Tuesday, March 26, 2024
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‘Long ago and far away’… Michael was my first friend in this life. I was born the same month as Michael far away from him down East. In 1961, when we were about 6 months old, Michael’s parents and my parents moved into houses separated by only one other house in a small mining community in Nova Scotia, where our fathers were employed by the mining company. Michael and I became friends before we could walk and talk. There were lots of children in our neighbourhood to play with, yet Michael and I stuck to each other like sap to a tree. In fact, the spruce tree under which Michael and I played in childhood still stands on the property where the Yuskiws lived in the 1960s – I bought that property twenty years ago, and hearing stories now about Michael’s skills I wish I had had his expertise to help restore the house. In 1966 Michael and I started school together. We lived close enough to walk, but for 5/6-year-olds it was a long walk. In the spring – right about this time of year – on our way home from school we would splash in the melting snow water running in the ditches, getting soaked and laughing… until our mothers caught sight of us! Michael’s family moved away from NS in summer 1967, and I saw Michael only once after that, four years later when the Yuskiws returned for a visit. Michael and I found a spruce tree by the beach to sit under in the shade on a hot summer afternoon, and at age 10 piked up our friendship like no time had passed at all (though four years is eternity in childhood). After that memorable day in 1971, though I never saw him again, I never forgot my friend and I always hoped one day our paths would cross. They did, indirectly, in summer 2022 when Michael’s brother Raymond travelled to NS and decided to look for the old homestead. He found it, and with it he found Michael’s childhood friend, and so through Ray and Brigitte Michael and I were able to say ‘hello’ again after more than fifty years! I am grateful we got to exchange that ‘hello’ in our 62nd year of life and acknowledge our childhood friendship as never forgotten.
Farewell for now, Michael; we’ll have our reunion in the hereafter. Your forever friend, Carol King
