AS FOUR FRIENDS HAD PROMISED TO MEET FORTY YEARS LATER, ONLY THREE OF THEM CAME

As Ben, Todd, Willie, and Karl were sitting at the Santa Monica beach, on a bench, they were watching the setting sun.
It was the day after their graduation from high school. As they were happy that their high school was over and their new journey was about the began, they were also sad that their close friendship was going to be over too.
Then the boys talked about the prom which happened on the previous night. Ben had a crush on a classmate, and they were talking about it, to stay away from the topic of their separation.
Karl had a flight to Spain on the morning, he was going to meet with his parents and girlfriend. Ben was going to New York, to college, and Todd was moving to Mexico with his father. Wille was the only one who was going to stay in Los Angeles.
Wille took a sheet of paper from his book, and tore it to four. Each of them had wrote their future addresses, and promised that they would send letters to each other constantly. And they had talked about a future plan too.
Willie said, “How about we meet here every year? On this Santa Monica beach…at this bench?”
“Are you serious, pal? But I don’t think it’s gonna work out…I can’t afford a plane ticket from Spain to Los Angeles every year,” Karl said.
“Even I doubt if it would work…I’ll probably be on a cruise with my parents next year around this time. I don’t think I can make it every year coz my dad gets transferred to different states,” Ben added.
As they were disappointed with the thinking that they would never meet again, they felt a pain in their hearts. But Willie continued, “Okay, life is gonna get busier for us, and we’re not gonna meet often. I agree! But what if we swear to meet in forty years over here and on the same day… On June 11, 2017? I’m sure we can do that! What da ya think?”
As the boys laughed, Ben said, “You kidding, man? You want us to meet after forty years…after a lifetime of experiences and adventures? Please tell me ’twas a joke!”
“And why have you chosen exactly forty years?” Karl said.
“Quit laughin’, you fools! I chose forty years coz I don’t think you’d live longer with that long tongue and pea-sized brain of yours!” Willie responded.
“Just think again, pals! It’s the perfect time to meet…we would’ve already retired and will have all the time and energy to meet, talk, dance, and do everything we did in school!”
“Oh, come on, Willie! We won’t be in school after forty years. We’d be an old bald bunch with pot bellies, walking around with canes!”
“Guys, what? Why are you lookin’ at me like that? I’m serious…He’s gone crazy! Okay fine! Look, I still think this is insane, alright? Christ, the things I have to do for friendship’s sake!”
Then they had promised each other that they will be at the beach, after forty years later.
“Guys, don’t forget. We’re meeting over here on June 11, 2017, at 5 p.m. sharp!” Willie said.
Then they parted their ways. As they were sad, they were hopeful for the day they will reunite.
As they had no idea if they would be alive to see each other forty years later, the plan was giving them hope for the future, as they were sure that they would work for to reunite after years.
Wille had an IT company, in Silicon Valley. Todd was retired from sailing, and was running his father’s bait shop in Mexico. Ben became the one of the most known lawyers in New York. They all had families, and grandchildren.
As Ben, Todd and Willie would meet sometimes, they never heard from Karl. As they had talked through the phone, and sent letters to each other, they were worried about Karl.
“You sure he’s alright?” Ben asked to Willie, “He hasn’t written to me either. I even tried calling him, but he’s not answering.”
“When we last spoke, he told me he was running a real estate business and was into building villas across Paris. I was in Paris last summer…I even called him, asking him out. But he said he was busy in some other country. I’d been to Spain a couple of times, and he told me he was in his hometown. But he refused to meet me…said he was busy with his clients,” Willie said.
Since 1977, on their last meeting on the Santa Monica, they never heard from Karl. On his last letter, he mentioned that he was a successful businessman with his wife and two children. After a while later, he stopped responding to his calls, and letters.
As their date for meeting was coming closer, Willie was afraid that something happened to Karl. He tried to contact him several times, but he couldn’t.
As he called his friends two days before their meeting on Santa Monica Beach, he reached to everyone, except Karl. The call dropped to voicemail.
When the day arrived, Willie was waiting at the beach, on the same bench they sat for the last time. He was worried about Karl.
Karl was the most curious one in their friend group. But something was off. Willie wondered, “What happened to Karl? Will he come? Has he forgotten about the promise we made forty years ago?”
At that moment, Ben hugged Willie from behind, “Hey there, my sweet rascal!” Then they saw Todd, who was running towards them with open hands, shouting.
“Where’s Karl? Did you call him?” Ben asked.
“Maybe we should wait…He must be on the way,” Todd said, as Willie called him again, but he couldn’t reach him.
As the friends had talked about their lives, what happened in that 40 years, they were thinking about Karl, who didn’t arrived yet.
“Is it him?” Ben asked, as he pointed towards a man.
“No, pal! It’s a boy…It’s not Karl,” Willie said, as he was disappointed.
They were feeling that they lost their old friend. They walked back to their favorite bench at the beach, and sat there again, where they promised to come back in 40 years.
As Todd was trying to light his cigaretted, he dropped his lighter to the ground. As he was trying to get it, he saw a note on the ground, under some stones. There was writing “Karl,” on it.
Karl left a note for his friends. They started to read it.
“Todd, Ben, Willie, it’s me, Karl. I lost all your phone numbers and addresses, so I couldn’t contact you guys. I’m sorry for that. I arranged for someone to deliver this message to you guys. I hope you’re all fine and happy. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet all these years but remember, I love you more than anything. I know this might be disappointing, guys. I’m not coming! But I wish you good luck and hope you have a wonderful time at the beach. Don’t wait for me. I won’t come. I love you, pals. — With Love, Karl.”
