Just not sure
I have to go to the funeral home today. I found out yesterday that an old friend of mine, we graduated together, had passed away unexpectedly. His brother called and left me a message ... he and I also used to be really close back in the day. I think that's why P. and I stopped hanging out - but there is another story and I will leave it at that.
I know part of the story of what happened, but I just don't understand it.
He was the one we knew would make it. Against all odds he put himself through college, riding his old beat up 10 speed all over the city because he didn't have the money for a car.
He was the smart one, the one who took his computer apart and put it back together changing the keyboard into a musical keyboard. He was the one who convinced me to walk from his house all the way to the vogue to see the Rocky Horror Picture show. We had to take a short cut through a cometary which meant I had to scale a wall to get there.
I am pretty sure he rode in the trunk of my car on one of our drive in forays. And he enjoyed it. We used to play drunkin chess. Yes, we were geeks before there was a thing called a geek.
Last I saw him was a couple of years ago. He was smiling and happy, just as I will always remember him. But there is more. And through all the years - through all the things we do we can't really run from all that made us who we are.
When his brother called me again last night, and told me part of what happened... he said, "can you f**kin believe that?" And I can't. P. was different than we were. He didn't do the stupid things we did. He studied and worked hard, while we whiled away our time drinking and being stupid. While we put off our future, he was busy making his.
But he was still chased by the same ghosts that chased us. And well you know, no matter how far you run, no matter what world you build for yourself it all remains the same.
He left behind a brother and 4 children and a multitude of friends.
I know part of the story of what happened, but I just don't understand it.
He was the one we knew would make it. Against all odds he put himself through college, riding his old beat up 10 speed all over the city because he didn't have the money for a car.
He was the smart one, the one who took his computer apart and put it back together changing the keyboard into a musical keyboard. He was the one who convinced me to walk from his house all the way to the vogue to see the Rocky Horror Picture show. We had to take a short cut through a cometary which meant I had to scale a wall to get there.
I am pretty sure he rode in the trunk of my car on one of our drive in forays. And he enjoyed it. We used to play drunkin chess. Yes, we were geeks before there was a thing called a geek.
Last I saw him was a couple of years ago. He was smiling and happy, just as I will always remember him. But there is more. And through all the years - through all the things we do we can't really run from all that made us who we are.
When his brother called me again last night, and told me part of what happened... he said, "can you f**kin believe that?" And I can't. P. was different than we were. He didn't do the stupid things we did. He studied and worked hard, while we whiled away our time drinking and being stupid. While we put off our future, he was busy making his.
But he was still chased by the same ghosts that chased us. And well you know, no matter how far you run, no matter what world you build for yourself it all remains the same.
He left behind a brother and 4 children and a multitude of friends.