JUNE'S CHOICE

We called ourselves the Three Musketeers! Our friendship began in grade school and continued into our early thirties. It was about then that we began separate lives. I was a high school English teacher. Billy W. was an insurance adjuster for a national company. Dwayne M. was president of his own electronics business. We still managed, however, to meet at least once a month--often sooner. Ours was a tight band of brotherhood! And joining us at these meetings was June Carrol, our Lady Guinevere. We had known June since childhood, also, and considered her an equal partner in our friendship. But the three guys secretly and separately longed to be her Sir Lancelot! I say secretly because June never gave indication that she preferred any one of us over the other. And our relationship was so platonically balanced, not one of us wanted to upset the delicate intermingling of emotions by going public with our romantic fantasies. Of the three musketeers, I believe I loved June the most, and, egotistically, I thought June had the same feelings for me. But to my disappointment and wrenching heartache, I was one day proven wrong! "Sonny, you're Billy's best friend," June said, "could you do me a big favor?" I had the feeling that something dreadful was about to happen! "Would you give this note from me to Billy?" June continued. The walls of the diner where the two of us had pre-planned a meeting, began to collapse around me! "Of course!" I replied weakly. I knew instinctively that June had made a choice, and that I, who had loved her so much, was to be the go-between of her budding romance. I was crushed beyond belief! As it turned out, I was the instrument that brought June and my best friend, Billy, together, and, eventually, to their marriage! There is no torture comparable to the one I felt as, step by step, I was asked to make arrangements for June and Billy to meet secretly! Needless to say, June's choice signaled the end of the Three Musketeers!

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Around our Bronx neighborhood, we were known as the "Three Musketeers". We were three friends enjoying those carefree, fun-filled, teenage years just hovering over the looming precipice of adulthood. World War II had already begun, but we were still too young for the draft. So the three of us, Donald Manning, Bobby Williams, and myself busied ourselves with finishing high school and playing big city street games--stickball, ring-a-levio, handball, and kick-the-can. Donald was the best athlete--he beat us at every game, especially handball! Bobby was the slyest--he found a multitude of ways to cheat us! I was the shyest--more of a follower than a leader. It was Donald and Bobby who would often cut classes to sneak into downtown movies. I remember the one time I followed them, I was fearful every second that the truant officer would nab us in the act! Another time, I did get caught, this time by the police! Donald and I were walking one noon down a Bronx street. Donald was carrying a Daisy BB rifle that we were taking to his house to be fixed (he was good at fixing things). An old woman, sitting on a wooden box in front of her house, made a disparaging remark about boys with guns. Donald kinda...sorta...pointed the broken BB rifle in her direction. Before we had traveled one more block, two policemen, leaped from their car, guns drawn, ordered us to drop the rifle, and pushed us up against an iron fence to be searched! On the way to the station in the back of the squad car, Donald complained about our mistreatment, only to be rewarded by a slap across the face by one of the officers. After a few tense hours in the lockup at the police station, we were let go with a warning but without our Daisy rifle! Yes, we were the three musketeers, but only Donald was the aggressive one! He was the first to volunteer for the war. He joined the Navy. Bobby followed soon after--joining the Marines. I waited until after high school graduation to be drafted. Donald was also the most aggressive pursuing the neighborhood beauty, Ruby Peters. Ruby was well-guarded by her religious grandmother. It took relentless effort on the part of Donald to win Ruby's heart. One night, covered in grease, he dove off an anchored Navy ship and swam to meet Ruby (whom I had driven to the pier for this illegal rendezvous). They eventually married. So did Bobby and his girl, Jane. Eventually, weddings broke up the triumvirate of the three musketeers! Sic transit gloria mundi!

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