Re: Allen

Thurs night there was a horrible rain storm that flooded parts of Fayetteville. Al lives there now. He was sitting on his front porch, watching the storm when he saw a 17 yr old boy walking across his front yard. The boy stepped into a ditch and disappeared. The ditch is 12 feet deep when it rains heavy and the kid got sucked under and pulled into a culvert. He drown.

Al jumped in and tried to find him. Couldn't. Got out, found some rope and wrapped it around his hand, gave the other end to a neighbor to hold, and then jumped back in. He tried to find the kid but couldn't. He gave up when the rescue team showed up. But they were too late.

I called him earlier today but he wasn't home. Because I knew he would take this hard...not being able to save the kid. He called back later. I didn't realize he had caller ID and would return my call. We talked for awhile. First time in over a year. And it was nice. He wasn't desperately trying to get me to come back to him. We chatted like friends.

Funny how that made a weight go off me. He was sufferring the last time we talked. I'm glad he finally moved on past the past of us. We both had a sense of peace as we hung up the phone.

I tied up a loose thread. You know... I still love him, but it's more of a memory of that love we once had. We can't go back. And we aren't stuck in it now. There isn't a future but we can live with that knowledge now. Be there if the other needs a friend.

Time...it does heal.