And so it begins......

I had a call last night from a friend I haven't seen or heard from in years. (Linda.)
She was asked how she met her husband and the story involves me as the main player in this event. She said she's been thinking about me and called my parents to get my number.

It was so damn good to hear from her.
This past week has been a lot of people from the past. It's been bittersweet.

Linda and I were single at the same time in life and had a great single life together.
We traveled, went out and did things single girls do, met for lunch and or dinners and talked about men in our lives.

One afternoon we met for lunch downtown.
I couldn't wait to tell her about this great guy I had just met.
I went on and on about him and how much of a good time he was.
I said he was just what the doctor ordered, fun. (this followed a bad breakup)
He was tall, funny, kind, sweet and smart as a whip.
A great transition man as we girls say.
I mentioned his first name but that was all I said.
As we were leaving our lunch and heading back to work she asked when I would see him again, I told her tomorrow.  We were hitting the road for a road trip and I'd call her when I got back.

Because she was in my life so much she knew what was going on.
After dating for awhile I told her that I adored this man and he was great in the sack but he was just fun. He wasn't someone I knew that I would have a serious relationship with we just enjoyed our time together.  No pressure, no committments just a good time.
(Yes I sound like a slut don't I?)
He was more of a great friend who I could really talk to and just happened to be fun in bed too. An evening of popcorn and movies in was even a fun night of laughter.
She laughed and nodded with understanding. 
For some reason this time I said his full name.
OMG the look on her face was horrifying to me.
I said, 'What is that look for?" She knew him - Oh my God!!

He was the brother of her sister in law.
Oh God. 
We girls share a lot of information as all you girls reading know.
A. Lot. Of. Information.
More than one needs to know about someone in your family.
Someone who I might add was at her family functions and holiday dinners.
OMG I was mortified. Why hadn't I said his last name before?

After we got over the initial shock we laughed.
And we continued to laugh about this for years.
Over time she, Eddie and I had some good laughs over this.
I can truly say everyone who met Ed loved him.
Except Rick. He had no reason to not like him he hardly knew him but he didn't like him.

Eddie lost his job when his company left town. He began his own business and it was limo/van service. He took people to tri-state airports, he was a bachelor party driver, he was everything that you expect a leisure  tour service to be. There were times when he would drop people off at the airport in Cleveland and give me a call and say he was in town. We'd go to dinner and have cocktails and fun. You were never bored with this man.
You also could never not smile with this man. 

I was beginning to have feelings for Rick at this time and I told Ed this.
I wasn't sure how to handle this because we (rick and I) were truly just friends I told him.
He told me to dump the guy. If he couldn't see that I was a great catch, then cut him loose.
I thought that was a bit harsh since Rick didn't even know I was even feeling this way.

Rick would call me and if I mentioned Ed was in town he would tell me that there was something about his guy that he just didn't like. I would laugh.
Then one day Ed called me and Rick was there but leaving. I told him I'd call him back.
When I called him back he began his complaints about Rick.
I laughed and told him the two of you are basically the same damn person why in the world don't you like him?  He said, "maybe because we both like you."

Light bulb went off. I got it now.

When Rick and I became a couple Ed was now dating his soon to be wife.
I saw him out and we laughed how we both were dating people with the same damn first name as our first spouses. What are the odds of that we asked one another.
We hugged and went on our way.

Two years ago when I was home visiting my family I ran into him.
He looked the same with the same big ass grin on his face. I got to meet his wife who was adorable. We chatted about family and business and he asked if Rick was treating me the way I deserved to be treated. I said he was indeed. He said, "good  'cause he's bigger than me."
We laughed at that comment, hugged and said our goodbyes.

That was the last time I saw him. Linda called to tell me he died.
He went to the doctor and was told he had pancreatic cancer.
He died less than 3 weeks later.

She shared with me the funny stories that were told at the funeral.
So many people spoke and one was funnier than the other.
She said, "You know he would have loved every minute of this!"
I did indeed.

Since finding out I can't shake it.
It is that time in my life I guess where your friends and loved ones begin to die.

I'm not liking this much.