We play dice. In turns, we take five dice in our hands and toss them into a round black plastic tray with green felt along the bottom. According to the rules we collect points and advance or lose. We talk trash. Especially Gamma, she totally started the trash talking. Gamma gets some amazing rolls.
The day before yesterday, a grey November evening, we were playing. Four people, five dice, thrown over and over. On one of my turns, I threw the dice and when they came to a stop one was balanced on its corner. Sometimes they will come to a rest against the wall of the tray, you know, and you can slap the tabletop and they will fall over onto one side. But no matter how I slapped the table, this die stayed on its corner. And it wasn't even touching a wall.
In all our years of dice playing, none of us had ever seen such a thing. You can't balance a die on its corner even if you try, not even on felt.
One or two rolls later, it happened again!
Then it stopped.
The next morning, my mother called early to say my father had passed away.
Posted at November 6, 2006 05:15 AMI'm so sorry.
Posted by: anne at November 6, 2006 07:59 AMMig - mein aufrichtiges Beileid. :-(
Posted by: novala at November 6, 2006 12:24 PMVery sorry to hear about your loss, my friend.
Posted by: Brian at November 6, 2006 01:46 PMI'm really sorry to read about your loss.
Posted by: Pam at November 6, 2006 02:39 PMmig. i am so sorry.
Posted by: ruth at November 6, 2006 02:48 PMDude. Just... dude.
I'll be on gmail if you feel like talking.
Posted by: D at November 6, 2006 03:27 PMi'm wishing you peace. you and your family.
Posted by: k. at November 6, 2006 04:27 PMi'm so sorry. i'm wishing for you and your family peace and comfort.
Posted by: k. at November 6, 2006 04:28 PMWhat an amazing experience that he stopped to say goodbye. I am so sorry for your loss.
Posted by: Carrie at November 6, 2006 05:17 PMI'm sorry Miguel...but it's nice that he played along on his new journey.
Posted by: Karan at November 6, 2006 05:36 PMI am so sorry, Mig.
Posted by: shelley at November 6, 2006 06:55 PMWow, what a marvellous way to drop by. I'm very sorry to read about your loss, mig.
Posted by: flerdle at November 6, 2006 08:53 PMSharing in your sorrow and offering deepest sympathy.
Posted by: Suzette at November 6, 2006 09:26 PMPeace to you and yours, old buddy. I am very sorry to hear of your loss.
Posted by: ronbailey at November 7, 2006 12:51 AMWell... Shit...
Sorry about your loss.
Posted by: Bauke at November 7, 2006 01:08 PMSorry mate.
Posted by: zedzdead at November 7, 2006 04:20 PMSorry to read about your loss. Hang in there, Mig.
Posted by: joeri at November 7, 2006 04:26 PMMy deepest sympathy.
Posted by: R J Keefe at November 7, 2006 06:49 PMI'm sorry, mig. To judge a tree by its apple, he must have been a remarkable man.
Posted by: gordon at November 8, 2006 04:41 AMSo he came to you one last time. That is something good to have. I am sorry for these sad days.
Posted by: marina at November 8, 2006 06:00 PMA few years after he died, I felt my Dad's presence in the delivery room when my third son was born. It brought a peaceful conclusion to my grieving.
My condolences..
G
Posted by: Guanaco at November 8, 2006 06:39 PMI join the internets here in saying that I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure it's extra hard being so far away (though perhaps at this very minute you are on your way to the States?). Peace.
Posted by: jadedju at November 9, 2006 01:59 AMI've been reading your blog for a while. I am truely sorry...I think I know how you feel...time heals all things, or at least numbs the pain.
Posted by: Zwiedawurzn at November 9, 2006 02:28 PMwishing you peace, mig... for your heart, for your mind, for your soul...
Posted by: ratty at November 14, 2006 10:37 PMThanks, everyone.
Posted by: mig at November 18, 2006 03:09 PM