Absent friends

[captain nemo1701]

Once upon a time way back in the 1970’s there were four friends who grew up together in the same street. Two of them were brothers. As usual, over the years they moved away, lost touch etc. Twenty years ago, one of them took his own life, followed by one of the brothers 14 years later. One of the friends decided to get in touch with the surviving brother to arrange a get together next year, reminisce about old times especially since they hadn’t seen each other for over 25 years.
Unfortunately, while online, the friend came across a tribute page to the last of the two brothers, now deceased and later found out that he had also taken his own life. That reunion won’t happen now.....
As you might guess, that remaining friend is me. So sad when people decide to end it all, isn’t it?. It makes me feel older than I am when I think of the friends I have lost.

 

[classic33]

Raise a glass in their memory, and the good times you had whilst growing up.

 

[Rooster1]

I think about my old school friends all the time, also from the 70's. Similarly one took his own life. I can never imagine how unhappy a person can get to end it all. Tragic.

 

[jonny jeez]

My best friend and my worst enemy both died soon after leaving school.

Neither was suicide but I find it haunting to consider that, the "best days of their lives"...were to be the only days of their lives.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I don't know of anyone in our year at School who has died, save for a girl who had some sort of health problem, but she was about 6 at the time, and in the other class, so I never knew her.

That said, a friend tried to commit suicide but survived.

 

[Fnaar]

Whenever I meet up with old schoolmates (every couple of years or so) we raise a glass to absent friends. 6 haven't made it this far (two died at 17 in a motorbike accident, one 'fell' from a car park roof, and 3 deaths due to cancer.)

 

[vickster]

A couple of lads I was at primary school with have died, one in his early 20s, basically dropped dead due to an aneurysm while at a tube staiton and another in his mid 30s from some sort of leukaemia IIRC, another girl I think the year above me died sometime in her 30s from renal failure, she'd had a couple of failed transplants

 

[Dec66]

My cousin died playing in the street at 11. Sudden cardiac arrest.

My sister died at 14, on a railway line, paralysed with fear, hit by a train.

Remember the lives of those you love, not the nature of their deaths.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Raise a glass in their memory, and the good times you had whilst growing up.

I will do tonight. We had many good times in the days before mobile phones, only 3 telly channels and long summer holidays. I knocked about with the two brothers so much that I became the 'third' brother. As for me, I'm aiming for 100.

 

[Lonestar]

I will do tonight. We had many good times in the days before mobile phones, only 3 telly channels and long summer holidays. I knocked about with the two brothers so much that I became the 'third' brother. As for me, I'm aiming for 100.

Great days weren't they.

I had a really good friend at school but there were a bunch of us in the same group.He just suddenly disappeared and I never saw him again.His parents were a bit funny though.

 

[Blue]

Quite a few of my peer group from my childhood days are now gone. However, all 3 of my siblings are still alive and well so I'm glad that I haven't had to face that one. I just don't think about death unless someone else mentions the subject.

 

[Roadrider48]

Nobody in particular, but I do bump into old school friends from time to time. It makes me think back.

 

[stephec]

I'm 47 now and a few months ago a new friend I made recently tagged me into a Facebook group for my primary school, it turned out he was in the year below me.

It was because of that that I found out that my first girlfriend when I was 12 years old died almost two years ago.

 

[subaqua]

Too many school friends have departed . Craig at 17 , Stuart same age , Rob before he was 30 . Our 21 year reunion was poignant . 18 months it's 30 years since I left secondary and it seems like only a few years

 

[captain nemo1701]

Glass of vodka in hand:

To my old mates Ian, David & Tony may you all rest in peace. You will never be forgotten and maybe, just maybe, if there is an afterlife, I'll see you later.

Cheers