Goodbye Forever

Good evening. ladies and gentlemen.

We are gathered here today to witness an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change.
JFK


On April 15 th the last installment in this series will go out onto the WWW.
Let me say it now, its been great folks.
I mean, all of you, todah rabbah as the Jews say.
We started out together in a cozy oak paneled dining room in Rio Rancho, the wife out back,
holding hot dogs over the barbecue pit in the center of the lush green of the backyard, Israeli rock blaring from the ghetto blaster perched on the edge of the cement patio.
I'm sure you all remember Jeanne.
She's next to Mikey and Richard, helping them toast marshmallows, their faces reflecting flame from the glowing, fragrant pine fed barbecue pit.
Jeanne is only slightly pregnant, I walk accross the gravel and kneel down between her and Mikey, I kiss her on her freckled cheek.
She smiles, happy, flames from the pit dance brightly in her blue eyes.
"I love you, Dad, " she says, and runs a soft hand through my hair.
Ricky is 3, an intelligent , alert, dark complexioned version of his Dad.
Ricky's marshmallow slides from the bent coat hanger in his hand and burns on the coals.
"Shit!" he exclaims.
"Jesus, Ricky. Don't use that word, Son."
I look at Jeanne, her blond hair is in a bun.
Her eyes are smiling as she tries to muffle an amused grin.
"Honey, " I say, "You see what happens when you use that kind of language around the kids?"
"Me?" she ejaculates.
" I guess I may have used that expression too. I'll watch it."
Jeanne called me "Dad."
Sometimes Daddy.
"Do you like being with me, Daddy?"
she asked, lashes touching her cheeks, looking down.
The night sky was a deep blue.
The music, the kids chuckling as they huddled around the barbecue pit, my wife, all combined to create a feeling of well being..
Mikey threw in some twigs and they flared up briefly.
I was happy.
Still, so much had been lost in my life.
I couldn't foresee the disaster that would soon crush my family, and yet, I did have a vague sense of foreboding....

But this post is not about me reminiscing.
Its to say goodbye, Part One.
Forever.

You can email me at: mailto:mblackburn49@gmail.com