Simon

One of my friends was Simon, the only child of a couple that had lived in our small town for only a few years.

Simon was a little older than me and he got his driver’s license before I did. And he managed to get a car too; a small chocolate brown two-door coupe. He quickly gained reputation as a fast, and often reckless, driver. Not something that went over well with people who saw him speeding on the only major through street we had, as well as in the residential neighborhood.

Then I reached the age where I was for drafted for military service. In those days, that system was still in place and some men came up with the silliest excuses trying to get from under it. I approached it more or less with indifference, it was what it was.

But first I had to report for a physical examination and psychological test. I rode the bus into a nearby town and underwent the almost full day long procedure.

It so happened that Simon was there as well and at the end of the day he offered me a ride home. Although it would be easier and faster than taking the bus, I kindly refused with the excuse that I still had some business to take care of elsewhere in the city.

Knowing about his driving style and having seen him turning corners almost on two wheels I decided that the ride would be too risky. When I got home and told my parents they agreed that I had made a wise decision.

A few months later, on a Sunday morning, a neighbor came over and told us some dreadful news. The night before Simon had been killed in a car accident. It came as a shock, not as a complete surprise.

For some reason we went out to the location where it had taken place, just a few miles away. In a curve where you should not do more than 40 mph, he had lost control at about double that speed and hit two trees.  The car, or what was left of it, had been towed behind the building of a nearby garage. It was the worst wreck I have ever laid eyes on. If I had not seen it before I would not have been able to tell what make and model it was.

Not long after the accident his parents moved away, maybe they could not bear staying so close to the location where it all happened. It is hard to imagine what they went through, losing their only child like that.

And now I’m writing this, 45 years after the accident. It happened a long time ago, but it is still fresh in my mind. Many years later I could still see the damage on the trees he hit that faithful night. I think that I could pick Simon out in a crowd right now and I can still picture the brown coupe with the antenna on the fender.

Rest in peace my friend.