Closet Extremist

Absent Friends

I just got off the phone with an old friend. Someone who I haven't spoken with for a few months (because I was stupid and didn't save her number in my phone, but alas, there it is.). Unfortunately, I am in the middle of taking a tremendous leak when the phone rings. I'm in no position to stop, so I just keep letting fly as I answer the phone. I admit that I'm "otherwise engaged" to the voice on the other end of the line, and (to her credit) she understands and allows me to finish my bidness, and get to her ASAP. After finishing my previous engagement, we went on to the meat of the conversation...

It was five (over six actually) years ago when I was a part of a wonderful group of people. A bunch of people that I worked with were sharing a five bedroom house, and I hung around there quite a bit. A bunch of software geeks, chilling out and partying on a regular basis. A lot of this crew came from Los Cruces New Mexico when the Company I worked for acquired the company that they worked for. They all moved out to Knoxville to join the team. Many nights of drunken revelry were spent with this crew.

A certain little Italian member of the group, five-foot-four if he was an inch, and always thought he was ten foot tall and bullett proof, was wooing another member of our clique. This guy drove a mini-van..a GMC..painted purple, and festooned with various-coloured graphics int eh shape of lightning bolts. Ther were only two seats available for people, as the rest of the area was taken up with speakers. Eight twelve-inch sub woofers. He competed in "Sound" competitions with this rig.

There was another time whenb I was looking to buy a new car. I asked my friend to loan me a couple thousand dollars, and he was willing, We went to the bank, and he pulled the cash out of his account and handed it to me. I had about fifteen hundred of my own in cash in my pocket and proceeded to the dealership. They refused to finance the last thousand that it would've taken to complete the transaction. After carrying around his cash for two days, I handed it back to him, and he never said another word about it.

She told me that he'd died in his bed on December 31, 2004.

God speed Philly. I never knew you well enough to enjoy the trust you had in me. Thirty four years old. Too young to be in the wind.

Here's to you Phil.