As his father starts an impromptu business meeting with colleagues gathered at the neighborhood coffee shop, Randy walks off out of boredom.  While examining the decor around the store, a sparkle catches his eye, and he proceeds in that direction.  Coming across a collection of a dozen or so coffee urns, he looks at each one, pondering the reason for so many different styles.  After all, they all hold coffee.  Then he takes a liking to one that is tall and slender like himself.

     Bored by the merchandise, he pans his eyes across the eight-hundred square foot coffee shop.  Outside he sees a teenage boy in a wheelchair who seemed to be talking to the air.  A large smile forms on his face as he notices the boy’s long-haired canine companion, but he hesitates before proceeding toward the door. 

     As Randy stumbles out the door, the dog raises its head, inquisitively looking at Randy and analyzing his every movement.  Soon the golden-retriever starts wagging its tail.  The movement of the retriever’s tail takes away Randy’s inhibitions, so he walks over to the dog, kneels down, and pets it.

     “My dog likes you,” the boy says, “That’s weird; he’s usually more protective than this.”  The young teen leans to the side of his wheel-chair and pets the dog while saying, “That’s a good boy, Troy,  he’s a friend.”

     Shocked because of the rarity in which he hears the word “friend” in reference to himself, Randy jumps up and takes a few steps backward.  Sheepishly he mutters the words, “My name is Randy.”  After a brief pause he tells the boy how much he likes the dog.

     The wheel-chair bound kid reaches out his hand a defensively says, “My name is Brian, and though I may be stuck in this chair, I am no different than you.  Soon thereafter, a full-fledged conversation erupts between the two. 

     While discussing their interests, Randy learned that Brian spoke the truth.  It was obvious that they both like dogs.  They both attend eighth grade, though at schools on opposite ends of town.  They each had a crush on a girl at their schools.  And, of course, both teens own and love the latest video games.

     As the bond of friendship grew its roots, Randy divulged his own secret.  “I’m brain-damaged,” he said, “Though you can’t tell because my scars are hidden by my hair, I was in a coma for several weeks a couple of years ago.”  Randy continued, “It hurts when people laugh at me because my response time is slow and my memory isn’t any good.”

     Brian quickly responded:  “You at least look normal.  People see me in a wheel-chair and automatically treat me differently.  It doesn’t matter, though.  Now we have each other as friends, right?”

     With sheer excitement in his voice, Randy said, “I’ll gladly be your friend.”  And, with this unlikely meeting, a friendship blossoms.  Possibly It will forever alter their dismal perspectives on life, impacting them now and forever.

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