Park Walk

Park Walk

“Follow the yellow brick road,” I sing in my head, as I start out at the park. It’s not brick, nor yellow, just large cement blocks. But very Ozzy. Plants and flowers and trees. Not like someone’s backyard, more Wonderland-ish. Which is why I come here.

As I turn a corner I hear a new sound. Not animal, vegetable (nor even mineral!) Music! It may be a maintenance truck, though it’s late enough that they’ve usually left this area.

Around the next corner I see it, excitement immediately strikes me, it’s an ice cream truck! The hood is up though, and a person seems to be leaning into it with a flashlight. I decide to go over. I mean, if your gonna talk to a stranger, what better than one with an ice cream truck.

When I got there I said “Hello” to get his attention, I did, he jumped so fast he hit his head on the hood and fell backwards. I rushed to his side to see if he was OK, and there, woozy, was Darrel Banks! I hadn’t seen him since nineteen-sixty-six, in high school!

I knew it was him the second I laid eyes on him! I didn’t know he was from around here now! As he looked up, he recognized me. “Stinky!” he yelled.

“You must have the wrong person,” I said suddenly remembering why I hated him in high school... “Are you OK?”

“Another bump can’t hurt me, I got a head like a rock,” he said, which is exactly what I remembered about him from all those years ago. But I couldn’t leave him hurt.

Guess who’s getting married next week at the ripe old age of seventy-four. Not me! Darrel’s marrying our old high school prom queen! Honestly, I can’t stop laughing.