-Gimme a second... Fine, y'evah seen Charade?
-No, but I can hum a few bahs.
-Awd'ry Hepbuhn, what a classy gal.
-Kat'rine too.
-Hot ticket, wit dat face, dat...dat-
-The pout.
-Da pout. But Awd'ry was bettah.
-I liked the blonde.
-Mmm.
Charlie shifted his hips on the stone bench overlooking the small pond in the center of park. The sun shone through the breaking clouds in streaks that penetrated the water. He looked across the park at the young people walking under the green oak trees, then back at his friend.
-Fitty ye'ahs.
-Sevenny two.
-Fity ye'ahs I been heah on dis very bench. I can remembah. Fity ye'ahs in dis city.
-I got twelve on you; I was bawn in this city.
-Cityslickah.
-Old MAN! Hah!
The two men chuckled at one another, passing the time in their favorite spot in the park. Both long time acquaintances with pasts littered with assorted memories of the city. The lights, the glam, the horror, the dirt, the smell, and the back alleyways of their youth, the living organism: Boston.
-I still dunno why you came heah, Chaahlie, this city's filt'y.
-Say, you dun like it so much, tell me how come you nevah left, Jimmy Boy?
-Well I musta caught myself up wit the wrong people when I was yungah!
Charlie blinked.
-Some lifetime friend you aah! I think I'll go make my way ovah ta dat broad ovah they'ah 'n leave you heah!
He pointed to the first, and biggest, in a line of bronze ducks poised a few yards down the dirt path from where the two men sat. A squirrel ran about the ground near the statue's feet, sniffing for fallen acorns.
-Hate ta rain on yawh parade, but it looks like he beat ya to-'uh.
Charlie wrinkled his face and sat back on the bench, pressing his wool button down khaki and maroon shirt into the stone. His brown eyes matched the scruffiness of his face and unkempt short, greying hair. He'd lived in this city for half a century, having moved there in his adolescence- a very turbulent time. At first he had hated the place, with the noisy cars, and loud people. Yet now, looking back, he realized that he had grown to love it and never could leave, even if he tried.
It was a warm spring day and the sky was beginning to clear up. Charlie closed his eyes and sighed, turning his head upwards. He listened to the muffled sounds of the city streets.
-Ey! Don't fall asleep on me!
-You really know how ta ruin a moment dontcha, James?
-Sawry! Dreamin' ov yawh feth'ed sweet-haaht?!
Charlie turned to his friend, deadpanned.
-Why, yes I was, Jim.
James cracked up this time, his head tilted back in a cackle turned guffaw that knocked off his tweed cap, an action that prompted the two men to laugh even harder.
-You shouldn't laugh so hahd, Jimmy Boy, y'll staht gettin' wrinkles!
-Funny, wicked funny.
James rubbed his creased face with a thin hand, wiping away a few stray tears left from his last bought of laughter.
-I got skin lika fuckin' baby, Chaahlie, a baby.
-Suah.
-My sistah's dawdah had anutha baby, d'I tell ya?
-You don't tell me nuthin'.
-I did, I did tell ya - well they'ah namin' it Lily.
-Lily, das a good name, so itsa geul?
-No. No, Chaahlie, itsa boy. Lily Matt'uw Franky O'Reilly.
-I meant ya didn't tell mey it wasa geul b'foah.
James paused before continuing. Slowly he looked back at Charlie, his friend, who had an expectant look on his old face.
-I been thinkin' 'bout that baby, and ya know I ain't so young any moah.
-Like Hell you aah.
-I wondah, ya know, will she remembah me? I'm Sevenny two. How long she gonna know me foah? How old they gonna be, my gran-kids, when I go up they-ah? The big bean pot in the clouds, Chaahlie.
-Whatcho sayin', Jimmy? Dun tahlk like dat.
-Itsa real fact, Chaahlie, is gonna happen. What I do heah r'anyway? What I do on this ground she gonna have ta remembah me by? Hu'h great-uncle James?
Charlie stared at his friend, into his grey eyes, which were sunken into an ever-aging face.
-You got hu'h . You got yawh fam'ly, Jim, you done right by dem. She gets grown up she sees da love in hu'h fam'ly she's gonna know dat Great-uncle James put his paht in day'a fuh hu'h.
Charlie paused again.
-Besides, I'll stick around heah and tell hu'h myself, I'm youngah den you aah- I ain't in a hurry ta kick da bucket! Gimme hu'h numbah!
-By six munths yawh yungah! Yungah my wrinkled ass!
-Keep yawh wrinkled ass y'old FAAHT!
The two men cackled again for a long time. The ripples of the pond water lapped at the sand a few yards away from their spot.
-Thanks, Chaahlie.
-Yeah, no problum...but I still like Awd'ry bettah.
-You and yawh R'audr'y
-I luved hu'h!
-Oh go feed yawh stone duck sweet-haaht.
-It's brawnze.
-You think I cay'ah? I could not cay'ah less.
