Get your own Free Home
Page
The friend I never met
I can't remember when, exactly, I met Drew on IRC, but I know he was one of my 'original' net friends.
We spoke often. I was at Uni, but I don't know his excuse! Even when I left the internet behind to spend the holidays with my parents at home, we kept in touch via snail-mail and the telephone.
I remember the beginning of my Summer holiday back in 1997. Drew had threatened to have a bunch of flowers greet me at my parents. He even carried out his threat, much to my embarrassment and my Mum's curiousity!! He had another bunch sent to me at college for my 21st, along with a toy dog. I forget why he never came to my party though...
We had the biggest laughs together. Usually, the joke was on me! If anyone asked him about my haircut (-he'd know the one!) or my 'unique tan' (see my old guestbook), he'd have loved to tell you about it!
I always sent Drew a Christmas card, because that's what you do with friends. December 2000 was no different, despite him failing to contact me for a while :o/ I received an e-mail from him not long after Christmas. He apologised for not writing for a while. He hadn't phoned either because his address book (amongst other things) had been stolen. He also informed me he had cancer. He asked for my phone number, which I gave, and said he'd call.
The days and weeks went by, and still no phone call from Drew. I decided I had to check on him incase something was wrong. When I rang, however, everything was reasonably fine :)
I discovered another friend lives about five minutes from Drew, and decided to kill two birds with one stone and visit them both at the same time. The first attempt the other guy cancelled, and I had a bit of a cold and so decided not to chance it anyway. The second attempt was a bit of a mad rush with the other guy and wasn't talked about until late the night before. The third time I tried to see Drew, was 7th May, a bank holiday. I was to meet up with a friend in London that day, and so decided to try to see Drew while I was nearby. When I called a couple of days before, however, his Mum answered, said he'd just had treatment, and asked me to call back 'next week'. So I left it for a few days.
Monday 21st May I remembered I still hadn't called Drew back. I'd had no date in mind to visit, and so had left it. I decided I'd best call to see how he was doing.
The inevitable had happened. I discovered I was a week too late. Drew had breathed his last the Tuesday before, and his funeral was to be the next day. I decided I'd let him down enough while he was alive, and so to go to the funeral would be the least I could do. I noted all the details, relieved that I still had one last chance.
The next day, I missed Drew's funeral service. I'd missed a turning and got lost. I felt I'd let him down once more :( When I eventually found the crematorium, there were still people around, and so I managed to find my way back to his house and his family.
Everyone, especially his family, were very welcoming. I don't think one person missed the tale of the lady who'd spoken to Drew for five years, never met him, but was there that day! The only person missing from the gathering, was Drew.
The last time I spoke to Drew was just before Easter when I cancelled the first visit. He teased me and said it was because I hadn't bought him and Easter Egg! I denied it and said he'd be getting one whenever we managed to meet. Somehow it didn't seem appropriate though. I know he'd be glad just to know I'd made the effort, and was there.
This page hosted by