R.I.P. Dad...
Raymond Allen Brand, Jr.
22 September 1938 - 26 November 2005
My dad, known as 'Al' to everyone, died this morning of a heart attack. He was 67 years old. My friend Eric called me about 20 minutes ago and told me that his brother heard it from my sister Lelia. I called Lelia, no response... then my dad's home phone, and finally his cell phone. My stepsister Zina answered and confirmed it was true. She and I cried a lot. The memorial service is on 4 December, Sunday after next, with the funeral the next day.
I have never cried so much in my life than I did after that conversation.
I stopped calling him and answering when he would call over a year ago because I was ashamed of not having a job at that time, and didn't want to listen to him nag me as he usually would. Recently I have called him twice, but he didn't answer, and I left messages asking him to call me. He didn't though. Talk about regrets.
He was my adopted dad, but he was more of a father to me than my biological father ever was. I lived with him in Shelter Creek after he left my adoptive mother, and eventually Lelia and then Patula came to live there too. He was warm, caring, funny, and taught me many of the qualities that are good in me.
And now he's gone. Damnit...