When I was a kid

A family moved next door

they had a daughter about my age

Well couldn’t imagine at the time about

hanging out with some  “icky” girl but Gail

was different…….she was cute but not real “girlie”

I saw her playing catch with her Dad and had to admit I was impressed

and we became friends…….. fast friends

someone said something about me on the school yard and she clobbered them

when I heard that…… I new she was a special friend

we would go down to the river which wasn’t far away and make boats and sometimes try to fish but we didn’t no what we were doing…… but it didn’t matter…….we were best buds together

that summer when fast…..and we said we would go hang out at the River one more time……and we did

we took some rope and a pocket knife to make a raft we had been talking about trying

after great effort we had a floating vessel and we were ready to sail …… actually drift

she got on the back of the raft and I needed to go pee…….only took a minute…… but she had already launched

I yelled and hollered but the current was too fast

she was smiling and throwing kisses and I was running on the bank for a bit and then she was out of sight

it was weird…….I started crying uncontrollably and staggered the 2 miles home and tried to explain to my mom what happened

she called Gail’s mom and she called the police

————

I already knew

they found the raft but not Gail and never recovered her body……. Part of me died that day

but after a few weeks Mom sat me down and she told me she

knew I was heart broken…..  but she said….”well she was very special……. Maybe you could try suffering her loss….. but being thankful you knew her for the time she was here”………and I took that advice

I had to….

I think she knew something I didn’t and that somehow that was the way it was supposed to be

Funny but I meet people that remind me of you to this day……. Makes me sad…….and then glad….very happy…..I’m smiling 60 years later and still waving

Goodbye

goodbye Gail

ttucro….. but you called me “buddy”