whiskey notch

Earle locked the door behind him, hugged Shoe, turned, headed up the street, north, away from the park and the festivities.

Shoe headed the other way. He stopped after a few steps and spun to say something more, but Earle was already halfway down the next block. So, Shoe stood there until Earle was completely out of sight. He fought off one more urge to stop by Billy’s place, got to his car, started it, tuned in the Red Sox game on the radio, and started back for Boston.

It had been 36 years since the three of them, on the same day – Earle, Shoe and Billy – left Whiskey Notch for Vietnam. In some ways, they’d never left the Notch. In more ways, they’d never really returned from ‘Nam.

Billy, especially.