Came across them neatly tucked away in a dresser drawer.
They still carry joy as I read his familiar chicken scrawl on the page 
speaking of counting the days till we’re together again when I drove
the three-hour drive north on winding roads to his Hyde Park
culinary school on the river.

He worked weekends at a local coffee shop to help pay his loans so
couldn’t come home to me.        He had a dual passion.
For us and his classes of International foods, making sweet and sour pork, egg foo yong, beef enchiladas, Purchasing of restaurant equipment and dinnerware, Supervisory Development, Institutional food service for schools, offices, and hospitals.
Contract law class, Ice carving, Butchering, Baking, Service and Stocking goods.

He wrote about loneliness and giving up and buying me a ring
taking any job so we could be together. Long distance was hard.
He said it must be even harder for me , but we will work this out together.
He thanked me for visiting his dad in the hospital, keeping
his Mom company and driving her home. She didn’t drive back then.

He joined a band with classmates playing his trombone and said I
could watch them practice if I want, spoke of a double date
he planned to take us to see Frankie Valli and a gourmet meal.
No cell phones or voicemail back then so he told me he would call
on Thursday at 9pm so, I could be home.

He’s gone now but I still feel his love on the page
and why we lasted
So long…..