The Treasure of a Friend 

             Conclusion

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   The news came very unexpectedly, in a phone call from Vic’s niece, Sharon Peterson. 

    We learned that Vic had been taken to the hospital. That he had collapsed, and had been discovered by a neighboring tenant, extremely weak. That a large mass had been diagnosed, and an internal infection. That his condition had deteriorated further during the night.

    And that—his blood pressure low, pulse weak, respiration decreasing—with Sharon at his bedside, he had quietly passed away.

 

                                            ***

 

       It’s been some weeks now, since we got the news.

    Vic's remains have been cremated. A memorial service is pending.

    How unusual that I can no longer pick up the phone, enter Vic’s number, and speak with my friend.

    How odd to think that we won’t hear his voice again.

    How different will the trips to Wisconsin be, without Vic there to visit.

    And—after all these years and the many moments Vic was part of, and after all the laughter shared—how very, very strange to know that our interaction on this planet has ended. What a lasting void that creates.

    But how fortunate to have had such a once-in-a-lifetime comrade and confidant in a fellow human being. What a treasure it has fashioned. What a storehouse of memories remain. What a blessing to have known such enduring qualities of true friendship—in a world that can be fickle and harsh.

    From each of us, Vic—thank you so much.

    We miss you. We will remember you.

    God bless you, dear friend.

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                    -End-

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           The next vignette.

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