Double D and the Lost Puppy
A/N: I realize it has been a while since I have written an EENE tale but since the series is coming to a close I thought I would bid it a fond farewell in this way.
Chapter 1--A Trip Back to the 'Burbs
Eddward Percival Ansario was a man who was punctilious. He had married well, dined well and had even been blessed with the most well mannered son a father could have ever wanted. The young boy's name was Percival, like his father, but his middle name, Harold, came from his mother, Marybeth, who was the finest quantum physicist the nation had seen. 'Double D' as his nickname had been as a child, had stuck with him and he never had any trouble answering to it even in his workplace. Even though he was perfectly elated with his circumstances, he missed Peach Creek.
Double D always drove by Peach Creek in his shiny Mazarati and wondered about his childhood friends. He would never forget the mishaps they had or the scams he had helped plan. No matter what the scheme, though, it always managed to be foiled by something or someone.
Peach Creek had never changed, even though the original residents were long gone and had moved elsewhere. He looked around and swore he could hear Eddy and Ed roughhousing but it was another set of boys simply being boys. They were playing a rousing game of freeze tag together. Double D couldn't help but grin at the simplicity of the young boys' life and remembered he had never let go of that part of himself though he had matured and was looking forward to becoming a father to a second child. He had never known how wonderful childhood was until he was experiencing it from his own children's point of view. The world, in this manner was so ironic, but fantastic nevertheless.
As Double D reminisced, he saw familiar places where he and his best friends had played and where he had gotten tackled and kissed by Marie Kanker. Oddly enough, he had quite a lot of affection for that girl even though she had been rather rough on him. As he aged, she dumped him for another boy who was more of a rebel and 'more manly' by her standards, which hurt him deeply. But he soon overcame that initial heartache and by the time he entered academia, he met Marybeth and the rest was history. All of these memories sent a tear down his angular cheek. Eddward wiped his eye and removed his rectangular glasses momentarily. When he put the glasses back on his nose, he looked down and saw a whimpering puppy at his feet.
"Hey there, little fella ! Are you lost ?", he asked the adorable golden lab.
Chapter 2--Conan
Eddward had a dog of his own named Skipper and she was a resplendent Siberian Husky. She was about 3 years old and Percy absolutely adored her. Even Percy's friends adored Skipper and it was hard not to considering her temperament and her loving nature. This tiny dog, however, was nothing like Skipper.
Eddward looked at the dog's collar and saw the address that was engraved on the faux gold medal. The cute fur-ball's name was Conan.
"Don't worry, Conan. Uncle D's going to take you home back to your family.", Eddward said, patting the dog to comfort it. Conan seemed to cower and shiver less once he had heard those reassuring words.
Eddward traveled down roads he was unfamiliar with until he finally arrived at the address indicated on Conan's collar.
"Here we are, Conan.", he said to the puppy, cheerfully. The dog barked, leapt up in Eddward's lap and licked his cheek affectionately, causing Eddward to laugh heartily. Taking the dog in his embrace, Eddward walked to the door and rang the doorbell.
Chapter 3--Eddy
A somewhat short man answered the door, dressed in casual clothes. Apparently, he had recently come home from work and changed into something more comfortable.
"I have been looking everywhere for Conan ! Where did you find him ?", the man said, taking the dog and hugging it lovingly. Conan immediately licked his master's face appreciatively. Then, the short man looked into Eddward's eyes.
"Wait a minute, I know you from somewhere…Double D ? Is that you ?", Eddy asked, in disbelief. Eddward recognized his friend immediately then, hugging him heartily.
"It's been such a long time ! Where has the time gone !", Eddy exclaimed, having to stand up on his tip-toes to noogie Eddward, but the feeling of camaraderie was the same. Like Peach Creek, their friendship had remained the same.
Looking around Eddy's house, which was rather well furnished, Eddward noticed that Eddy had been involved in a war and had earned a purple heart. His lovely wife was nursing their young daughter in her lap and smiling from ear to ear. As he suspected, Eddy made a magnificent father.
"I can't tell you how good it is to see you again and have Conan back. Nancy nearly had a heart attack when he got loose and couldn't keep up with him. We thought he had been dog-napped.", Eddy said with a sigh of relief. The two began talking to one another and were able to exchange phone numbers and emails since they had lost touch with one another so long ago when higher education had separated them.
"You know what would be awesome ?", Eddy began.
"No, what's that ?", Eddward retorted, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"You, me and Ed hanging out for a 'guys only' weekend. You know, like we used to do back in the day before college.", Eddy suggested. Eddward was in desperate need of a vacation and thought the idea was ingenious.
"I don't think Marybeth would mind. She'd understand. But what about your lovely Nancy or Ed's wife ? We don't even know where he is, let alone what he is doing.", Eddward stated, adjusting his glasses. Everything would have to be scheduled, but the three of them would be able to get together again. Besides, the two of them hadn't seen Ed in a long time and wondered what he had been doing since the three of them went in different directions once they began their college career.
Chapter 4--Guys' Night Out
While the Ed's wives took care of their children back home, they went out to the local Bowl-A-Rama and started reminiscing about their lives together as children.
"What I never expected was that you're now a teacher.", Eddy said in disbelief to Ed.
"Why not ? Did you think I was 'lacking in potential' in order to instruct mathematics to youngsters ?", Ed asked, very eloquently with a tone of hurt.
"I shouldn't have judged you so harshly in the past, but I think everyone felt the same way growing up.", Eddy said. Double D made yet another strike without even working up a sweat. He explained to them his strategy and the physics of it all, but Eddy just yawned.
"Maybe that works for you in your universe, Double D but I just throw the darned thing.", Eddy said, tossing the bowling ball down the aisle and it quickly proceeded to role into the gutter. Ed had a laughing paroxysm and Eddy glowered at him momentarily. Just like old times. Nothing had changed.
Later on in the evening, the guys played a variety of sports and watched B movies on Double D's laptop until about 11:00 pm.
"I think it's time for us to be heading home. Our wives will become worried about us.", Ed mentioned, starting to miss his twin boys already.
"You're right. But we should definitely do this more often. I mean, how long has it been since we've seen each other ?", Eddy remarked. The three exchanged cell numbers and emails to make absolutely certain that they would remain in touch.
They didn't want to wait until another 'coincidence' like Conan's disappearance to bring them together.
Epilogue
It had been amusing to converse about their childhoods and the crazy kids that had surrounded them. They wondered what had happened to their friends, especially after the whole incident that had sent the Eds searching for sanctuary and becoming unlikely heroes. Since that time, Eddy hadn't heard, nor contacted his big brother Gerald. Gerald was selfish, brutish and a bully and Eddy was glad he no longer had to deal with Gerald's taunting. But, after that day at Mondo-A-Go-Go, it seemed that the kids that surrounded them also went in their own directions. Wherever they were they were probably living happy, healthy lives, but none of the Eds knew where their acquaintances had gone. They probably weren't living in Peach Creek any longer. Many of the friends Ed, Double D and Eddy had known in their academy days had fallen out of touch with the Eds, but they had still retained their popularity even long after besting the bellicose beast known as Gerald. Where they were going now was unlimited and wherever they went, they knew their friendship would tie them together no matter how far the distance was between them.