Old school friend...

[Dale Hubbard]

>> One day David was rummaging through the collection of old photos in
>> the attic, when he came across one that he hadn't seen in years. It
>> was an old faded picture of his school chum, Eddie White. They'd run
>> together for most of their growing years, but the school system sent
>> them to different Senior schools, and that was the last they'd ever
>> seen of each other. David wondered how Eddie was doing, and for the
>> days and weeks that followed he just couldn't get Eddie out of his
>> thoughts.
>>
>> He explained the waves of nostalgia that kept rolling over him to his
>> neighbour one day, and his neighbour suggested that he take the time
>> to look Eddie up. It took him months and months of careful research,
>> but finally he traced him to a cotton mill in Manchester. His
>> parents had moved to Manchester shortly after David and Eddie had
>> started Senior school, and that was why they'd never seen each other
>> all these years.
>>
>> Eddie had done well for himself. David learned that he had worked
>> his way up to chief cotton buyer for the mill, and so with great
>> anticipation David boarded the train to Manchester.
>>
>> The following day, he went into the reception area of the mill and
>> asked the receptionist to inform Eddie that an old pal was waiting
>> downstairs to see him. The receptionist simply smiled, and David's
>> heart sank as she informed him that Mr White had gone abroad to buy
>> cotton for the mill, and he wouldn't be back for at least four weeks.
>> It was a tremendous disappointment, but David said that he'd try
>> again in four weeks.
>>
>> And that was how it went on and on.
>>
>> Every time David went to the mill to see Eddie, he was informed that
>> he'd just left to buy cotton for the mill.
>> But one day, the receptionist took pity on him, and said to David,
>> "Look, I've just spoken to Mr White's secretary, and she assures me
>> that he is very eager to meet you again after all these years, and
>> that he'll definitely be in his office on the 18th of next month to
>> see you. And he made that a very firm promise. He'll not go anywhere
>> that day to buy cotton!"
>>
>> So David had this assurance, the weeks went by, the 18th came along.
>> On that morning, David walked into the reception area with a spring
>> in his step, when suddenly the receptionist's face told him that he'd
>> be disappointed yet again.
>>
>> "But this is dreadful," moaned David, "please don't tell me that he's
>> gone off to buy more cotton. Every time, it's the same old thing.
>> 'Mr White isn't here right now. He's in Egypt buying cotton!' "
>>
>> "Er, no," said the receptionist. "It's worse than that.
>> You see, Mr White dropped dead in the car park the other day."
>>
>> "What?" cried David, "My friend Eddie, dead? I don't believe what
>> I'm hearing!"
>>
>> "I know how you must be feeling," sympathised the receptionist, "but
>> perhaps you'd like to see the monument that the company set up over
>> his grave. It's just across the road in that cemetery."
>>
>> So David sadly dragged his tired feet over to the cemetery, and
>> walked up to the huge black marble monument that was erected over
>> Eddie's grave, and through his tears David began to read the
>> magnificent gold lettering carved on the front of the monument:
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> .
>> "Here lies Eddie White
>> Gone, but not for cotton."

[dolansco]

The weekend is here ...it seems

And the mother of the year award goes to..
http://www.224mb.com/out.php/i133_motheroftheyear.JPG