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“I can’t believe this is still hereuntouched”

I glance at Rafe as he gazes out over Old Man Podden’s pond It sits on the back of a large tobacco and corn fare of Wake and Franklin counties He’s surprised because the capital city of Raleigh has been expanding outward, and all the country farms have been sold off to real estate developers

But Podden’s pond remains, and it’s a well-protected secret Podden sold off most of his farm but kept a sinal homestead I have unfettered access to it because my dad has been Podden’s mechanic for decades The pond itself is a hidden treasure, secluded by a copse of pine and oak trees, an old, abandoned dirt road the only way to access it

“Raleigh is growing so fast,” I agree before tipping my beer back to drain the rest

I backed e of the pond It’s close enough that if we had fishing poles, we could cast right fro

Rafehis bottle We’ve always drunk beer at the same ratenot too fast and not too slow Granted, it wasn’t like we drank a lot, but we had our ways of getting our hands on it, even back then

He reaches behind hie, which we filled with ice and beer from a convenience store as we traveled up Route 1 to the pond He pulls out two more bottles—our second beer each—twists off the caps, and hands me one

It’s weird hoithout thought, we both autoether and say, “Cheers”

It’s ays used to do e slipped away to the pond with a picnic basket and ice-cold Cokes

Rafe spares me an aard smile I can see in his expression that he knows perhaps the fond s within me, a potent reminder of what’s been lost

Quite the opposite happens, though

I feel the need to reminisce “Remember my senior skip day?”

Rafe chuckles, and his smile becomes relaxed “How everyone headed east on I-40 to the beach, but we came here instead?”

I give hi from Green Bay and said it would be roet et in my pants”