Adam

I remember it was grade three. Miss Paris' class. He sat across from me. He was funny and he was cute. I had a little crush on him. He had the most beautiful sandy brown, curly hair I had ever seen. Big loose curls. He used to twirl his pencil in his curls before Miss Paris would ask him to stop and get back to work. He had a big smile. A smile that made you smile if he looked your way. It was big and bright. He was not loud. He was quieter and I liked that. He fascinated me.

It was almost Christmas. The time where you go and visit Santa and tell him all about how you have been a good little boy or girl and what present you wanted him to bring you this year. It was Friday and Adam's Dad took him and another little boy to go see Santa. On Monday, Adam was not sitting across from me. He was not twirling his pencil around in his big loose curls. Adam was not there at all. He was not there the next day or the day after that. Adam had been on his way to visit Santa when his Dad hit a patch of black ice. The car spun out of control and went off the road. Adam died instantly along with his friend. But his Dad survived. When I heard this, I did not know what to think. Did this mean I would never see Adam again?

I held my Mom's hand tightly the day I went to say goodbye to Adam. I remember adults reaching down and hugging me. Through their tears they thanked me for being there and told me how happy Adam would be, knowing I was there. I cried too. I was still trying to comprehend all of this. But I cried because the one thing I did know was that I could not see him smile anymore. My Mom told me that God needed a special angel just like Adam in heaven. That was why he had to go.

I missed Adam. I missed him a lot that year. His seat across from me remained empty and I would look at it everyday. Hoping that maybe, he would come back and twirl his pencil in his big brown curls. Or look at me with his big smile and make me smile too. I have never forgotten my dear friend Adam who left this world way too soon. I have not forgotten him even to this day, almost fourteen years later.