A Life Constructed. Delon Hampton
when I hear in my mind’s ear the voices of our sopranos singing during our graduation performance. And I still remember too—although a little more hazily—jumping into Ray’s car and heading for the parties after the ceremony. I didn’t eat dinner that night, and before long the alcohol overwhelmed me. When Ray and Ed dropped me off at the end of the evening and my hat blew off, I could only laugh as I watched it roll down the street with Ray and Ed in chase.
Years later I would find myself beside Ed Fleming in hospice as he lay dying. Sitting next to my friend in the last days of his life as he struggled with prostate cancer was a heart-wrenching experience. But I am glad I was able to be with him. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to say goodbye to Ray, who also died of cancer. I learned of his death when I was planning a trip to Dallas and sought to invite him and his wife, Evelyn, to dinner. I had not seen them in a very long time. When I called to set up the dinner, Evelyn, in her gracious and apologetic way, told me she would be happy to have dinner with me but Ray had died two months earlier. I was shocked.
Switching to Englewood High School was the most important decision of my young life. If I had not made that decision I probably would still be hanging out on street corners in my old neighborhood, or worse. I probably never would have gone to college or entered the profession of civil engineering.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.