One minute you're laughing

Hahahaha.

I had just finished a great Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun day with Jade, Ryan, Mom, Brandon. The trip to the park was great and lasted all day, and I'm sure I walked 4000 miles and went on roller coasters that were faster than the speed of light. Turns outwe were just packing up the car when I got a text message from Dan. I'd been secretly hoping that I could make a trip back to IA, somehow compact NItro and myself into the Explorer and squeeze with 4 people in the back seat, but realized that working on some house projects and actually resting might be better for me. But the text message said "Please call me, Andy overdosed last night."
So I called him.
"Hey, did you listen to my voicemail?"
Me: No, what did it say? I just checked my phone, you said Andy overdosed?
Dan: Well, Andy did overdose and he's dead!
me: Dead? He's DEAD?
I turn to my mom to tell her, and then run upstairs and talk to Dan a bit more. I think I said something like "Dead/dead? like no return?" As if there were some other type of dead?

And then it was true, but no one knew how yet or why or when or who or any of those other details that you somehow need in order to piece together a puzzle of someone you used to know. Such began the arrangements of pulling the suitcases, funeral clothes, dog food, wrapping up work and packing everything into a car to go to a funeral for someone who is only 18. Turns out the funeral can't be until later because it takes awhile to get the body back from the coroner and the autopsy and all of that.

In the interim, I kept looking at my brother and sister and imagining how terrible it would be to die if you were only age 18. I couldn't say no to many of their requests, kept wanting to indulge them for as long as I could. My sister must have somehow sensed this fear I was having and decided she would try sushi for the first time, after all.
I guess it's the little things that make life better.