And: "You should have seen him when he had knee surgery. Leon is a terrible patient. He's impatient."
And: "I've been trying to get him to join me during a [Semester at Sea] voyage. He'd love it. I know he would. He's never been outside of the United States."
"I don't know about that," Leon grins. "Once you get out there with all that water, it makes that huge ship look like a pebble. Anything's possible out there with all that water. We're talking about the Titanic."
The waitress interrupts and asks the men if they would like dessert. Lloyd shakes his head "No" and Leon nods his head "Yes."
Leon bends toward his son.
"Don't tell your momma," he says. "This is a special day. A special day. She'll have you eating all those vegetables and things. But you want some of that cheesecake, don't you?"
Geoffrey flaps his arms.
"Yeah. That's right."
Few people get to see this side of Leon, Lloyd says. Big, powerful, gang-fighter Leon Kelly, doting over a toddler.
"After burying so many people, it puts things in perspective," Leon says. "After dealing with all the madness, when you come home and your baby smiles at you, you get all excited. It's cool."
As Leon devours his dessert, Lloyd takes the opportunity to analyze their friendship. Both are independent. Both are spiritual. Both respect women. Both are men's men. Both lead by example. And both are committed to sharing life lessons with the kids who most need guidance, particularly boys without men in their lives.
But most of the time, they just hang out. Lloyd was the best man at Leon's wedding. He is Geoffrey's godfather. Leon gives Lloyd advice on women and helps fix his Jeep. They scour garage sales on weekends, ride motorcycles, spend hours just talking.
"Leon, with what he's been through, keeps me in perspective," Lloyd says. "If he can go through what he's gone through and still be a great guy, anyone can. He's an inspiration. Really. I've never seen him gossip. I've never seen him complain. And he has the biggest heart in the world. I don't say this about many men, but I would follow Leon Kelly. I respect him enough to do that."
Says Leon: "I don't see him as a white guy. I see him as a guy who happens to be white who is my friend. We share a common philosophy about life. His perseverance, his consistency, his commitment, his willingness to be part of change, his world experience and his ability to do what he sets out to do...I look at him as an older brother."
Leon's pager sounds again.
"Don't you have to get going?" Lloyd asks. "You've got that thing."
"Yeah, that's right."
"You don't want to be late."
"No. I don't want to be late."
Leon scoops up Geoffrey, puts him in the stroller and gulps down the fruit punch. The men stand, embrace with a few hearty thumps, a "Love you man," "Love you, too," and then Leon leaves.
Lloyd watches him go.
"I've been thinking a lot about this," he says. "Most people think we're just this strange pair. But we really are a great deal alike. Leon and I don't dwell on our differences. He takes me to his world and I take him to mine. I am completely comfortable around him. There is no reason why people who have differences can't come together under a common commitment. And the fact that we are friends says so much more about our culture than any of this politically correct nonsense. I love the guy. I really do. He'll do the eulogy at my funeral. I have no doubt about it. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
