I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 14, 2023] “Old Friends”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my sixth time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

The 2023 Short Story Advent Calendar is a deluxe box set of individual short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.  Now in its ninth year, the SSAC is back to once again bring readers a deluxe, peppermint-fresh collection of 25 short stories from some of the best writers in North America and beyond.

The author of this story was Paul Cresey.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 14. Paul Cresey, author of Exit Strategies, opposes fighting, except in the Battle of Alberta.

This story begins around the 1988-89 hokey season when the Calgary Flames won the Cup.

The narrator wound up sitting next to a fellow fan, Cole Lechance, at the final game of the season.  They hit it off and were superstitious so they met at Ranchman’s for Game Six–the night the Flames won it all.

Lechance was not afraid of anything, and he somehow managed to sneak them both into the Saddledome and onto the roof, where they drank beers, looked at the city, and celebrated their win.

He didn’t see Cole again for fifteen years.  The Flames were back in the Cup final and the narratir had taken his kids to game six hoping to repeat the magic.  It didn’t work.

When he got back home, Cole was there in his yard needing a favor.

He needed to cross the border into Montana (he had done something very bad).  Perhaps the two of them could enjoy game 7 while they made an illegal trip to the States?