Bart Van De Vel / Harpo
Out of context: Reply #89
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I hadn't spoken to Bart in 4 or 5 months. Life just got hectic. I got a new job, married, bought a house. . .
I invited him to the wedding and to stay with me for a while in Oregon. I wanted to repay his kindness from my time in Antwerp. Though he couldn't make it, I thought there would be more time and other chances. I am happy, at least, that our final words were of love and brotherhood.
He took me, a stranger, into his home and treated me as an honored guest. Introduced me to his mother and father who welcomed me with open hearts.
When I met them, I understood at once how Bart became the man he was. His mother was quiet, gentle and always smiling. She cooked witloof, clams and tiramisu for me. His father, full of boyish enthusiasm, showed me around the city, stopping at neighborhood pubs to endorse a new and delicious beer at each one. I recall trying my first "qwak" with Bart and his father in an old puppet theater. The memory makes me smile through the hurt.
I wonder how they are, half the world away... where I can't reach out to offer comfort. . . or to tell them how amazing a son they had. How many lives he touched. . .
How do you tell a grieving parent that their child changed the world?
I have no idea where I would be now without him. He befriended me and inspired me. He showed me things I never imagined... and taught me to pronounce words I never thought my thick, Alabamian tongue could pronounce. Mijn vriend en broer. Ik zal altijd je missen.
I have never felt so far away, nor as powerless to help your loved ones in their time of need. I miss you with my whole heart, brother. And I will love you always.