Exceptional Three college buddies meet for dinner. Dinner and a Debate by zeezeewriter

Charles left the table on the pretext of needing to pee. In truth, he just wanted to avoid an awkward moment. Two of his friends were arguing politics. Words turned ugly. Tempers flared. Fellow customers stared. He seated himself in the stall without pulling his pants down. He was killing time. Hoping he could out-wait the inevitable, predictable, ending to what could have been a pleasant evening. It was their annual get-to-gether -- three college pals reminiscing about the good old days. And here they were, having an after-dinner drink and in a heated debate about Trump. Both friends dug in their heels on issues mostly irrelevant to their lives. Yet, they continued. Charles had opinions. But he kept them to himself, having seen first hand the unraveling of friendships over differing views. What Charles did know -- he'd looked forward to a pleasant evening with his friends and not attending a political sparring match. And so there he sat, wrinkling his trousers and occupying a stall for no good reason except to avoid conflict. David was an engineer. A world traveler. A brilliant man. He'd raised three wonderful children by himself. His wife had passed many years ago from a tragic fall while on vacation. Seith worked in his family law firm and mostly did pro bono cases. Fortunately, money would never be an issue. His wife headed up a charitable foundation for cancer treatments for children. Both exceptional people. Friends since college. Charles thought about going back to the table and telling them how pointless it was to argue and how they were only creating a divide and would ultimately lose respect for each other. And for what? Charles had no answer. He finally stood up and stepped out of the stall. He washed his hand and straightened his tie, and put on a brave face. When he sat back down at the table, neither man noticed. They were engrossed in their debate -- spitting insults at each other. And then Charles realized something. They were enjoying the debate. They were silently keeping score, as if in a duel of witty jabs. They were fencing with words, inflicting wounds -- what fun. Except for Charles, he was not having fun. Charles laid a hundred dollar bill on his napkin and left the restaurant. If Dave and Seth realized his departure, neither gave any indication. At home, in his tiny apartment, Charles stood at his kitchen sink with a glass of water and a regiment of pills. At best, they would only dull the pain of his creeping cancer. He'd planned to tell his friends this would be their last dinner together. The last time he'd probably ever see either of them. They'd know soon enough. Author Notes This is how I feel so much of the time. I refuse to sit and watch my friends argue about things they know little about and will likely never impact their personal lives. My suggestion, keep your opinions to yourself unless you want to be judged for them. You can never unsee ugly.

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