Eddie’s a rough and tumble guy, a reminder of times gone by. Every day, without fail, he and I would take turns making the other smile and laugh. We had each other through anything, and I was always happy to lend a helping hand when possible. It was the gratitude that I received in return that fed my soul.
From strangers to best friends in such a short time, Eddie and I joked around as though we had been friends for life. In reality, we come from different generations, different walks of life, and certainly hold different world views. Yet, through it all, there was never a doubt that, whenever I’d call, Eddie would be on the other side of the phone, ready for anything.
Although his humor could be crass at times, it was always a welcome reprieve from anything that might have been plaguing me in that moment. There were moments worthy of joy, too. Late nights spent sat on the staircase outside, enjoying a warm night and a cold beer. With Eddie, even the simple things were cause for jubilance and celebration.
There were the tough times, too. Days filled with pain, suffering, grievance, trouble, inconvenience, a lack of consideration on the behalf of others. In this way, we often found common ground - we both understood what it meant to go into a situation with the best intentions, only to be rebuked or mistreated in return. Eddie never dwelled on the negative for too long, and was only ever a cigarette away from returning to his boisterous self.
Eddie watched over the neighborhood, and the neighborhood watched over Eddie. It was a truly beautiful relationship, a reassuring permanence in a world of relentless and maddening change. Still, the old values that he had carried with him since childhood never faded, and I always found myself admiring his resilience. He wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone, stop him from living by his own rules. The world had changed, but Eddie hadn’t.
Although we each attempted to hide behind a masculine bravado most of the time, we never shied from telling each other just how much we appreciated it all. We were the first and the last person to call when any situation arose. When no one else would turn up, I could count on Eddie to stroll onto the scene in seconds, gleeful as ever.
Never did I see Eddie shy away from hard work, and his torn jeans and heavy boots certainly earned their keep. He was a relic of the tried and true work ethic that people in my life had instilled in me from a young age. He didn’t have much. In fact, there were days when Eddie went without food, or didn’t have a place to stay. Still, he carried with him always an undying optimism. It was a belief in self that transcended any impossible situation that might arise.
The time has come for me to move on, and leave the house that Eddie and I both loved and cared for. Parting with my friend was not easy, and, even after I had lost everything material in life, it was saying farewell that hurt the most. It was the sudden removal of a constant in my life that felt secure. Even as I traverse the globe, I know that, no matter the time, Eddie is always just a phone call away. He knows the same.
True friendship is a rarity in a world of superficiality and self-centeredness, and I always remember how fortunate I am to have found it in the most unlikely of places. I wish that everyone could experience it.
What a blessing to have a beautiful soul to have your back when it feels as though the world has turned against you. After all, there’s no one I’d rather have on my side - no one quite like my friend Eddie.
