Too Soon

01-04-2015

This is sadly one of those posts that sucks to write. Not because it is something that shouldn't be written, but because the topic is one that nobody should ever have to write about.

Over the weekend there was a death on the lady friend's side of the family. Her godmother, a woman who is like a second mother to her, lost her eldest son. This in itself would be a tragedy, for a parent to outlive one of their children, but this little lad was only eleven years of age.

Which makes this one of those situations that nobody can understand. How such a thing can happen in the world. Worse how can you even begin to imagine what his parents are going through. You simply can't. Even if you have gone through it yourself such a personal loss is individual to every person that has had to suffer it.

But this post isn't about all that, it is about the boy himself. It is about Stephen McElroy.

I've known him for a little less time than I have been with the lady friend. One of the "boyfriend" tests was to see if her youngest cousins liked me. After I helped him to put her shoes on the roof of his home, so that she was unable to get them back down, I passed with flying colours.

Much to her disappointment.

He was a brat, but the right kind of brat. I remember him sitting at the top of my table in our apartment eating his white pudding and chip dinner that I had to throw together for him because I didn't know I was making him dinner. Munching on the food and telling me he knew it wasn't really sausage. Then demanding more coke with that pleading grin all seven year olds have.

He was cheeky, but the right sort of cheeky. Knowing full well that not only do I have no interest in football but also no skills at the game at all he would run around me showing off his mad skills. Skills that he bloody well shouldn't have had at his age. Then laughing at me as I failed to kick a ball in a straight line.

He was a devil, but the right sort of devil. You could get him onside for a prank sooner than you can blink. More so if said prank involved him and me getting one over on the lady friend.

He was all of these things and more. He was an older brother to Ryan and it was the right kind of brother. The one that had time for his younger sibling, even if it wasn't cool. Over the years you could see the whispers of the man he would become. Styling his hair with the gel to the point that it was uncool for mammy to try and fix one strand of it. Then asking if it looked like mine.

As if my ginger mop is something to aspire to.

He was bright and he was caring and in no short way he was taken from the world far too early.

The curse of The Soup can also be a benefit sometimes. While I will forever remember these last few days I can also recall his big grin as the pair of us raced against each other on the Kinect. Only for him to win because I am way too old to race an eleven year old.

My take on what happens after we shuffle off this mortal coil is a bit against the doctrine of my faith, but I remember hearing a nice idea about stars. I was told, when I was younger, that the stars were actually the souls of people who had died and the night sky was just a black cloth that covered the world. Each person who died pierced the cloth and became another star watching down on everyone. I'd like to think that Stephen is the brightest star shining in the sky tonight.

Stephen may you rest in peace. I've no doubt wherever you are now you are being awesome. You will be missed.

Blue_jester




Susan | Wed, 01 Apr 15 01:21:49 +0100

That is so lovely1

pipgov | Wed, 01 Apr 15 15:38:52 +0100

Super piece, sorry to hear rhe bad news

Leave a comment...

Name (required)