I could tell the little boy was not happy- something about the way his lip trembled and his eyes filled with tears. I watched him from my usual bench at the community park as he lazer- eyed his fallen ice cream cone on the floor. Now, I've been around on this green Earth for a long time and if there is one thing I know, it is that when a child's ice cream falls to the floor, a disastrous volcano will soon erupt.

"Ahem, little mister, what's the matter?" 

The boy directed his fiery eyes at me and sniffled. "I dropped my ice cream cone!"

I nodded blankly and confirmed his statement.

"Do you have any money?' the boy asked me.

"Money for what?"

"To buy another ice cream!"

"I thought you already bought an ice cream."

"But it dropped!"

"Ahh...so what do you need now?" I asked politely.

"Money!" the boy yelled, obviously frustrated. "I need money for more ice cream!"

"Oh...and where will you get the money?"

The boy huffed and stalked away. I tried to call after him, so we could finish our delightful conversation, but it was no use- he just kept walking.

I remember I had a little boy, Allen, who looked just like the "ice cream fella". He had silky, golden hair and his toothless grin would light up a room. We used to match outfits to work and school- me in my three piece suit and glamorous watch chain, and Allen in a miniature version of my typical 1940 workwear. On Saturdays, we'd go out for ice cream at the parlor downtown and get served by Elanor, our favorite waitress, and get our usual orders of a chocolate milkshake for me and a mint cone for Allen. We were the best of friends and something about the little "ice cream fella" reminded me of my little boy.

I opened my eyes and felt the remains of my smile, which was caused by my recollection of my happy days. But my smile froze when I noticed a beautiful woman walk by. She offered a small nod of acknowledgement and sat herself on the other side of my bench. I stared- she was gorgeous, with fair skin which illuminated the smile wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, and the short hair that was graying on the top but a nice chestnut brown on the bottom. I realized how ungentlemanly I was behaving so I diverted my gaze, then slowly looked back into her old, kind eyes and smiled.

"Hello" I said quietly. She didn't answer. I gazed up at the bright blue sky and squinted from the warm rays shining on my face. "It's a nice day, isn't it, Ma'am?"

I forced my eyes to look back at her exquisite face. She was looking back at me now, with tears filling up her eyes. "I mean, the weather is great and warm..." I trailed off quietly, still looking at her welled up eyes. It was as if her eyes held me hostage, making it irresistible for me to tear my gaze away. This time, she silently nodded, blinking back tears.

"Did I say something wrong, Ma'am?"

The woman shook her head, a single tear now falling down her rosy cheek. I would do anything to stop those tears. She stood up to leave.

"May I at least know your name?"

But before I realized it, she was gone.

I leaned back against my familiar park bench and closed my eyes, recalling a time long ago, before Allen came into my life, when I had a wife. It was during University that we met (or was it High School?) and I was introduced to a wonderful woman named June (or was it Christine?). She was tall and smart and her smile....oh my, she was gorgeous. We married in 1934 and a few years later, had our only boy Allen. My wife and I would always go explore new places and search for new things. Once, we swam in the deepest, bluest ocean and visited some mermaids that we came across. Another time, we flew together all the way to Mars and battled foreign aliens side by side. Or maybe we just visited these places in our imagination. These days, it has been hard for me to tell the difference.

A tall man with golden hair interrupted my broken recollections and sat wordlessly beside me on the bench. I nodded politely, afraid to speak lest he too would leave. But this time, the man was the one who spoke to me.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm alright! Today has been so pleasant! I keep meeting wonderful new people!"

The man slowly nodded so I asked cautiously, "How is your day going, sir?"

His eyes looked back at me blankly. He slowly answered, "I guess I've been having a hard time lately. Life has been pushing and shoving me around."

The man gazed up at the sky and spoke, his eyes squinting from the sunlight. "My father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He gets things mixed up and gets confused at simple things. Lately, he's been forgetting me and our family too. I know it must be very hard for him and honestly, I don't know how to help him out. It is very difficult for me and our family to watch him go through this. "

The man looked at me as I said, "I am so sorry to hear that. I hope this hardship gets easier for him and for your family." I replied solemnly.

The man's gaze diverted to something in the distance. When I followed his gaze, I found the "ice cream fella" and the beautiful woman approaching us. Happy that my interesting acquaintances returned, I sat up straighter and my smile immediately widened. The "ice cream fella" was licking a new cone and running ahead of the woman, coming towards us. I smiled when the woman came near but her eyes welled up with tears again, as if she could not stand the sight of me. She said to the man beside me, "Allen, honey, we really should get going home."

The man rose from his seat beside me and said to the "ice cream fella", "Did you thank Grandma for the treat she bought for you?" The boy nodded and smiled. My brows furrowed in confusion. The man looked at me and extended his arm while saying, "Come on, Dad. Let's get you home for your medication."

I stood up slowly, knees shaking, observing all the faces around me which were distant, yet somehow familiar- close, yet somehow very far away. I tentatively took the man’s hand, my own shaking.  

"M-my medication?" I stammered.

I peered into the faces, searching for an answer, a memory, anything to help me remember. The man took my right arm and the woman took my left and they slowly walked me out of the park gates, with the little "ice cream fella" skipping joyfully behind us.