Bowling Friends

A girl walks into a bowling alley.
Michelle comes into Bowlway one Thursday night 19 years ago hoping to join a team.
She didn't know anybody on the women's league, but knew a few on the Men's league.
She found a place, sadly not on my team. She was and still is really good.
We became friends and at the end of the year decided that we were going to be on the same team next year.
2 years later I ask my niece Cheryl if she wanted to bowl with us.
Michelle brought her friend, Deanna along.
We made a great team.
Every Thursday we would meet up and catch up and, oh yeah, bowl.
We traveled to State tournaments together and Michelle, Deanna and I got to witness our Cheryl win  the State Champ title.

It was fun times.
We drank and laughed and got into trouble and, oh yeah, bowled.
Michelle and I would travel for doubles to different tourneys - 9 different cities in Illinois and 5 different states.  We both liked to do our best and never gave up - even made some money doing it. We made a good doubles team.
Bowling was the glue that kept us together.
Cheryl and I gave up our Thursday night, but continued to see them on our Saturday night once a month couples league. Then for different reasons we stopped that too.

I decided to go out to the Bowling alley on Saturday hoping that they were still crazy enough to be there.
There they were and we took up right where we left off. All three husband groaned. Cherry bomb shots with a green olive and Marchino cherry. It wasn't for the taste - it was for old memories.
We talked of old times and laughed, all wishing Cheryl was there too.