Drifting

I've had a long, tumultuous, but rewarding relationship with my friend Brian. I view him like a brother, and as such we've had our ups and downs, but I've always been willing to stand by him, and help him, no matter the odds, and no matter the consequences. If he were to call me and tell me he'd been kidnapped and taken to Kuala Lumpur, I'd find a way to get there and get him home.

Brian stood by me when I was dating Holly and I alienated almost everyone I knew thinking I had to just to keep Holly happy. I kept in touch with him when he moved to New Jersey to start his career as a cartoonist. I kept in touch with him when he moved to Maryland to be closer to his now-wife Charlotte. I supported his decision to change careers after 9/11 and become a constable. I was a best man (one of two) at his wedding, and I welcomed his wife into our circle of friends. We asked him and his wife to be McKenna's godparents.

When Brian announced he would be moving back to Pennsylvania over a year ago to be closer to family and friends, I was OVERJOYED, thinking I would finally be able to spend more time with him, and we might get to work on all of the projects that we've talked about for the last 13 years: comic books, movies, novels, and games. We had careers planned ahead of us.

But it hasn't come to pass. Instead of seeing Brian, I only got phone calls. Then those tapered off over the last 3 months, and now I don't even hear from him. He lives 5 miles from me, a 30-minute bike ride, a 3-minute car ride, and it's like he doesn't even exist anymore.

Now we're getting ready to move to Philadelphia so I can be closer to work, and he still doesn't see me. My calls to him go unanswered, unreturned.

It hurts, because I thought I'd have my brother back, but all I've got is a phantom, the memory of the man.

Posted by Maurice at August 23, 2003 01:32 PM | TrackBack