A Lad's Tale

Once upon a time, there was a boy.
This boy lived much like any other boy.
He was a baby and he grew.
He went to school, studied (sometimes), played (a lot), much like other boys and eventually grew into a man.
As a child he frequented a hospital because he did not grow so well and consequently from time to time had to experience multiple tests to see if 'they' could find out why he didn't grow so well.
He would have his occasional times of despair and frustration as a result of having to go to hospital but the majority of time saw him as a well balanced well-adjusted boy who coped with a few significant differences in his life.
This boy was loved by his family, by his friends and virtually all who knew him because of his smile, his eyes and his humour.
He was a warm endearing kind of person who lived a normal life. He had pets, he had a sister with whom he shared two parents and he lived in a home when not at school.

As this boy grew his problems became more pronounced and unfortunately, hospital times lengthened and were more significant as he aged.
He became well known at the hospital he frequented, once again because of his smile and humour, not to mention his willingness to chat to people and his warmth and friendliness towards others.
He became a mentor of sorts with other children and other children learnt through him how to cope with hospitals and illness and doctors and staring people.

His relationship with his sister was a typical one. There were no preferences in this family with both parents going to great pains to ensure both children were equal, both in love and ensuring they travelled the path towards adulthood with its boundaries, in a similar pattern.

As children, there were holidays with camping, fishing, swimming and generally having good times being the priorities. There was lots of laughter and sometimes tears but most importantly, there was lots of love.

There were occasional squabbles..... a little bit of in-house fighting you might say but no more than in any other home.

And so, the boy grew. He went to primary school and excelled. He went to secondary school and excelled also, especially in friendships, mateship and a desire to continue his education despite developing problems that he found restricting from time to time relating to his 'not so wellness'.

Such was the boy that friends he had made through primary and secondary school stayed with him all his life. People remembered him from many years after meeting him and would often ask after him if a mutual aquaintance realised their connection.

It was while he was in university where he was enjoying and exploring his life as a newly made man that our story changes for it was during this time, in his second year of tertiary study that his body was unable to sustain his life and so he died quickly and peacefully leaving behind a grieving collection of family and friends.

It is ten years to this day that this boy left this planet.
It is ten years to this day since I have seen his smile and have heard his voice.
It is ten years to this day since my eyes have alighted upon his beautiful face.

It is ten years to this day that a pain in my heart, so fierce, so full of impotent frustration was created.
Albeit, that pain has diminished with time, but on this day I revisit this pain with relish for it brings my memories of the boy flooding back.

I can still hear his voice and see his smile. I can still hear him as he teases his sister and chuckles and yells and eats and talks....
He is still with us all in spirit, his impression is that great.

How quickly time passes.