Old Friends

 

Leah and I became old friends about six years ago. I say old because I was sixty seven and Leah was eighty eight years old. She was the mother of Gary whose bowling team I am now with. The first time I met Leah, I was watching some friends bowl. She sat on a high seat watching her son's team, with a bowl of candy on the counter in front of her. She was the candy lady who brought candy for anybody who wanted some. Leah was also the arbiter of poker hands. For three dollars you could buy into the poker game. Two cards for a strike, one card for a spare. The cards featured nude men which kind of freaked me out at first. Not because I don't like nude men, but because nobody seemed bothered that they were showing an eighty eight year old woman cards with naked men on them. I got over it. After all, my mom used to have a party cake business and would make you a naked man cake for any occasion. Anyway, without hesitation Leah would look at the cards and declare which hand was better than another. Leah was fun to talk to and I got a thrill out of taking her out in my 1929 Model A Ford a few times. The car and the lady were the same age. We will miss Leah, everybody at the bowling alley knew her and loved her. She passed away on Tuesday.