The Last Guest

Unless you are almost unique there is no escaping the last guest!

The Life And Times Of Brian Waddington

There's no escaping the last guest

Back in the day I spent give or take five years being trained to stand between the natural and the supernatural in a small Indian Village. One of my functions was to preside at funerals. The youngest was a mere five minutes old. The oldest was nearing 100. At first they were strangers. At the end they were friends and family. It required more ice in the veins as the years passed.

This morning I received news that Tom had died. Seems he was taken out by a Stroke. This rocked me.

Tom and I went to the same Elementary and High schools.  As we got older he would help me with my paper route. Then we began to notice ladies, cigarettes, drink and vehicles. More or less in that order. In High School we would trade lunches, skip classes, make friends and enemies. Which is where the oft mentioned Rick enters the story. Hi Rick. Rick never took up cigarettes but he enjoyed everything else.

After High School came marriages and traveling. All three of us married only two of us travelled.  Tom stayed in Vancouver. Rick and I stayed in touch but Tom fell off our radar screens. Donna (Rick's better 3/4) kept in touch with Tom's ex. Which is how Rick and then yours truly came to know that Tom had died. 

I know little about Tom's adult life. I believe two things shaped it. One was his divorce. It's hard to come home and find your lady in bed with your friend. The other was the plywood plant shut down. I believe he counted on both his marriage and his job to last a life time. When they didn't I think he became a lost soul. But as I stated ~ What do I know?

May he find a better incarnation the next time around.

Rest easy my old friend and good luck.

Bounce