This story by William Porter (aka O. Henry) shows how keeping a promise to a friend is sometimes not such a good idea. Two boyhood friends lose touch after one of them decided to “go West” to make his fortune. When he left, the two made a solemn promise to meet again outside their favorite New York restaurant in twenty years’ time. Both kept the promise. The man who went West came back rich; the man who stayed had a basic job working for the city. However, it was the one who stayed that had the better future life.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (1,094 words)
Video Version
This 2016 short film directed by Daniel Lipkovich provides an excellent depiction of the main story elements. A major change, to reflect the “modern day” setting, is that Bob went East (to Europe) rather than West to make his fortune. Watch and enjoy!