He can't be gone...I've muttered it to myself for the last 24 hours. He's gotta be out there still, ready to pop up in my chat window at zany hours and what seems to be the most inopportune times. Why, just the other day we were chatting and he told me he was worried about his brain.
He can't be gone. Just six days ago he received my envelope with a couple of New Zealand comic books. He devoured them and wanted more. There were dozens in the series, yet to be enjoyed. He was so taken with them that he'd begun signing off as Wal' - the anti-hero of Footrot Flats.
We had just arranged some details for my visit to Pittsburgh in August. He was getting all excited about showing me around. And of course, we were discussing the publication of his collected Avenir Eclectia stories, in a book all his own, to be called Transfer Orbits.
It's not even been three years since I lost my own father when he was only sixty. Walt was doing a fine job as a stand-in...so often I thought he should have met my dad. They have the same twisted humour. Well, I won't pretend to know what the afterlife is really truly like, but I'll betcha my spaceship that they've met now.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's got his own spaceship, too. To him, discovering the universe piece by piece would be an utter act of worship. He may have left this life in a bus stop, but he'll be enjoying the next with rather speedier transportation, I suspect.
It sure is an odd thing to lose someone you've never met. I guess we're lucky we found out; it would be so easy for an online friend to disappear and we'd be never the wiser. But apparently he spoke of his Internet buddies enough to his family that they searched us out.
I don't even know what he looked like. He did say he bore some resemblance to Wal' in the cartoons, so I guess this is the image that's stuck with me.
So long, Wal'. Can't wait to see that spaceship.
4 comments:
{{hugs}} He was a special guy in so many ways.
I too am glad that as an online buddy I found out that he passed...and I love the image of his own spaceship. In fact, I'm pretty sure my kids would be responsible for decorating it for him and then demanding stories...bet he's chummin it up right about now... :)
He was one of a kind. I sure miss him...and I've been saying the same thing.
So sorry for your loss. May your memories of him live on, with much fondness. He as obviously someone very special to you. May the Lord comfort you in your grief. Know that you will see him again someday in that other world.
Walt's sudden passing knocked me into such a loop that when I saw it announced before his story on AE, I just X-ed it out and went headlong into total denial and refused to deal with it.
I'm still not dealing with it well. It really is an odd thing to lose someone you have never met.
I have yet to return to AE to read his story or any stories. I'm sort of circling now, visiting your blog and the Rocket Science for the Rest of Us blog. I'm working up the strength to get back there again.
I hate death. It's mean, ugly, and smells bad.
I'm sure glad I know the One who holds the power to kick death's @$$ for us. That's what I hold onto when I go through the process of exiting denial and entering acceptance. And I still don't want to accept the finality of Walt not being here.
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