Fade to Black

Walking, talking, laughing, pontificating and then silence. April, and May 2001 Aaron, Zach, Eric, Justin--four friends captured on video a few days in the life. Patrick and his buds make appearances. Mom and Dad show their charm. School was almost over. The boys would be turning 14 and 15 in days. Skate boards, movies, video games, jobs, life was easy for the fellas.

Patrick and Cathy have begun the inevitable journey through the video archives. They went in first. Patrick reported to me that the road was safe and fun. Not painful. I took my place on the couch in Patrick's re-decorated basement rec room. A much more comfortable couch. The instant I heard Aaron's voice, his dialect I got tears. His mannerisms were there, his smile, his facial expressions, the ear twisting, nose scrunching. Everything that doesn't show up on still photos. There he was. His mind worked in way unique to Aaron. I can't describe it. But I saw it again and remembered.

Equipped with the video camera Aaron took us on a tour of life through his eyes and I am incredibly sad. Aaron is behind the camera, he puts in on his friends, people passing by, his brother and friends, and himself. Thank God he did that. I need to see his eyes. I need to hear his perspective. Looking into the camera Aaron gives advice to Movie and Video game makers--"If you're gonna do a sequel----Don't do it! They're stupid. It's dumb."

The video turned into art without anyone trying. At one point Aaron and Zach are downloading music and Billy Joel's Only The Good Die Young comes on. The boys are singing along, Aaron with the camera on himself sings the words "Only The Good Die Young" abd then he turns off the camera. After a few more episodes of Aaron and Zach the story reaches an ending on May 4 2001 with a sleep over at our house. Zach, Eric, Aaron. In the kitchen "Cathy says Aaron this is your last Thursday being 13." Zach chimes in--"This is my last Thursday being 14." Much chatter and fun. Then the camera goes off as if the story ends.

After a pause of a few moments the camera is recording again. The date is November 3, 2003. The lens is pointing into a cushion. Just black scene but you can hear a television at a low volume. Footsteps can be heard walking past the camera and up the stairs...the voices on the tube are adult. No young boys. There are no sounds of laughter. No banter. No levity. No innocence. Just black.

I despise how drugs steal young people. Drugs steal the innocence, the soul, the youth. Aaron didn't die from the drug. He had regained that youthful vigor for a while. Maybe he could have continued one day at a time. We don't know. One day laughing, pontificating, telling stories...then dead. Fade to black.

I want Aaron to make the sequel.