(Editors note: This post has been edited since first written, now that I'm more cohesive.)
A good friend of mine that I've known since kindergarten, (over 19 years) died yesterday in a car accident.
As far as I know, he was a pedestrian crossing the street downtown, that got hit by a careless cement truck driver at the corner of Seymore and Smithe. (Coincidentally enough, that's mere blocks from where I used to go to Karaoke almost every Friday night.) I just found out about twenty minutes ago, and after my tears had subsided, but my grief most definitely has not, this was the best I could do to honour his memory.
The world is a less brighter place without Noga in it.
I feel the worst for his five year old daughter, who will grow up having difficulty remembering her loving father, his sister, who loved him immensely, his brother with downs syndrome, who adored him and looked up to him, that Noga always treated with love, respect, and a gentle heart, and his parents who are wonderful people.
I regret turning down the offer to go have coffee with him and Elizabeth, my old room-mate, who has known him since she was in diapers, last Friday. That's what stings the most for me. I had the opportunity to see him, to give him a hug, to tell him I was proud of the who he had become, and how he raised his daughter up to that point, but turned it down because I had too busy of a schedule with work and homework.
There will be quite a few sad hearts and tears shed tonight amongst my friends. Elizabeth is devastated, my girlfriend Crystal, who told me, called me in sobs, and I'm a mess myself.
Life, is such a bitch.
I'm pleading with both pedestrians and drivers, to be more careful when crossing the street, and driving your car in heavily populated areas. Please, don't let someone get hurt or die the way that Noga did.
If I have to miss a day of finals next week for the funeral, I don't care. I'm going regardless.
I'll miss you, sweetheart.
Rest In Peace.
Noga Zuniga
1980- 2005
Noga Zuniga
1980- 2005
3 comments:
Maybe I'll see you at his memorial ... it's at Bonsor Rec Centre at 6pm tomorrow (April 11). There are pictures of me at http://flickr.com/photos/briana. If you recognize me, come say hello. I'll link back to you from my memorial post to Noga on my blog. I'm glad others have had the same urge.
I was there about 4 mintues after it happened. I heard it all, but saw nothing. I only found out just today that I had known his friends. It was tragic enough before I knew his name, and about his family.
I hope you will believe me when I say that I felt nothing but peace in the air that day.
My heart and soul pours out to everyone who knew him, and everyone who loved him. He will rest in peace.
Evan
ew_xenocide@hotmail.com
I'm sure I will see you both at the memorial tomorrow night, though I don't think I've ever met either of you.
I first met Noga in the summer of 1996. I was skateboarding at Bby. Central, the school where I was about to begin Gr.11. ... anyways, there I was stumbling around on my skate, probably attempting the ever so elusive ollie, when along came this kid named Noga. We'd never met before, but we sat together, I smoked, and we talked for a while. He showed me some tricks he knew on my skate, and than he was gone.... back to summer school...
On the first day of school that year, we met again, and were good friends thru those next two years...
People lose touch after high school, and unfortunatley, Noga and I lost touch, but the few times since those days that I did see him, we always had that connection.
Noga was and is a bright point in all those lives he touched.
I just found out that he had passed tonight... what a weekend to leave your cellphone at work! All of this hasn't quite sunken in yet, and I'm not sure what else to say excpet, we'll miss you Noga.
ps thanks to evan for the kind words tonight (on msn and here)
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