After I learned of this, I looked at a few pictures and reminisced. I went for a walk and travelled back in time as memories allow. Reliving moments and looking at the positives and knowing that it were these attributes that create the sting that turns a loss into an emotional moment. I shed tears.
Trickfox had passed away. I don't know exactly when this happened. The obituary didn't have a date, it only mentioned that he passed away. It gave no particulars other than his age and his location. I felt...is that all there is? Is this all that could have been said? To pass away into so much obscurity?
One would have thought that an obituary would have at least mentioned surviving relatives, education, accomplishments and perhaps even a place to send donations in the name of the deceased. But there was nothing, so I will say something.
Raymond was my friend. I met him on a forum. We met face to face in a place called Allenwood. Allenwood is a small burg located in Union Township in the State of Pennsylvania. There was some snow on the ground and it was not quite that cold and felt more like February than March. We spent a weekend together. Talking and getting to know each other. This was in 2007.
The following year we met in Las Vegas, it was March of 2008. He had expectations of something happening that did not come to fruition. It was a difficult period for him but he did come around. He was tired and needed rest after having flown from Quebec to Las Vegas and which was a very long journey for him, especially after dialysis. But as always, he arose to the occasion and eventually had an enjoyable if not a little disappointing time. One memorable moment was when we went to the Luxor and there was a statue of Anubis. He wanted to choke him and cheat death, a feat he managed for 5 more years.
I never met him in person again but there were many conversations. We agreed and we disagreed. I will not go into either but only say that you cannot have the thesis without the antithesis, even in friendship. He was 58 years old. He grew up in the Quebec Province in Canada. He went to a High School technical school where her learned TV repair. He ended up leaving Canada and headed for the sunny beaches of California where he ended up teaching Basic Electronics to immigrants. He was didactic and self taught in several areas. He was intelligent, he was smart.
He had an interesting past to say the least. A past that he was always looking to recapture in some manner or another. His long wish was to leave a mark on the world, a signpost reminiscent of "kilroy was here" but with a much more deeper imprint. In a manner he did leave an imprint, perhaps not as large as what he would have liked but he did manage to touch the lives of a small group of individuals and wherever they go, whatever they do, he will be with them, if in memory only but in some small way, he left a mark, a big one, in my world.
It was his choice to end the friendship but it was not ended on my part.
I will miss him.
