If there were one memorable event in Ryan Haskins life that developed “Who he is” it would undoubtedly be the death of one of his best friends. The Story starts out with Ryan and his best friend Chris. They were going fishing for a week in Pine Island, Florida, it was the second night at the condo and everyone getting ready to go to bed when the news of Stevens’s death came. Chris had just signed on AOL to check emails, when a close friend of both of them, Pat Carr, sent Chris the worst instant message either of two had ever seen. It stated:
“Chris is haskins there?”
Yea.
Then I don’t know if I should tell you this “.
At this point in the conversation Chris figured maybe Pat hooked up with a girl that Ryan liked or something to that effect, but the boys were oblivious to the news that was yet to come. Then Pat said
“ Are you guys sitting down?
Yes.
Steve and Marquis were in a car accident
And
And Scuba Steve’s dead
I’m sorry Haskins”.
At first Ryan didn’t know why but what Pat had just told him didn’t quit sink in right then. Ryan looked over at Chris and saw the tears running down his face. At that point Ryan felt the walls collapsing around him. He followed Chris out to the back porch, and just stared out into space for about an hour. Ryan looked strait up into the sky, It was a real clear night so there so many stars, but he looked right past them. Any other time their beauty would have pondered him, but after the news he just got he didn’t even want to look for the beauty in things he just wanted to clear his head. He stared so hard it was though he wasn’t staring at any thing at all; it was just a blank look out. You know the one where someone has to wave in front of one’s face to get him out of it. Now up till then not a word had been spoken sense Ryan and Chris had received the news. Ryan turned and looked at Chris, and just broke down in tears. The two talked for about an hour about how they weren’t brought up ever expecting a tragedy of this magnitude, nor either taught how to deal with this. They thought no one at age sixteen should ever have to go through an ordeal like this.
After the talk was over, Ryan called his mom to tell her the horrible news. When she answered the phone he could hear it in her voice, and Ryan knew his mom knew what he was about to say. At first she didn’t know what to say. He didn’t blame her; if someone’s son just lost one of his best friends most wouldn’t know what to say either. They talked around for 45 minutes. She told him how sorry she was for the loss he just suffered and how much she would miss Steve to. All the basic instinct comments in the mother’s handbook she is supposed to use to make her baby boy feel comforted. She said that uncle Bill, the man’s condo whom Ryan and Chris were staying, would be bringing them home in the morning. Ryan and his Moms conversation ended in the normal manner, but this time it had more of a meaning to both of them. It wasn’t just and I love you good night, that night it made Ryan realize that every time he says that now it could be the last.
Life’s Short Don’t Take it for Granted
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