The People You Meet Part Two

Have you ever met someone and just knew you will always have some sort of a connection with them that will never go away even if you don't see or talk to them for years? 

I have. Well, maybe not that extreme but close.

His name was Zane. Zane something that starts with a P and is Italian. That is all i can really remember about his name. I met this boy when I was in second grade and knew him till I was in third grade. Then one day he disappeared and I never heard or seen him since. 

He was my best friend and someone I thought I couldn't go a day without. He was an interesting kid. He never wore a shirt, and if he did it wasn't for long, never had shoes on, always running around or playing in the trees. He was always free. Free from any limitations, or so my young mind thought. 

I remember the day I first set eyes on him. I was walking around the complex I was living in in Tempe, Arizona. I still remember the address. 1012 East Diamond Drive Tempe, AZ. It was a white and blue condo with three bed rooms and had two floors. I stayed there for three years. But I'm getting off topic. So, back to what I was saying, I was walking around and I saw this boy with no shirt or shoes playing were I usually play. We called it the tubes. It was just these white looking cement tubes of different sizes coming out of the ground enclosed in a circle shape sidewalk that branched off in two different ways. I remember just watching him. Afraid to get close to him so I waited till he left. Once he did I went to go play by my self and he came back. But he had something with him. It was a red mask with horns and a hideous face on it. It was the devil and at the time there was nothing more that scared me was the devil and the world ending. Just the thought of it made me want to cry and pray to God.

But he came to me and he scared me and I was on the verge of tears. He said sorry and thew the mask away. From that point on we were always together. If you saw him or me the other was either right at the other side or not to far away. 

I only have one picture of him and you cant even see his face. But from time to time I would see it and wonder what he looks like now. He was so happy and full of energy. There was only one time I saw everything I love about him disappeared. It was the day he fell from the tree house.

Now, the tree house wasn't actually one of those tree houses you would have in your back yard or see in the movies. It was just a tree and we just called it a tree house. But what Zane love to do was clime to the very top or as high as he could go and say "watch me, Angie! Watch me!" And I would look up with him worried and say "stop, get down" or "you're scaring me" or "you're going to fall". But he never did and e would eventually get down and I would be so mad at him from being reckless and stupid. Everyone knows that some of the weakest branches are at the top. 

So one day when he was claiming to the top and he went to far. The one time I said "fine, go to the top. I don't care if you fall." And he did. He fell all the way to the base of tree. His legs were wide opened and everything good left his face. I lost it and ran to his home to get his parents. They came to him and took him to the hospital. He had to get surgery and it looked like a hole under his bellybutton. Shortly after that he was gone. 

Nothing, no call, no note, nothing, Just up and gone. I didnt even know they were moving. I showed up to their front door and there was a for rent sign. And no one home.