I spent most of my free time in high school (and some of the time I should have been in classes) with my best friends, Carven and Alan Look. We hung out together most of the day, most of each night and on most weekends. I loved spending the night at their house as well as joining the family for dinner and trips into Chinatown. I imagine it seemed to Mr. & Mrs. Look as if I was their fifth daughter!
One time, we were looking through a magazine and saw a cartoon where the caption was a mother coming home and asking her husband where the children were. The picture was of three kids clothes-pinned to a laundry line. My remark about this was that this is what should be done with all children. (I wasn't particularly kid-friendly back then.) Somewhat appalled, Carven and Alan said, "You won't do that when you have kids." I replied that I did not intend to ever have kids. Well, they bet me $10 (each) that I would someday have children. I would imagine that they were losing hope of ever cashing in on that bet - until today. Our lives have taken us in many different directions and to different locales. Carven and her family are in Connecticut, Alan is now in Dallas and I am here in New Jersey but today the Gods of Friendship saw fit to have us relatively close to one another so that we could we arrange to meet.
I met them at their old homestead on Sanford Avenue in Flushing, NY where their mother, Mrs. Look, still resides. Oh, what memories came back to me as I drove into Flushing on Northern Blvd, turning at Bowne and then again at Sanford. It all seems very different and yet somewhat the same. The first order of business, after introducing Willow of course, was to pay off the bet. They looked at me strangely until I reminded them of it; then they wanted to know where the interest was and why the cost of inflation wasn't figured in! 
We spent some time letting Willow get to know them and after Carven plied her with Cheerios she was ready to have some fun!
So off we went to downtown Flushing for some Dim Sum and then a bit of leisurely browsing in the Hong Kong Market. Carven and Alan were happy to carry and feed Willow. (I appreciated the break!) And she reveled in all of the attention! (Of course it meant almost constant explaintions to people that they knew that Willow was my daughter and not one of theirs.) Before long it was time to head back to our lives as we now know them.
Carven/Alan:
Looking forward to August when Alan returns for another visit and we can do it all over again! (Hopefully, without all the traffic.) Willow should be walking and won't need to be carried! Until then, give my best to your mom.
Love,
Laura/Lars
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