stand by me

It seems like a perfect time to reminisce about the old times with the latest film 「So Young」 ascending to sweeping popularity, triggering somehow a wave of nostalgia. However, it’s not this film I am talking about. What I am to introduce is a film adaptation of Stephen King’s novella《The Body》.
The film recounts the short expedition of 4 12-year-old boys in search of a dead body. These 4 boys are not the typical good sort. They have their own problems: abusive parents, lack of parental care and attention, prejudice and hostility on the part of others, as well as being the subject of ridicule and mock. Plus, they share a common self-denial and pessimism for their future.
  Their journey to the destination is quite an eventful one. A trespassing into the junkyard guarded by the fabled Baskervillesque hound, an adventurous short passage past the suspended railway track, camping and relayed vigilance in the forest coupled with a swim across the leech-infested pond. Stories are told, tears shed, laughter burst out, games played. Through the journey, they』ve grown up a little, a little more mature, less lost and insecure. Arriving back at home, they felt the town to be smaller. It is simply that they』ve turned bigger.
I think most boys could easily relate to the boyish adventure depicted in the film to such extent that they get deeply touched, moved to tears, or in my own case searching for listeners to recount this story and my appreciations like a lunatic.
12, a magical age, an age of choice. We are no longer technically young and carefree. We might be making tentatively our very first important choices in life. And yet, we are not mature.
We waver and falter, stuck at a loss what to do in the face of our long-time enemy that is called life. It is perhaps our peers, mates, rather than parents that can offer us some real help, practical advice, sincere encouragement to the very benefit of us. Just like in this film, they do fool around during the course of the day, but deep at night, they settle down and have serious heart-to heart exchanges and confessions. These soul-searching reflections and dialogues seem to be of more importance than the journey itself. Back at home, they are bigger, stronger and wiser.
I do feel the need to paraphrase some lines from the film, voiced by the adult version of one of the boys who fulfilled his dream of becoming a writer
」 As time went on we saw less and less of Teddy and Vern, until they became just two more faces in the hall. It happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of your life like busboy in a restaurant. I heard that Vern got married out of high school. He had four kids and is now the 4th lift operator. Teddy tried several times to get into the army but his ear and eyes kept him out. The last time i heard he spent some time in jail and is now doing some odd job in Castlerock. Chris did get out of the town. He enrolled in the college courses with me. And although it was hard, he got it out like he always did. He went on to college and eventually became a lawyer. Last week he entered a restaurant. Just ahead of him two men got into an argument, one of whom pulled out a knife. Chris, who would always make the best peace, tried to break it up. He was stabbed in the throat. He died almost instantly.
  Although I hadn』t seen him in more than ten years, I know I』ll miss him forever.
 I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?」
I can』t help but heave a deep sigh every time I watch this part. 「We never had friends the ones we had at 12」.
  But why?