Evening with Val

I met with Val (Valdor) last night.  I always called him Val (because) its a girls name and I always teased Bruce that Valdor was his girlfriend.  I spent nearly 10 hours with him last evening and into the early morning.  We laughed and cried and swaped stories about Bruce.  It's hard to put into words my feelings about last night, since I know Val will read this.  But I know he will understand.

He looked like a different man last night.  The Valdor I know, is 51 but looks much younger.  He looked older last night.  His eyes were puffy and he looked much thinner.  As the night went on and we laughed more, he started returning to his youthful self.  Valdor told me that Bruce once said I was the female version of him.  I said, yes, many times Bruce would laugh at me and say "you remind me of Valdor"  or "that sounds like something Valdor would say."

Val told me that he and Bruce first met at the age of 12.  It was Bruce's first day at Military school and they shared a room together.  They would spend the next 6 years as room mates.  When Bruce was younger, he spent the holidays at the boarding school with teachers, even the summer breaks he stayed at the school.  But once he went to military school and met Val he spent every holiday and summer break with him and his family.  They were college room mates and when they joined the air force they bunked together until they were assigned housing then they lived in a duplex next to each other.  When Bruce got married Val bought the house right behind his and a fence and a gate seperated them.  They moved to America together.  Val's house is up on a cliff over looking Bruce's house next to the water.  They worked for the same company (in different) divisions but their offices are in the same building.

Val said there has not been one day since the day they met that they have not talked on the phone or in person. Val was with his parents when their small plane crashed.  The pilot and his dad were killed instantly.  His mother died on the way to the hospital and he survived with his leg broken in two places and his nose was broken.  He said when Bruce was called to come to the hospital they had only told him there were 3 deaths, Bruce didn't know until he got there that Val was alive.  Val said "he hugged me so hard and tightly I told him I survived a plane crash only to have my best friend crush me to death."  He said from that moment on Bruce was the only family he had.

Val is such a good man.  He's very sweet and now I'm afraid he has this idea that he is supposed to take care of me like I'm Bruce's widow.  He kept saying that Bruce would want him to take care of me.  I have the feeling he and I are going to have several long conversations about that.

Bruce ordered a boat from the Rinker Boat Company at the Seattle Boat Show, 3 days before he died.  When the boat company contacted me in April to tell me the boat was ready to be delivered I told them to store it at Yarrow Bay Marina and send the bill to the attorney.  Last night, Val insisted we take the boat out on its maiden voyage and christen the boat.  We bought a bottle of champaign and headed to the marina.  I couldn't believe Bruce had named the boat and there painted on the back was "My Bonnie".  Val and I had a big laugh that I now own a Rinker Boat named "My Bonnie".  I will look like the most vain person on the lake.  But we found a Capt. from another boat to do the honors.  He must of asked us 10 times if we were sure we wanted him to smash the bottle on a brand new boat.  We both said yes..  He did and we drove the boat out to the middle of the lake, dropped anchor and watched the sunset.  It was a beautiful night..

We miss our friend, but we have each other and our memories.  I know it seems hard for Val now but I will keep him in my prayers and hope his poor heart heals soon.  He said the day after Bruce died he carried his cell phone in his hand all day waiting on his call.  He said I still glance at it expecting it to ring or when I get a text I expect it to say "New message from Bruskiasban."  The tears ran down his cheeks and he said "it never does.  There will never be another text from my brother."  I'm not sure Val will ever get over this.  He will survive, but I'm not sure he will ever be the same person.