17 - Empty Box

By Kay Heitsch

It was surprising what things Todd's friends wanted to keep as a memory. But it was also surprising what I ended up keeping.

Along with the wallet Todd had with him the day of his accident and a piece of wood from the tree, I kept a Mother's Day statue, his pillowcase, and an empty box.

I'll never forget the day I went to the mailbox and saw this box from Texas Wonder Pet Company. What was in this box?

Since this box was addressed to Todd, I called Todd, who was in his room. Todd immediately ran up the stairs and called two of our neighbors, Brett and Matt.

All I remember hearing is, "It's here! It was only a few minutes before Brett and Matt were in Todd's room.

I ran downstairs to check out what all the excitement was about. Todd's new pet was a chameleon. Todd had an aquarium setup all ready for its new home.

Why did I keep this box? I really don't know. It could be because I can still see and feel the excitement this day brought to 3 teenage boys.

It's terrific to have neighborhood friends, and I'm happy Todd had Brett and Matt.

I'll never forget seeing Brett and Matt standing at the end of the driveway waiting for the bus without Todd. Both were standing silent, looking down, and kicking rocks. I'm sure lost in their thoughts, missing their fun friend Todd.