tommie me lad

The Alberton Papers, Vol. V, #XX
By Dick Darne 3-16-08
"What’s with old Dick today?" someone asked. "He looks like he lost his best friend."
"He has," answered Johnny. "Tom Wheeler went on his final Vision Quest on this side a few days ago."
"That has to hurt." added Todd. "Dick told me about some of his ‘high adventures’ with Tom, like one time about 25 years ago when they went up in the high country, stayed several days, no tent, just Dick, Tom and the dog, sleeping on the ground. They even lost track of the days. The drank a whole bottle of maple syrup for quick energy. Took a bath in Cedar Log Lake while the ice and snow was melting around them. Kinda reminds me of a couple lines in an old song:
‘Up in the high country, up in the high country,
Prettiest place in all this world, up in the high country.’
It surely is something Dick will never forget."
"I remember another time Dick told me about, when He and Tom packed a lunch and visited the place he grew up and played." added Bill. "long after, on their shorter adventures, they used to swap stories of their childhood adventures. Can we ever go home again? I don’t know if they ever resolved that one, except there’s a better chance on the other shore. Just what that was they never decided either. Once again, lines from an old song:
‘Another was called just a few weeks before,
Two who bloom like roses over on the other shore.’
Memories like this stay with you until the end of your time."
"Tom used to keep Dick tuned in to the real world, he would often remind Dick when he was getting a little full of it and it was advice well taken." said Todd.
Then the music started, faintly and words could be heard, seeming to come from everywhere.
"Way up there in the mountain air, they used to go a questing
As the years went by they couldn’t get as high, without a little resting
It’s done for one, for now there’ll be no more
I won’t be sad for Tommie me lad, we’ll be questing on the other shore."
dd