Pat's Letter

My Memories of Brian
Where can I begin? Lets start in middle school. This is when it all really started. 6th grade -- hmmm, let's see, how about the time Brian and I opened a locker that didn’t belong to us, and when it opened the teacher came around the corner. Of course she didn’t see me, just Brian, and sent him down to the office for breaking into a locker. So, when she asked if someone would take the slip down to the office to tell what Brian had done, guess who volunteered. Of course, I went down to the office, laughed at him, and went back to class. He told the principal that the locker was opened a little bit, and he was just trying to close it so that no one would steal anything out of it. Quick thinking -- the nice guy story works every time.

There are many more stories I could share about that year, but let's jump ahead a little. During our 8th grade year, Brian and I had the same metal shop together. After a few tries Brian learned how to forge the metal shop teacher’s signature. So, he and I would always be late or not show up for classes -- but, hey we had a pass.

Throughout the next few years Brian and I shared many memories. I will not bore you with them all. Let me say one thing though -- he had a way of always getting me in trouble, but he also had a way of always getting me out of it.

Brian and I were friends all through our years in school, but during our senior year at CASH -- all hell broke loose. We skipped classes and left school with fake passes all the time. The greatest thing about all that -- up until now -- was teachers loved us and our parents had no clue. Brian and I became very close during this time. We were always together. People would say our names as if we were one person -- Brian-and-Pat.

After our senior year, I took a year off and Brian went to Temple. Then things got really bad. Brian stopped going to Temple and I got laid off from my job. For the next 5 months, we did everything and nothing -- together. Basically, we would get up and hang out and do whatever we wanted with no worries in the world. It was the greatest time.

When I decided what I wanted to do with my life (thanks to Brian for suggesting it to me), I decided to go to college in the Allentown area. The best thing was that Brian went up there for college, too. So, what did we do-- got an apartment together.

For the next 3 ½ years Brian and I lived with each other. Oh, the stories that came out of that place. So many that I could talk about and so many I can’t (just because some of the stories will always be our secrets). The stories, I can tell, would take up pages and pages. So, I will just abbreviate a few of them. Throwing a three month old Christmas tree out of a second floor window, a swimming pool in the dining room, making fun of Brian for sleeping with a teddy bear, and lighting fireworks inside are just a few of the stories.

One thing that really stands out in my mind, during those years, was the time Brian and I were sitting in the attic and a bat flew in. I was sitting close to the stairs so I jumped up and ran. And when Brian would tell this story, I ran like a little girl. Anyway, I stood at the bottom of the steps and yelled to him to get out of there. He just kept yelling, I can’t, it's flying around my head. Finally, he gets down the steps and we figure out what we are going to do to get rid of the bat in our apartment. About a half-hour later we venture up the steps -- Brian in hooded jacket and carrying a pellet gun, and I in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a broom. We slowly made it to the top of the steps and knelt behind a chair. We sat and waited for the bat to come back so we could kill it, but it never did. I guess the way we looked -- scared him away. Like I said before, there are many stories I could tell about that apartment but it would take days to tell them all.

When I was done school I moved out of the apartment, and a few months later, so did Brian. We were both back home and working, and were still hanging out together all the time. Brian made sure to schedule his days off around mine, which made some really good stories, too.

Brian was and always will be my greatest friend. No one else would do what he did for me throughout the years. People even made fun of us calling us husband and wife because of the way we acted. But now, when I think about it, Brian and I had something that no one else could understand. He was not just a friend, he was a BEST FRIEND. He was also a BROTHER to me. Not many can say they have had both with one person.

I miss you Man!
Later!
Pat

P.S. Dekalb (inside joke between him and I)

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