Hiro

I don't know if anyone ever called him Hiro. His real name was Hiromi but for as long as I knew him he was just called Eddie.  He was our next door neighbor. He was also my father’s best friend.  Eddie and his wife Jane lived next door to us along with their three kids and Cassius, their oversized short haired mutt.

Our families were very close.  Their oldest son was my brother Steve's best friend, their youngest son was my  brother Danny’s best friend and their daughter Barbara babysat for me from the time I was too young to pronounce  her real name.  She was just Bra-bra to me.  Even our family dogs were best friends - so much so that when the realty company that managed our housing project revised their lease restrictions and forbade dogs, Eddie and my father moved their families.  We relocated to a better neighborhood, but they managed to find houses within walking distance of each other.  

Years later at his son Terry’s wedding Eddie introduced me to Uncle Joe from Hawaii.  At this point in my life I was feeling pretty lost.  My own father had died when I was still in high school and while I had managed to graduate I still didn't have a plan for my future.  At twenty I cashed in on my Social Security death benefits and enrolled in college.  I was a decent student but school always seemed to leave me with more questions than answers.Walking up to Uncle Joe, Eddie said, “this is John, Kenny and Elaine’s youngest.  He's a scholar.”  At a time in my life when even I had no idea who I was, he did.  He was the only Hiro I ever knew.