Sad Memories
The following post was from my original blog on ronincyberpunk.com, it is archived here for posterity purposes
Even now my eyes carry soft tears, unshed for their purpose. I saw Lilo and Stitch with Brandi tonight after a wonderful day at the beach, but in the movie it touched something which hadn't really come to the surface for many years.
I know I've talked about him to friends but I haven't mentioned him on here as far as I can remember.
George was my best friend all through elementary school, when I first moved to Orlando he came knocking at my door the day we moved in - and from then on we were inseparable. Getting into trouble and exploring, wrestling and playing, we lived side by side. We loved sports, YMCA, backyard, just running. He loved them more than me, but it was a common thread which we shared.
When we were on the same YMCA Soccer team, we held practices in the evening and I was goalie, while George was one of the offensive positions. Well I was rather bored as the ball had not come near my net for the practice scrimmage, as it began heading my way George stole it and began up field, only to trip and fall. Someone else on our team got the ball and kept going, and the action moved away - away from me, away from George, away.
Then he didn't move. He didn't roll over. He didn't stir. Coach Rick thought he was just being lazy, but when he didn't respond to his name being called Coach ran out onto the field and rolled him over. By this time his lips had began turning blue and I began sprinting for the YMCA offices. Another kid ran with me, I don't know who - but we both got there and immediatley called "Dial 911!" and when she did I ran back out to the soccer field. I stood and watched while coach Rick did CPR on George, and I will never forget the sound which came from George as the air escaped his lungs.
It was one of those moments when I knew the truth but, being 10, hoped for it to be wrong. I hoped it was not true. I hoped I hadn't lost him.
It took me a while to get past it, he was my best friend, the one who knew all my secrets - the one who knew all my thoughts. And when I lost him, I lost trust. I had used him as support when I needed it, and when I lost him, I lost my faith in others.
George holds a special place in my heart, and when Lilo and Stitch talked about the broken home, the loss of loved ones, I just felt the tears flow. Soft, unseen except for when I whiped them away. And more remain, for another day.
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