I’ll see you in a few David said Tipping his beer up for a long swallow .
“Right! Oh and before I forget, Ethan paused, Bring a shovel.
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