The Epitome

Lukas took several long deep breaths, just like they teach you in Yoga Class. It was just an accident that he happened to be glancing through the obituaries of his old home town Newspaper's internet edition. There, without any fanfare, was a very small blurb, about the death of a person with a name that sounded vaguely familiar. Was it the same person? It had to be because it was the same birth year as Lukas's. Lukas had not thought about this person much lately. The dead do deserve our reflection when we hear of their demise. In a moment Luka's mind was back in his room in his parents house, the house of his childhood, sound asleep. Awakened gradually by the sound of small stones being tossed by someone below his window, Lukas gazed out the window in a haze, There below Lukas recognized Robert a friend since elementary school. Robert had no place else to go.... They were both 18 years old.

Lukas quietly got himself dressed and went down stares and walked through the back door and found his friend in an acute state of anxiety. Questions could wait. Robert offered Lukas a cold Coors Beer and they went deep into the backyard to find Lukas's pot stash. When they got settled in, Lukas asks the question that was occupying Lukas's mind. "Did you go AWOL from the Army?" "Yes and I haven't been home yet", Robert managed to say. "Boot Camp was like Hell must be. I couldn't last another second in that place. I hitchhiked back here and you are the first person I've seen."

I couldn't really look him in the eye and tell him the news about myself. It was all over for me. No war - no Canada - no more disruption in my life's direction. The news was revealed a week before in very unusual and memorable way. It was a story that I would repeat many times in the course of my long life since. I was walking home from school when another High School chum drove by in a car then came back and offered my a ride.
"Get in Lukas. Its your lucky day.", he said.
"Why did you say that", answering him with a question as he got in the car.
"Didn't you watch the lottery last night on Television?"
"Was that last night", Lukas said acting surprised. "Yes it was and your life will never be the same again."
"Your birthday was July 19th right?"
"How nice of you to remember."
"Your number 327. They'll never get to you. They won't get past 30 or 40 before the war will end. For you the war is over now. This is one of those moments of truth in your life. Congradulations."