AlltheCabbieHadWasaLetter1)HemusthavebeencompletelylostinsomethinghewasreadingbecauseIhadtotaponthewindshieldtogethisattention.2)“Isyourcabavailable?”Iaskedwhenhefinallylookedupatme.Henodded,thensaidapologeticallyasIsettledintothebackseat,“I’msorry,butIwasreadingaletter.”Hesoundedasifhehadacoldorsomething.3)“I’minnohurry,”Itoldhim.“Goaheadandfinishyourletter.”4)Heshookhishead.“I’vereaditseveralalready.IguessIalmostknowitbyheart.”5)“Lettersfromhomealwaysmeanalot.”Isaid.“AtleasttheydowithmebecauseI’montheroadsomuch.”Then,estimatingthathewas60or70yearsold,Iguess:“Fromachildormaybeagrandchild?”6)“Thisisn’tfamily,”hereplied.“Although,”hewenton,“cometothinkofit,itmightjustaswellhavebeenfamily.OldEdwasmyoldestfriend.Infact,weusedtocalleachother‘OldFriend’—whenwe’dmeet,thatis.I’mnotmuchofahandatwriting.”7)“Idon’tthinkanyofuskeepourcorrespondencetoowell,”Isaid.“IknowIdon’t.ButItakeithe’ssomeoneyou’veknownquiteawhile?”8)“Allmylife,practically.Wewerekidstogether,sowegowayback.”9)“Wenttoschooltogether?”10)“Allthewaythroughhighschool.Wewereinthesameclass,infact,throughbothgradeandhighschool.”11)“Therearenottoomanypeoplewho’vehadsuchalongfriendship,”Isaid.12)“Actually,”thedriverwenton,“Ihadn’tseenhimmorethanonceortwiceayearoverthepast25or30yearsbecauseImovedawayfromtheoldneighborhoodandyoukindoflosetoucheventhoughyouneverforget.Hewasagreatguy.”13)“Yousaid‘was’.Doesthatmean--?”14)Henodded.“Diedacoupleofweeksago.”15)“I’msorry,”Isaid.“It’ssofuntoloseanyfriend—andlosingarealoldoneiseventougher.”16)Hedidn’treplytothat,andwerodeoninsilenceforafewminutes.ButIrealizedthatOldEdwasstillonhismindwhenhespokeagain,almostmoretohimselfthantome:“Ishouldhavekeptintouch.Yes,”herepeated,“Ishouldhavekeptintouch.”17)“Well,”Iagreed,“weshouldallkeepintouchwitholdfriendsmorethanwedo.Butthingscomeupandwejustdon’tseemtofindthetime.”18)Heshrugged.“Weusedtofindthetime,”hesaid.“That’sevenmentionedintheletter.”Hehandeditovertome.“Takealook.”19)“Thanks,”Isaid,“butIdon’twanttoreadyourmail.That’sprettypersonal.”20)Thedrivershrugged.“OldEd’sdead.There’snothingpersonalnoGoahead,”heurgedme.21)Theletterwaswritteninpencil.Itbeganwiththegreeting“OldFriend,”andthefirstsentenceremindedmeofmyself.I’vebeenmeaningtowriteforsometime,butI’vealwayspostponedit.Itthenwentontosaythatheoftenthoughtaboutthegoodtheyhadhadtogetherwhentheybothlivedinthesameneighborhood.Ithadreferencestothingsthatprobablymeantsomethingtothedriver,suchasthetimeTimSheabrokethewindow,theHalloweenthatwetiedOldMr.Parker’sgate,andwhenMrs.Culverusedtokeepusafterschool.22)“Youmusthavespentalotoftimetogether,”Isaidtohim.23)“Likeitsaysthere,”heanswered,“aboutallwehadtospendinthosedayswastime.”24)Ithoughtthenextparagraphoftheletterwasalittlesad:Ibegantheletterwith“OldFriend”becausethat’swhatwe’vebecomeovertheyears–oldfriends.Andtherearen’tmanyofusleft.25)“Youknow,”Isaidtohim,“whenitsaysherethattherearen’tmanyofusleft,that’sabsolutelyright.EverytimeIgotoaclassreunion,forexample,therearefewerandfewerstillaround.”26)“Timegoesby,”thedriversaid.27)“Didyoutwoworkatthesameplace?”Iaskedhim.28)“No,butwehungoutonthesamecornerwhenweweresingle.Andthen,whenweweremarried,weusedtogotoeachother’shouseeverynowandthen.Butforthelast20or30yearsit’sbeenmostlyjustCh...
