The Company You Keep

I must have been feeling confident, or maybe brave, that first day, as I screwed the little dangle earrings that my sister had given me onto my ears for the first time.

I was welcomed warmly by the other third graders. I made friends with Kristin, Hazzy, and Emily that day, friendships that would be long-lasting.

Kristin was one of three sisters. Her dad worked for Clarke School for the Deaf and they lived in a beautiful old home owned by the school. I spent many afternoons baking in her Easy Bake oven and throwing the baseball with her and Hazzy. Her mom was from the South and she ran a tight ship. They had a strict set of rules at home, including "black marks" for any transgressions. Kristin eventually followed her roots and attended Wake Forest.

Hazzard was the son of a poet father and a musician mother. His mother came to school in 5th grade and taught us to play the bells. Hazzy played the cello and one day played the theme to Jaws for show and tell. I was puzzled by the fact that this family did not own a television. He thought our old Saab was really cool and one day surprised me by stopping by to see the car and walk me to school. He went to Yale.

Emily was the Jeff to my Mutt. She was a petite, sweet and smart girl who giggled at my every joke. She was the one who took me to free swim at the YMCA on Massasoit Street and showed me her butterfly stroke. I imagine my eyes opened wide as I watched her dive down into the water and emerge like a bird, over and over again. Her mom had gone to Smith and her dad was a famous sculptor and professor there. This was a home where I spent a lot of time and this was a family who expected their own to attend schools like Yale, Williams and Amherst.

Emily easily convinced me to try out for the swim team.