For a Friend

The rain came down hard today. Much like everything else. Life for me has been good since I left the company. While I miss the wrestling world and am always being pulled to go back. There is still that part of me who doesn’t care for the politics, or the fame, or the beatings. I own a nice home, am engaged to be married next year and have a dog and a good future. My degree is close and I enjoy life. I still visit with Ray Cross and Manix. We hang out very often. Yet as close as we are there was another person whom many hardly knew. Here I sit. Like my mentor before me out in the pouring rain. 

“Close your eyes” he would say.

“Listen to the sound of the world.”

I close my eyes and I think to myself. Why doesn’t anyone understand. Shadow would have understood. Geraldo would have understood. I remember after I left our conversation. I remembered him letting me in on his real name. Trust and understanding. We had that. I was never as close to him as Harold, but if I ever needed that deep insight to the world. If I had things going through my head about my mom, he would always be there and he would always have great words of wisdom.

Now what? Now is the greatest challenge yet. That rabbit hole could never hold you forever my friend. Whatever dreams and fears you have while you are there you know that there is always another fight around the corner. Consciousness is just a dream. You need not worry about being bound to the flesh.  .  .  At least that’s what I think you may tell me to tell you. What advice would you give me now. What advice would you give those you have been there for all these years. 

We are here for you.

I feel the wetness cold and damp as thunder rolls across the sky. Thunder and lightning. The come and go and they say lightning never strikes twice in the same place. Perhaps if it did, it could be captured in a bottle. Tide up and kept to be used. That way one day when the reaper comes and knocks on your door, you can open that bottle and rip his boney ass to pieces.

If only.

The street light now finally flickers on. Apparently night is coming. I don’t think it ever truly left. Grizzly Z would be silent if he knew. I haven’t had the heart to tell him, or the others. Perhaps I haven’t had the courage. Partly because I don’t know what their reaction would be. If any. Shad was a friend of mine. He wasn’t just the guy that ran the Towers. He was someone I knew as a friend. Perhaps I never had a face to match him up with, but I never needed one. Hence the name. Shadow, you never lose your shadow, no matter how dark it gets it’s it only hides better, and the brighter the light the brighter the shadow.

I will always remember, that no matter what happens my friend, you are always here with me. I can always hear your words. While I hope they come in the form of old, I will be strong if you choose to not let the lighting out of the bottle. You did more than any would have expected of you and it’s our job to carry on the words of wisdom you have given.

With that being said. You better wake the fuck up. So we can one day meet face to face. You are my friend and the world would be a darker place if you left it.