sometime around 2002 ~
Bob was the first person who I knew in life and spoke to him shortly after his death.
I met Bob only once. We exchanged “hellos” and “please to meet you’s” at my friend Leo’s housewarming party. He lived alone in the duplex next door to Leo, and he and I were the same age. That was the extent of my knowledge of Bob and the only time I ever saw him.
One evening in 2002, I received a call from Leo asking me if I wanted some free furniture. I had very recently bought my home and even more recently had converted a room into a studio that I was looking to rent out. I could certainly use some furniture and even had coincidentally a borrowed truck at my disposal. I eagerly answered yes and didn’t ask for any details. He said to come over.
I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed the keys and I headed out my kitchen door. As soon as I closed it, I realized that I had left the front door with the security chain on and I had essentially just locked myself out of my house. For a moment I wondered how I was going to get back in my house, but I figured I would cross that bridge when I got there.
I went to my rental cottage to see if Leo’s then girlfriend Melissa wanted to go with me. She answered the door in a huff and said that she and Leo had just had an argument and she wasn’t speaking to him and did not want to go. She also added “Oh yea, and that free furniture… it’s Bob’s and he’s dead.” and closed the door. I can still feel the way my body jolted when she said it. I remember standing still for a moment in front of the door that had just been shut in my face and thinking,”poor Bob”. I stood there and wondered what happened. Certainly some type of accident, I assumed, but I quickly convinced myself that nothing I could do would change it and off I went to Leo’s.
I arrived at the duplex. The lights were on in both apartments and the doors were wide open. I parked the truck in front of the left apartment which was Leo’s and …
…to be continued… Shauna I will write it all out soon. lol
