I will try to tell this story as plainly as I can. It is from my childhood.
In the 1970s, when I was in grade
school, I was bullied. Except for the friends that I could count on my fingers (right
hand only) I was called names, beat by teachers, and struck many times a week
by students. Some so-called friends actually joined in the bullying then came
over to play when school was out. I was grateful for any little scrap of
positive attention and I lived for summer.
My parents were
in a German Club in the Detroit area. Many times, my mother and our neighbor,
Adelle, would help out at festivals. Other times my parents and their friends
would go to region-wide parties as far away as Ontario. I really enjoyed myself
at these celebrations.
One festival, if
I remember correctly, was at the Yack Arena in Wyandotte. If not, it was a
similar venue somewhere in Michigan or Ontario. As usual, I’d sneak up to the
balconies while my mother and the “Ladies Aid” participants would sort items, prepare
dishes and do other tasks. I’d pretend to have friends and play up there, but
one time, two children, a brother and a sister, were there with me! We sat on rolled
up carpets and talked about popular music bands (the Archies' kind of
music, The Guess Who or Partridge Family tunes).
After a while the
German band began to rehearse. The girl (I forgot her real name but I’ll call
her Kaley) said, “My brother has a crush on you. He wants to dance.” The boy was a little shorter than we were and I assumed he was younger than us two girls, but it turns out Kaley was actually his little
sister. It was awkward at first, but we did a silly polka-kind
of dance right there on the balcony, all three of us. After that we sat and
played a little while longer. I thought the boy said his name was Keno. They
were half Asian (which was uncommon in Detroit) and I remember telling them my
sisters were half Japanese. I also said I would not forget his name because my
mother’s favorite game when she went to Reno was Keno. (Yeah, the random thinking
of my ADHD childhood brain.)
We peered over
the cinderblock balcony and watched the preparations. My mother and her friends, Adelle, Alice and Inga wore their pretty dirndls. Keno called the band an “OOMPAH”
band and said the performers wore lederhosen. I had no idea that’s what the
shorts were called, and I’d actually been to Germany. We talked about books. I
think Kaley really liked to read like I did, but Keno talked about the cool
books at school that were about little dogs that ate their owners when the owners
died at home and nobody found them for days. He also talked about spontaneous
combustion where someone suddenly catches on fire. I said, “You mean like they
drop a cigarette while sleeping?”
Keno said, “No,
they just suddenly burst into flames!”
I’d never heard
of such things, but I sure read about it later that week before school let out.
(Thank you Scholastic Books!)
Some other time,
Keno and I walked around what may have possibly been another venue. He pointed
out bleachers that were pushed flat against a wall and not in use because
people were setting up for the festivities. His mother was busy somewhere, I
think, discussing costumes for some performers or dancers. He talked about how
the floor usually didn’t have dancing and bands. It was used for hockey games
and ice skating. I was amazed that ice could cover that floor, but he said so. Who
was I to question? It was late by the time the festival was under way and I was
sleepy. There were some actual seats pushed back behind the stage and I fell
asleep. Keno was no longer around, yet somehow my parents found me tucked back
there.
The last time I remember seeing my friends, I was for sure in Canada. There was a big party out in the street in Kitchner or London, Ontario, I think. There were carnival rides, but I was only allowed to go on one or two. Tents were set up everywhere. There was an actual bakery. It wasn’t open, but the door was unlocked and we all went in and looked at the empty cases, dreaming of the sweet desserts that should have been there. We played for a short time, then they were gone.
A couple years
later, I was in junior high. I heard my class was going to get a new student.
The name sounded like Reno or Kemo and I got all excited! I missed my friend so
much and was ecstatic that he’d moved to Taylor, Michigan! I looked at the newcomer
with expectation. In came a tall Indian boy, slouching and glowering. I
realized this was not my summer companion and quickly dropped my smile. He was
a foster kid and was moved somewhere else a few weeks later.
Another twenty-plus
years passed. By that time, in the mid- 90s, there was an actor that seemed so
adorable. He was in several films that I’d seen. Despite the reality that I was
married with children, I still had a little crush on this performer.
It was around that time that I remember my oldest sister and my nieces Wendy and Valerie were visiting. My parents, husband and children were talking and relaxing. I had the latest copy of People Magazine in front of me. While we visited, I thumbed through the publication, mainly to give my hands something to do. I saw a cute little elementary era photo and recognized my dear old secret friend right away. I laughed at first and said, “I know this kid!” I skimmed the article, and learned later as I read it thoroughly, as well as another article, that this rising star was from Canada and played hockey. There was no doubt that it was him.
My secret friend. Keanu Reeves.
Childhood school photos of Keanu Reeves and Liesa Swejkoski
#KeanuReeves #Wyandotte #YackArena #GermaniaClubDownriver #Downriver #Detroit #Kitchener
