I just returned from a viewing at a funeral home.
The person on view was Andrew. Andrew attended the same high school as I did, as well as my wife and her brothers. As Andrew was 2-3 years older than myself, I had never had occasion to meet him during my time in high school. He was, however, a friend of my wife's brother. I met Andrew last year at a family dinner.
Ten years ago, I worked for several years in a group home for developmentally delayed adults with a woman named Ruth. Ruth is a feisty English emigre; she was hard working, opinionated and honest. Soon after I moved from my position at the group home, Ruth and I fell out of touch.
Fast forward 6-7 years - to last year - at a Thanksgiving dinner at my wife's parent's home. As I walked into their home I was surprised to see Ruth sitting at the dining table. Sitting beside her was the late Andrew. This is the last place I would have expected to see Ruth. But there she was accompanying Andrew.
So Andrew, who knew my brother-in-law, shows up at a dinner hosted by my in-laws to enter my life for almost exactly one year before losing his life to cancer.
Fate makes up and stretches out the most extraordinary relationships until you are sure they are broken for good, then introduces one silly flourish - mobius strip like - to bring it all together again; only to sever the newly forged ties all over again.
I have no doubt that I will be seeing Andrew again someday. And Ruth? Ruth, is here to stay.
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