14 years ago today

An old friend of mine died 14 years ago, today.  It was 3 days before my 21st birthday.  I think he was 21 himself.  It was at a party in his flat.  He was drunk and he slipped on a polished floor and fell out a window.  He fell 3 floors to the pavement below.  He died in hospital, I think in the neurosurgical unit, but I'm not entirely sure.

He had been leaning out of the window to shout to some other friends in his bedroom.  They had locked the door to the room and he couldn't get in.  I had been at the party but I'd left a few hours earlier.  I think I was meant to work on the Sunday.

At about 6am I was phoned by a friend to tell me of the death.  I thought it was a sick joke. 

I wrote his parents a letter about what a good guy he was.  They read some of it out at the funeral.  I was asked to help carry the coffin.

Anyhow,  I'll be 35 in a few days and Eddie will have been dead for 14 years.  He was a good guy.  He got me a ticket to see the Ramones once.

RIP