my friend ben (revisited)

Ben and I became friends in 9th grade. We both lost parents by the time we went off to college, and it was this shared experience, I think, that truly cemented our friendship. We don't see each other very often these days, really just every couple of years, but there's a closeness, an affection, even a protectiveness, that I still cherish beyond measure. A month or so ago I was talking to him about the Chris debacle and he got kind of quiet for a minute, which is unusual for Ben, and then he said, "You know, Em, I had forgotten how much I react like an older brother to you sometimes, and I never feel this way towards anyone, but I think I want to hit Chris..." Joking, of course, but still I took a strange comfort in this. Ben is a big guy.

Ben and his daughter, Daniela, drove down from Peekskill this past Saturday to have dinner at my apartment. I was a little bit nervous about this, because Daniela is a mere three (just shy of four!) years old, and I haven't had kids in my apartment really before, and I haven't spent much time around children in eons. Though we were timid with each other at first, before long we'd bonded over refrigerator magnets, and yarn, and stuffed animals, and Nova. The magnets are still caught in the cracks of the couch, the yarn is slowly being made into a bright pink scarf, and all the stuffed animals remain scattered around the living room. Best of all, poor Nova was adored by little Daniela, and demonstrated remarkable patience for a fat old feline, though by the end of the evening she was cowering under the bed. Little Daniela, at least, was adored by me if not by Nova. And in the midst of all our play, she did give me and Ben time to catch up, which was just lovely as well. I hope to see them again sometime soon.