Text A

Freshman Friendship 　　

　　Almost two years ago, I stood on a dormitory balcony, joined hands with my three most intimate friends and listened to one of them tell a story about four girls with different backgrounds and talents who left home and went to college at a mythical place called Happy Valley .

　　After we left our friend's apartment that last night of out freshman year, we ended on the lawn, playing Frisbee at 3 am and sitting on the dormitory steps talking for hours.

　　Alisa, Karen, Gabrielle and I had spent that day together just being freshman—going to the sandwich shop for the last lunch of the semester, trying on each other's clothes, watching movies and acting like we would never see each other again.

Three Months is a Long Time

　　For freshmen, and especially for us, saying goodbye at the end of the first year can feel like saying goodbye forever.

　　Three months can seem like a long time when you are leaving friends and acquaintances whom you have only known for a year. Your freshman year moments are irreplaceable.

　　My advice to any freshmen reading this is to cherish those moments. You may grow completely apart from the people you spent your first year with, or you may find yourself fortunately comparing them to siblings at the end of your junior year as I did.

　　Even if you have almost forgotten your freshman year roommates two years later, and barely recognize them when you encounter them in front of the gymnasium, you can never replace that year and the brand-new feeling that your first year of college brings.

　　A lot will change after your freshman year. You will meet new people and do new things. You will do a lot more growing up.

　　At the beginning of our senior year, Karen took her hometown boyfriend Kevin on a tour of campus and downtown. “That's where we grew up,” she told him, motioning toward Atherton Hall, where the four of us spent our first two years at Penn State .

　　We learned more outside the classroom than we learned inside it. That dorm is where we learned and discussed the lessons of our freshman and sophomore years. I think the principle lesson I learned was the definition of true friendship. And I have never had nor will ever have better teachers than Alisa, Karen and Gabrielle.

　　That lesson can best be summarized by something Alisa and Karen told me when I was upset at the end of last semester and needed a shoulder to cry on. They said no matter how far we drift apart or who else we become friends with after college, we will always incline to recall each other first whenever we think of college.

　　I couldn't agree more.

　　The story Alisa told on balcony is far from over. I sometimes wonder if the following is how it will end:

　　“…and those four little girls grew up and realized their dreams. They found themselves all over the country, from farms, to cities, to the suburbs, doing everything they wanted to do--- a computer technician, a physician, an attorney, and an architect—with the companies they wanted in husbands, children and pets.

　　And occasionally they would make it back to reunion at that mythical valley and see their old friends, laughing about the good times. They had succeeded in forgetting any of the bad times.

　　And they lived happily ever after.”

Text B

THE WALLET

Arnold Fine

        It was a year ago today when I came across a wallet in the street. Inside was a letter that looked as if it had been carried around for years, dated 1924. The envelope was worn and all I could make out was the return address. I opened the letter carefully, hoping for some clue to the identity of the owner of the wallet.

       It was signed Hannah and written to someone called Michael. She wrote that she could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. She would always love him, but felt it would be best if they never met again.

      It was a beautiful letter. But there was no way, other than the name Michael, that the owner could be identified.

      The return address was nearby, so I called in. I asked if anyone there knew of a Hannah, and was told, “Oh, of course! We bought this house from her some time ago. She's in a nursing home now.”

        They gave me the name of the home and I called the director. I explained the situation and was invited over, arriving to find him chatting to the door guard. We exchanged greetings and the director took me up to Hannah's room on the third floor of the large building.

        She was a sweet, silver-haired old lady with a warm smile, full of life. I told her about finding the wallet and took out the letter. The moment she saw it she recognized it. “Young man,” she said, “this letter was the last contact I had with Michael. I never heard from him again.” She looked away for a moment in deep thought and continued, “I loved him very much. I was 16 at the time and my mother felt I was much too young to even be seeing Michael. He was so handsome.”

        Just then the director was called away and we were left alone. “Yes, Michael Goldstein was his name,” she began once more. “If you do find him, give him my regards and tell him I still think of him often. That … “She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and added, “I still love him. You know …”she said, smiling through her tears, “I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael.”

        At that moment the director returned. I thanked her and said goodbye. Downstairs the guard at the front door looked at me and asked, “Any luck? Was the old lady able to help you?”

        I told him she had given me a lead. “But I think I'll let this go for a while. I spent almost a whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet.”

        I took it out and showed it to the guard.

       The guard took one look and said, “Hey, wait a minute. That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know that anywhere. He's always losing it. ”

        “Who's Mr. Goldstein?” I pressed him as my hand started to shake.

       “He's one of the old guys on the eighth floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. I'll take you up to him, if you like.”

        We found Mr. Goldstein in his room and the security man asked if he had lost his wallet.

        Mr. Goldstein put his hand to his back pocket and, realizing it was empty, said, “Oh, my goodness. It is missing.”

        “Could this be yours?” I asked, handing him the wallet.

        The second he saw it he smiled with relief and said, “Yes … yes … that's it. Thank you so much.”

       “Not at all,” I replied. “But I have to tell you something. I read the letter. ”

        The smile on his face disappeared. “You read that letter?”

       “Not only did I read it, I know where Hannah is.”

        The blood left his face as he suddenly grew pale.

       “Hannah? You know where she is? How is she? Is she still as pretty as she was?”

        The security man looked at me suggesting that I not say any more.

       I hesitated.

       “Please! Please tell me!" he begged.

        “She's fine … just as pretty as when you knew her,” I said softly.

        “Could you tell me where she is?” He grabbed my hand and said, “You know something … I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life seemed to come to an end. I never married. I guess I'll always love her. Oh, she was beautiful … and so sweet. ” He smiled to himself.

        “Michael,” I said. “Come with me.”

       The three of us took the elevator down to the third floor. Hannah was sitting alone watching television.

        “Hannah,” the guard said softly. “Do you know this man?” She adjusted her glasses. She looked for a moment but didn't say a word.

        “Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me?”

       “Michael? I don't believe it! Michael? It's you! Michael!”

        He walked slowly to her side. Michael took her around the waist and she held him tight, whispering, “Michael … my darling Michael …”

        The two of them sat down on a sofa, holding hands, and started to talk. They had some sixty years' worth to catch up on. The guard and I walked out, both of us crying.

        Three weeks later I got a call from the director: "You're invited to a wedding. Michael and Hannah are finally going to tie the knot! You know, the two of them were in this building for years and they never met, or if they did they didn't recognize each other.”