So, I went to school with this brother and sister, the sister a year behind me and the brother a year ahead. The sister, let's call her A, is a dear friend of my fiancee. The brother, B, was one of a very few only openly gay people I knew at that time (late 90s). Really nice and outgoing dude, and although I'm sure he was picked on from time to time, he was very well liked by most people. Fast forward a decade and a bit, to July 2011. B's drug problem had kind of gotten out of hand, and unfortunately, he died of an overdose (a mix of heroin and adavan). A and B have another younger brother, C. C was there when B died. C supplied B the drugs. And, C didn't call 911 when he noticed B wasn't breathing; he called a family member. Needless to say, C felt just a tad guilty. Last week marked the third anniversary of B's death. The family has mostly been recovering for the last several years, as it takes a long time to absorb the untimely death of a son, brother, and friend. Sadly, C marked the occasion by OD'ing as well. His mother found him. It's unclear whether it was a suicide or accidental, but goddam if the funeral wasn't one of the more heart wrenching ones that I've attended. Anyway, the police confiscated his phone to investigate, and they returned it to the family unlocked. The texts to his dealers make reference to 'boi' and 'girl' all over the place, boi being the aforementioned, and girl apparently being crack.
Thanks for delivering, Ben. My condolences to yourself and the family, that's truly a tragic story. :(