GoinBackToCali
Well-Known Member
It has actually taken me awhile to sit down and put this whole story into words, mostly because of the great difficulty and saddness of the whole thing. I shared it with Peg the other night, and it brought the whole thing crashing back, and I think I prolly stutterred alot and repeated details. We, as a family, don't discuss the whole thing, ever.
Eddie is my cousin. My dad's brother's son. Eddie was born a twin, his brother died at birth. So the general thesis is that Eddie is quiet and ill tempered because he *ain't right*. I just think Eddie is a jerk. If it says anything, people think my husband is quiet and ill tempered, I think he is a jerk, and my husband and Eddie we're runnin buds in highschool. Birds of a feather. But both of them would move heaven and earth for their families...period.
I was aware Eddie and his sons, Coby and Micheal were involved in FFA and 4H, but I never really talked to them, other than to speak and be civil at family functions. I am adopted, and I am not like my family, and it's blaringly obvious, so I just never meshed in their *events*.
A few days after my son Blake's 10th birthday, (which incidentally was the year Blake's mental issues really started manifesting themselves in the worst ways possible)... the phone rings. It's my mom. I recall the conversation very clearly. It's funny the things one remembers in times of tragedy. *Hey Stinkerbelle, there's been a bit of an accident. Coby has been killed.*... I didn't even register WHO she was talking about, my mind was wrapped on the word "Killed"...I asked her "Who?"...*Baby.. Eddie and Kim's youngest boy...*..."oh..omg...what..what happened?" So my mom went into what she knew at the time, and in the coming hours we got the whole story. What essentially happened is this. Coby was cleaning his .22 pistol. it was loaded. Something Eddie, his daddy lectured him about endlessly, gun safety. It went off, nicking an artery right above his heart in his chest. Coby panicked, tried to put things away first, then ran across the yard to his granny, she called 911 Then, instead of Coby calling immediately. By the time life flight got there, and they put Coby on the stretcher and placed him on the chopper, he died.
Coby just turned 15 a few months before.
We went to the funeral, my son's and I. Ricky, my husband, had to work. i sat there, staring at the back of Eddie and Kim's head, and prayed to God to please never let me sit where they are.. just.. please.. God. Then, it amazed me how stoic Kim sat there. I would be a nutjob. She later told me Xanax was her friend that day.
When Coby died, Eddie's love for animals died. They ceased being animals, and became livestock. Nothing more, nothing less. Those *stupid rabbits* was Coby's thing. Eddie, for along time, lost his will to be a functioning member of society. But, something brought Eddie snapping back to reality. My son became a raging lunatic. Meds, Doctor's, institutions, suicide attempts... my son was lost to us. Eddie came to us and begged me to let him have him, let me let him have reign over him, let him get involved with animals. I resisted because nothing else worked. And I really didn't like Eddie that much. In the end, I relented. The first year, we had 3 ourbursts down from one a month, the second year we had 2, the 3rd year again 2, and we are down to miniumum meds, once every 2 months doc visits, weekly therapist visits, and a private tutor for his education. My son's greatest pride and joy is his animals, and his 4H jacket with all his pins and awards. Eddie was right there everytime. When Blake pushed, Eddie pushed back, when Blake went crazy. Eddie wrapped his arms around him and held on.. in reality.. Eddie fixed Blake.. but I think Blake helped heal Eddie.
Eddie still is the Evil rabbit overlord..... But I have such high hopes he will eventually be somewhat nice..mebbie...
Here is Coby's Memorial page.
http://stars4coby.tripod.com/
Here is some shots of Eddie with the boys doing the rabbit thing..
Eddie is my cousin. My dad's brother's son. Eddie was born a twin, his brother died at birth. So the general thesis is that Eddie is quiet and ill tempered because he *ain't right*. I just think Eddie is a jerk. If it says anything, people think my husband is quiet and ill tempered, I think he is a jerk, and my husband and Eddie we're runnin buds in highschool. Birds of a feather. But both of them would move heaven and earth for their families...period.
I was aware Eddie and his sons, Coby and Micheal were involved in FFA and 4H, but I never really talked to them, other than to speak and be civil at family functions. I am adopted, and I am not like my family, and it's blaringly obvious, so I just never meshed in their *events*.
A few days after my son Blake's 10th birthday, (which incidentally was the year Blake's mental issues really started manifesting themselves in the worst ways possible)... the phone rings. It's my mom. I recall the conversation very clearly. It's funny the things one remembers in times of tragedy. *Hey Stinkerbelle, there's been a bit of an accident. Coby has been killed.*... I didn't even register WHO she was talking about, my mind was wrapped on the word "Killed"...I asked her "Who?"...*Baby.. Eddie and Kim's youngest boy...*..."oh..omg...what..what happened?" So my mom went into what she knew at the time, and in the coming hours we got the whole story. What essentially happened is this. Coby was cleaning his .22 pistol. it was loaded. Something Eddie, his daddy lectured him about endlessly, gun safety. It went off, nicking an artery right above his heart in his chest. Coby panicked, tried to put things away first, then ran across the yard to his granny, she called 911 Then, instead of Coby calling immediately. By the time life flight got there, and they put Coby on the stretcher and placed him on the chopper, he died.
Coby just turned 15 a few months before.
We went to the funeral, my son's and I. Ricky, my husband, had to work. i sat there, staring at the back of Eddie and Kim's head, and prayed to God to please never let me sit where they are.. just.. please.. God. Then, it amazed me how stoic Kim sat there. I would be a nutjob. She later told me Xanax was her friend that day.
When Coby died, Eddie's love for animals died. They ceased being animals, and became livestock. Nothing more, nothing less. Those *stupid rabbits* was Coby's thing. Eddie, for along time, lost his will to be a functioning member of society. But, something brought Eddie snapping back to reality. My son became a raging lunatic. Meds, Doctor's, institutions, suicide attempts... my son was lost to us. Eddie came to us and begged me to let him have him, let me let him have reign over him, let him get involved with animals. I resisted because nothing else worked. And I really didn't like Eddie that much. In the end, I relented. The first year, we had 3 ourbursts down from one a month, the second year we had 2, the 3rd year again 2, and we are down to miniumum meds, once every 2 months doc visits, weekly therapist visits, and a private tutor for his education. My son's greatest pride and joy is his animals, and his 4H jacket with all his pins and awards. Eddie was right there everytime. When Blake pushed, Eddie pushed back, when Blake went crazy. Eddie wrapped his arms around him and held on.. in reality.. Eddie fixed Blake.. but I think Blake helped heal Eddie.
Eddie still is the Evil rabbit overlord..... But I have such high hopes he will eventually be somewhat nice..mebbie...
Here is Coby's Memorial page.
http://stars4coby.tripod.com/
Here is some shots of Eddie with the boys doing the rabbit thing..
