Westward to the Calano Islands

Ervan and Ivor lived across a wide street from one another. They were both in their nineties, but they didn't mind. They enjoyed it, even more than the young folks who brought them food and carried out their trash every day.

Ervan was a large man, much like his father and his father's father before him. He didn't think he could have gotten any bigger without bursting at the seams. His red face was always covered with a thin layer of sweat, which he wiped away on his black polo shirt now as he watched Ivor walk slowly up to his porch. "Good morning, Ervan," said Ivor.

"Morning," Ervan replied.

Ivor sat down on his wooden chair and sighed. "What a gorgeous day."

Ervan nodded, trying to ignore how tired he felt. He had finally finished fixing the roof of his house last week, so he had been up there most of the time. The sun beat down on him mercilessly, burning his skin and drying out his throat. He rubbed the back of his neck until it turned pink and sweaty, just like the rest of him, then sat down on a stool next to Ivor's chair. "I'm glad you're still alive," said Ervan.

"Me too!" Ivor smiled warmly as he looked at Ervan's face, which looked like someone had stretched it over a cannonball and colored it with rouge and lipstick. "You know I've really been meaning to visit you more often."

"Do you think we're getting soft in our old age?" asked Ervan as he pulled off his hat and wiped his head again with a handkerchief that matched his shirt perfectly. His curly white hair stuck out in all different directions, making him look even stranger than usual. "I see you nearly everyday."

"Oh no," said Ivor vigorously shaking his head from side to side with such force that one would be afraid for its safety if it wasn't attached to such an elderly body. It reminded Ervan of how energetic Ivor used to be when they were younger--how quickly he ran around the school yard with long strides that made him look like a chicken with square feet when he was younger; how he'd laugh so hard after hearing some silly joke or pun that people would begin to laugh along simply because they couldn't understand what was so funny; how they would sneak into the girls' dormitory after curfew only to steal their underwear as souvenirs (when they were teenagers). Those days seemed so far away now; it was almost nice to hear Ivor speak about them once in awhile.

"We should go fishing tomorrow," suggested Ervan as he pulled out two beers from underneath his chair and handed one to Ivor. They took large gulps from their bottles before taking deep breaths of fresh air through their noses. "Maybe we can go back to those islands we used to talk about."

"Of course! I'll bring my fishing rods!" said Ivor excitedly as they hopped off their chairs and began walking towards the center of town--the place where merry sounds filled the air and everyone came together to enjoy each other's company; where children played catch with dogs while old couples laughed at them; where old couples laughed at young couples who held hands and whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears; where young couples held hands while whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears while old couples laughed at them; where everyone came together under the warmth of the sun during this beautiful time of year in Alifon--the hottest time of year when everything is hot--and that is why Alifonians are some of the happiest people in this galaxy...