Boys in the Back

As most of you know I'm dealing with a flood of memories. Looking back on my life, and thinking about the past, as my mom continues to cling to life. Just the other day I started thinking about my first day in the 9Th grade. I had moved from a Catholic school to a public school. I entered Mr. Creed's classroom and he directed me to the back of the class.

I took my seat next to this little Jewish kid with kinky hair. The key thing in the 9Th grade is to be cool. You can't be cool if you are friends with someone who is not. I thought Barrett Weiser was goofy. So I had no intention of befriending him. He made gestures of friendship and I swatted them away. It was friendship volleyball. He'd spike one, I'd block it with gusto. Not only that, I joined the others in class in picking on Barrett. It's not something I'm proud of. I continued to ignore him or be mean to him throughout my time at Verdugo Hills high school.

http://www.verdugohs.org/

Years passed, and I bounced all across the country. I never gave Barrett a second thought. I also lost contact with just about everyone I knew in High School. Then one day the phone rang at work. It was Colleen Brousseau. Her parents and my mom were close friends. When I was a kid,. my mom would go to dinner at their home. My sister Patty and I would go along too. So that's how I became friends with Colleen. The phone call came out of the blue. It happeneed shortly after the 9-11 attack on the Pentagon. That's when Colleen learned I was living here in the area. The conversation went something like this.

Colleen: "Mike, hey it's a voice from the past. My sister Margo got your number from Patty. I couldn't believe that you live here. I'm living in Arlington. Remember Barrett Weiser?"

Mike: "Of course, you and I used to torment him at Verdugo Hills High. I wonder what ever happened to him."

Colleen: "You are not going to believe this, but I'm married to him."

I was surprised. We continued to talk. At the end of the conversation I invited them to our house for dinner.

Colleen: "You've got to be kidding me! That will never happen. Barrett still hates you!"

I persuaded her to persuade him. The dinner went well. I certainly didn't feel good about the way I had treated him all those years before. This was a small way to make up for it. Barrett shook my hand as he was leaving.

Barrett: "Colleen had to talk me into this. We had a nice night, thanks for inviting us."

We've gotten together periodically ever since. While I was in the hospital last week in Los Angeles visiting my mom, I would turn off my phone. I'd turn it back on as I left. One day I turned it on, and noticed I had a voicemail. I hit the button and listened. It was Barrett, it just so happened he was in L.A.. He had heard what happened to my mom. He wanted to help, and he wanted me to know that Colleen's dad wanted to help too.

I called Barrett back. He had words of comf0rt.

Barrett: "Mike, Lou and I are coming to the hospital to see you and your mom. You have to know that we are coming as friends nothing more."

They did. Lou made the sign of the cross and said a small prayer with a pained expression on his face. I went downstairs with Barrett and Lou. I made arrangements to see Lou the next day. I met with him along with my brother in law Jim, and my son Trevor. You see Lou is a Funeral Director. He handled my father's funeral back in 1968. He said it would be an honor to handle my mother's funeral.

The next day I had another voicemail from Barrett.

Barrett: "Mike you are not going to believe this! My mother just suffered a stroke. I am filling out the DNR (Do not Resuscitate) right now."

Now it was my turn to call and offer feeble words of comfort. Barrett laughed.

Barrett: "I liked it better when the only thing we had in common was that we went to high school together. I'm filling out hospice forms right now. I'm holding my moms hand and singing to her too."

It's amazing, so many years have passed. Who could have imagined decades spinning by and the Boys in the back of the Class are together again.

Barrett: "It's a lonely boat we are in, but at least we're in it together."