Friend

You know how you have those friends you don't talk to for weeks or months or years but you pick right back up every single time like no time has passed at all? That's Silas. We've known each other since first grade at the school near our houses. He lived on a farm 3 minutes from my house-- that's right, the super suburbs. We went to the same middle school and high school and played the same instruments in the band.

We had multiple classes together from first grade to 12th. But the band is how we became such good friends. We both started with the trumpet in 5th grade. Then in 7th grade we both moved to the french horn. I was always first chair, he was second chair. One of my favorite stories to tell that he probably doesn't even remember anymore is the chair seating in 8th or 9th grade. We had to play one scale of our choosing and the chromatic scale. We got extra credit for memorizing. He memorized it and I didn't. He got a 99... I got 100. Hahahahaha. He was so annoyed. But good natured. He was definitely the calmer portion of our friendship. I was always loud and hyper. He was hyper in his own right but I could be a bit outrageous.

He finally bested me for 1st chair after I became drum major. We were both in the marching band next to each other as mellophones (you can't march with a french horn) sophomore year. We were pretty much the only people we knew at our high school in band camp. It was a bit daunting. We made other friends but that initial uncertainty forged us closer together. Me, Silas, Shana and Kendall used to go to Chili's after games on Friday. On Saturdays we would usually go to the movies. We probably saw every horror movie that came out that year. And tried almost everything on that menu. At the end of the year our friend Amy convinced me to try out for drum major with her. I didn't want to but did it anyway. I made it, she didn't. That was sucky. But she ended up moving away partway through the next year. She was really good on horn so that may have played a part in why she wasn't selected.

Anyway the concentration of playing and remembering where you are supposed to move next improves your ability on your instrument. Junior year I was still a chair ahead of him but senior year he finally got first chair! I was shocked! Lol. I was not one for practicing but I was used to things just coming to me anyway. That's how I rolled. I wasn't a studier and those things came to me, too. If they didn't, I didn't worry about them. I would do enough to get a B which was good enough for me. I really could've tried harder but oh well. No use crying over spilled milk (Stace).

After high school I went off to Hampton and became a journalism major. He went to State and became a math major... and something else I think. It seems like he was a double major. I thought the math part was HILARIOUS though. When we were younger, don't ask me how young, I used to help him with his math homework. But he went on to AP Calculus while I stayed with AP Statistics. I knew I wouldn't need Calculus for college so I refused to take it. Am I making him sound foolish? Because I don't mean to. He was a lot of fun and a great friend. We always made sure to catch up on each break when we were home at the same time. We'd head back to Chili's of course, hahaha, sit next to each other on one side of the booth and look at each others pictures of our new lives. This would garner some dirty looks because he's white. Antiquated, huh? Sometimes the looks annoyed me, but most of the time I just ignored them. I don't think we ever talked about this. If we did, I don't remember the conversations.

He's not dead, lest you think that's the point of this post. We just got re-connected! This morning, in fact. After college he joined the P.eaceCorps. He spent 3 years in Namibia and just came back home in December. I sent him an email a few days ago to find out what's going on in his life. He's back in Matthews. I was just there! I didn't even know he was back. I said to myself, "I should call his mom's house." (I still have the number memorized from using it so much back in the day.) I didn't, though. Guess that means I have to make another trip home soon!! Lol. Anyway I got his reply email this morning and it felt just like it always has. Don't you love old friends?