As they read the note, they couldn’t believe their eyes. “Somethin’s not right here…If Karl wanted to reach out to us, why would he leave a note? Why didn’t he just call any of us? He said he lost our numbers, but I’m sure he must have written it down somewhere,” Willie started.
“Yeah, pal…Karl was a tough man in our gang. He never easily says sorry…He never was one for apologies or sentimental talks like this…I wonder what went wrong,” Ben continued.
“I think we should find out what’s going on, man…This doesn’t seem like him…Our Karl was bold…and talkative. Why would he avoid us? Maybe something’s really wrong, and he’s hiding it from us….” Todd added.
As they wanted an answer, they decided to contact to Andrew, the only relative of Karl they know in Los Angeles.
As they went to his house, a tall bald man opened the door.
Willie started, “Andrew? Karl’s nephew?”
“Yes, but do I know you?”
“Hey, glad to meet you. I’m Willie, and they are my friends Ben and Todd. We’re Karl’s friends…We were supposed to meet at the beach today and were wondering if you know somethin’ about….”
“Hey, so you are my uncle’s friends! Nice to meet you. Please come in!”
“Where’s Karl?” Todd asked.
“He hasn’t been in touch for a while now, and we’re worried. We were waiting for him at the beach and found this note. Karl once told me on a call that he has a cousin here in LA. He told me your full name, and I found you on Facebook long back.”
“Oh, that note! Did you get it?” Andrew was relieved that they found the note, for he was the one who left the note there.
“You left the note for us? Where is Karl? What happened to him?” The friends asked.
“My uncle gave this note to me when I visited him last summer. He told me to pin it to the bench on Santa Monica beach on June 11, 2017, without fail. I almost forgot about it, but thankfully, I’d set a reminder on my phone!”
“That’s strange,” Willie said, “We know Karl is always busy with his new building projects and some million-dollar business. He told me he was flying places to meet clients the last time we spoke. But is he so busy that he has no time for his friends? Look, we want to meet him, alright? Can we have his address in Spain, please?”
“What?! My uncle and a million-dollar business? He’s flying places? Are you kidding me? Uncle Karl doesn’t even have money for a plane ticket to Los Angeles…How can he afford a million-dollar business? Good joke!!” Andrew laughed.
Willie was panicked, “What happened to Karl? Why did he lie to us?”
“Did he tell you anything else?”
“Nope! It’s been quite a while since I last visited him. He hasn’t called and ain’t answering any of my calls,” Andrew said.
Then three of the friends had took Karl’s address in Spain, and went there with a flight they booked immediately.
It took an eternity to reach to Spain for them. They were not speakingg to each other, as they were lost in their thoughts.
As they went off the airport, they stopped a taxi, and went to the address.
As they were hoping to find Karl in the address, they saw Karl, in a stated where he was older, and thinner than they would have thought.
“KARL? BUDDY…IS IT YOU, PAL? OH MY GOD!” They screamed, and hugged to him, as they cried all together.
Then Karl took them inside his house. As they went inside, they realized the terrible condition Karl was living in, and it was clear that Karl hadn’t eaten for days.
“Karl, what happened to you, pal? Why are you using a crutch? And why did you lie to us that you were rich? We thought you were happy and settled. What’s wrong, Karl? Where’s your family? Tell us…We have come a long way only for you. You need to speak up now…come on, tell the truth.” They asked Karl, as they couldn’t stop themselves.
Then, Karl’s eyes got wet, and started to cry, as he responded, “I don’t know what happened to me! I think this is my fate…I think this is what God planned for me,”
“I landed in Spain to build my dreams with my girlfriend. I couldn’t make it to college after my parents died in a road accident, so I started working as a builder. One day, I fell down from a building and hurt my spine. Doctors told me I would need expensive surgery to walk again. My girlfriend dumped me, and I couldn’t get back to my old job. Then I started working as a janitor in a school.”
“I realized my life was only this much. I was happy for you guys and the heights you reached. I was ashamed to tell you about my failures, so I made up tales about my business and European villas! I didn’t want to be the laughing stock, guys. I didn’t want you to feel sorry for me and think I was a loser. That would break my heart.”
“You’re so STUPID, Karl!” Willie was angry.
“How could you even think we’d mock you? That’s not what friends are for, you fool. We would’ve helped you! Didn’t you even think once that you should’ve told us everything? Had you done that, then your life could’ve been completely different, you jerk…We hate you for this, Karl… We seriously hate you!”
The friends were mad that Karl lied to them. Willie said, “If you could please excuse us for a minute?”
As they come back, they hugged to Karl, as they said, “Pack your bags and be ready, pal! We’re leaving for Los Angeles in four days!”
“You’re taking me with you? To Los Angeles?” Karl started to cry.
“Guys, it’s unbelievable! Are you serious?” Karl said.
“What are friends for, Karl? A promise once made is a promise that will be kept forever! Let’s go… It’s time to get back to the life we left behind at the beach 40 years ago!” Willie said, as he hugged his friends.
“Now that everything is settled, how about we pamper ourselves with some wine and a little tour of Spain before flying home?!” Ben smiled.
For the next days, Karl had toured his friends in Spain. He became their guide for their time in Spain.
Four days later they decided to return with a flight, to Los Angeles. “We should meet every June 11 at Santa Monica, at the same bench, until God calls us, okay?” Willie said.
“And no matter what, no more secrets between us…and no more lies, deal?”
What do you thin? Let us know.