Real Friends

The sadness of Tristan departed from his eight year old heart the summer he met Baldwin. Tristan moved into the suburban neighborhood without any friends and struggled to make friendships while at school. As a young boy, he had already began to build a acceptance to loneliness, a quality his mother tried to avoid within her child. She would often try to involve him in sports in hopes of him breaking his shell, but Tristan did not have the interest in such activities. Unsure of what to do, she hoped he would find a friend on his own, removing her constant pressure for him to be a social boy. One day, he was playing basketball in front of his house on a portable hoop, he met his first friend, breaking his solitude.

Baldwin startled Tristan as he basically crept from the shadows and stood beside Tristan. Tristan, on the other hand, could not easily make friends, but Baldwin showed no fear and waved and gave a friendly "hello." Tristan responded with his own wave and a "hi," feeling compelled to invite Baldwin to play, and Baldwin agreed. They played for hours building a friendship, laughing and joking, pretending they've known each other for several years. When Tristan's mother began pulling up the driveway, Baldwin declared he had to return home for dinner, realizing his own mother is probably home as well. They gave their farewells and agreed to meet again at the same time the next day. Tristan's mother asked him who he was talking to while unloading the groceries, and he replied with "a new friend." Excited, his mother took interest that her son finally made a new friend and wanted to meet him, but the boy was reluctant to do so, and dodged the issue for several weeks. And if Baldwin so happened to be visiting their home, Tristan made sure his mother never saw him. Eventually, at the end of those several weeks, his mother discovered the reason for his reluctance and decided to not interfere in the friendship.

At any rate, Tristan and Baldwin were eight year old boys who had resemblances of the other that often times one felt he was talking to himself. They went every together, they liked the same childish things, they had the same interests, and both almost talked identically. Tristan thought it funny when his mother could not tell them apart. Anyhow, these boys spent any possible moment to play with each other, and gave their devotion to their friendship. During lunchtimes, rather than dining with his mother, he would request two plates of peanut butter sandwiches and would bring them to his room. After Baldwin went home, her son would bring down the two plates, with one sandwich remaining. "He wasn't hungry," was Tristan's response. Accepting that this was their choice, she did not give an argument and disposed of the food.

Aside from their odd behaviors, these boys were the best of friends and inseparable throughout the summer. For the first time in Tristan's life, he had somebody to tug him along the way, a friend to endure the hardships of being a kid, and he enjoyed every moment.

Four days before the summer ended, and the kids were to start 3rd Grade, they walk the a familiar trail next to their homes that led into the nearby creak. Tristan had changed throughout the course of these last three months that he was able to take the challenges of a little boy he did not want to face. Tristan finally did not surrender to his shyness, and blossomed into a brave boy. He formed a courageous heart because of the influences of Baldwin. Baldwin often led them into excitement and mischief, testing Tristan's nerves to see if he would be risky, but to ensure they enjoy the time of being kids. One particular time, Baldwin snuck them into the neighbors yard and found the old man's dentures left outside on the patio. The laughter and comedy of playing with false teeth nearly found them trouble, but their little bodies were deceiving in the dark and they easily returned to Tristan's yard. Many enjoyments of daring moments gave Tristan reason to trust Baldwin with his life. On that note, they navigated a pathless creek, crossing a manmade dam, heading for their hidden hideout.

The hideout, being nothing more than a little patch of dirt between two large trees, had been rummaged. The culprit was, in fact, still in the area, hiding behind the tree on the right. Tristan looked around the tree and found a seven year old boy named, Richie. He recognized Richie from school, who was also a new kid. Before Tristan could ask a question, Baldwin exclaimed he had to go and Tristan's could not dissuade in time because Baldwin was already gone. Unsure of why his friend reacted peculiar, he returned to Richie and asked what he was doing.

Richie is a shy boy as well and was afraid to answer. Tristan did not know what to do, and his little instincts came forward. He asked Richie if he wanted to play basketball at his house. The young boy smiled and said "yeah." A happy Tristan led Richie back to his home, and both began to play basketball liked Baldwin and Tristan used to.

Tristan's mother came home and found both boys playing. She exited the car stunned.

"So this is Baldwin, Tristan?"

"Who is Baldwin?" asked Richie.

"No, this is Richie."

"Well hello Richie," smiled Tristan's mother, raising a bemused eyebrow. She shook her head, making it believe she is shaking unknown thoughts from her head. "Would you like to come in and have peanut butter sandwiches."

Richie answered with a delightful "yes" and the two kids and the mother raced into the house.

After lunch, Richie went to wash his hands in the bathroom and Tristan went to his room. Here he found Baldwin standing in front of his closed window. Tristan titled his head in confusion, unsure of what to say to his friend. Baldwin turned around and they stared at one another; staring in admiration of their unique friendship, and the months of imagination and fun.

Baldwin waved at Tristan.

Tristan gave his warm smiled and waved back, understanding what is going to happen, but in addition to what had happened. Accepting the fate of Tristan's decision, Baldwin fades into the darkness of the room and returns as a memory in Tristan's conscious. Richie burst into the room, finding Tristan staring at the window.

"Whatta you doing?"

"Nothing. Are you going to disappear too?"

"No, you're my real friend."

Tristan gives a pleasant sigh and responded. "Good."