Sweet Bill-ah

The Summer of 1962: I was visiting relatives on the outskirts of White Plains. I had a hot, passionate affair with a neighbor boy that summer. We tricked in the woods behind the house. One day Uncle Carmel stumbled upon us. He never mentioned it, but from that day hence, he referred to me as Sweet Bill-ah. He was eccentric and the rest of the family just shrugged. I used to cut his expansive lawn, most weeks. I loved operating the riding mower. Besides not paying me one slim dime for my efforts, he used to charge me a nickle for a glass of water. I’ve embodied many of his eccentricities.