The feeling of nostalgia was rife. Rolling back into town, the childhood memories were riding shotgun in the car. The smell of sunscreen, the tangy odour of chlorine, the 'click click' as the push bike wheel spins you toward today's adventure.
It had been years since I had been back to my hometown.
I was back to help my parents move into a smaller unit near their house.
Downsizing had become an economic and logistically sensible move. They no longer needed four bedrooms, a large yard, and a garden to try and maintain.
Likewise, they stood to gain a healthy cash boost with the move to a cozy apartment.
Unfortunately, the move was partly done, with the house in a mess and the apartment without beds, refrigerators, and the like, leaving both places as unattractive overnight options.
I hadn't caught up with my friend Tom from school in person for some time, so it stood to reason that I could crash at his place like old times.
He'd just finished his degree and internship and was on the hunt for a job in his graphics IT specialty. Like many our age, he had taken the millennial step of moving back home for a while to get his savings to a healthier state while he established himself before looking to buy a place for himself.
This was no longer seen as a step backwards, given the effects of the pandemic and the economic times that followed. Besides, I reasoned that I was back, so a sleepover with my friends would complete the hometown experience.
We'd been friends since the first day of school. Unlikely mates, but mates. We were completely different to look at. Tom, with his short and podgy build, fiery red hair, and temperament to suit, The only benefit of his short temper was that it was never raised at me; however, many others came to see it at their expense if they slighted me or our other mates. I was taller, with blonde hair and a reasonably muscular build. I hadn't touched a weight until university but had developed good habits with exercise and diet and was proud of my appearance. I now stood just over six feet, weighting about 200 lbs.
Growing up, we'd be in each other's pockets. We'd spent our childhoods at each other's houses, with him enjoying my older brother's banter and me putting up with his little sister and her friends as they came and went.
In our early thirties, we'd experienced the natural distancing people go through after high school. We'd eventually go to different universities after working a couple of years in different towns. Then the process of getting through the student years added more distance to that. We chatted over text and the phone from time to time, but as soon as we were back in the same room, time stood still--as though we'd never been apart.
He asked after my family--the parents and my brothers. All is going well, as would be expected. We talked about my parents moves and how each of the brothers had moved to different parts of the country, their various careers, and their families.
He was virtually a single child. He had a sister who was a lot younger than him. Their parents had welcomed an 'oops' baby who was twelve years younger than him. Being such a great age difference meant that we'd had next to nothing in common growing up. She was sweet with a great sense of humour. I'd always enjoyed making fun of her about her boys and how his brother and I would have to deal with anything that looked her way. She always had friends over or was over at her friend's place, which suited us just fine.
That was years ago now.
Apparently, she'd turned eighteen a few months ago and now had career plans of her own.
"Fuck!" I exclaimed. "How can she be that old? That means we're thirty!"
"I know, mate," was his reply, laced with self-pity. "Time waits for no one, hey."
We headed out to sit around his backyard pool and have a beer while we had a catch-up. His parents came out for a quick hello and catch-up, then left us be while they ran a few errands in town.
A car pulled up out the front. A few minutes later, out strolled his sister. She grabbed a beer and cracked its top.
"Well, well, well, look who's back!" She exclaimed.
"How are you, Mabel?"
She had grown up--that much was for sure. Gone were her childish hesitancy and lack of confidence. Her freckles had stayed but were now on a gorgeous face with a warm smile and sharp, bright eyes.
"I'm going well. It's fantastic to see you. It's been ages!"
"Yeah." I agreed with her. "I can't believe how long it's been. I mean, look at you! Jesus!"
She smiled, then laughed.
She wore an oversized white sweater that she had tucked into her high-waisted blue dress. This unlikely combination served to show her ample bust and narrow waist at the same time, all in a tasteful and unassuming manner. It was classy.
She had her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail with the front half out and draped either side of her face. Her hair was red, but much darker than that of her brothers. More autumnal than spring.
The girl I used to make fun of is now intimidatingly attractive.
The three of us continued to chat while dangling our feet in the pool. Mabel was heading out that night for a friend's birthday. Tom and I planned to go out for dinner and a couple games of pool. There weren't that many places to go in town, so it was fairly likely we'd see each other at some point. This was comforting for their parents, who were having problems letting their daughter be the grown-up she was.
After her beer, Mabel disappeared inside to get ready to head out. Her friend Jennifer came over to join her, while Tom and I stayed outside to relax and give them some space. Jennifer was one of Mabel's childhood friends. She was very quiet and shy but enjoyed Mabel's company and seemed to be able to bounce off her bubbly personality to the betterment of her own. I believe her family was fairly involved in some sort of church. She always had long hair that was worn out and wore very conservative clothes. She was the oldest of Mabel's friend group, but she didn't look or act like it. Her hair was long and blonde and had a natural curliness to it.
Her body was straight up and down, and she must have weighed around 120 lbs. She stood the same height as Mabel but just didn't have the same curves or athletic attributes.
She was lean, but nowhere near unhealthy. Her face was friendly but left you feeling as though she always had something on her mind. Distracted, but not by choice.
Her words to others were minimal, but it was nice to see her come out of her shell when Mabel was with her.
My parents had paused their move that lunchtime to give themselves a rest and didn't want me doing it on my own, so I'd arranged to start again in the morning.
Tom and I had a couple more beers over the next hour or so, then made plans to head out and catch up with some other friends for dinner. We did just that, congregating in a local restaurant for dinner before moving on to a local bar for a few games of pool and banter like it was 15 years ago.
