Goodbye Tommy old friend

I have been away trying to to take care of some health problems,I have lost fifty pounds and my blood pressure is a lot better I have been able to cut the medicine in half. My diabetes is under control and I hope to be off the medicine for that by my next birthday, I am walking five miles a day and have removed all sugar from diet although I was bad tonight and had a chocolate chip cookie. Sugar, I do not miss all that much but I do miss my fried chicken and cornbread. But anyway I got some bad news yesterday a friend of mine was killed in a car wreck and during my walk tonight
he was on my mind. Tommy came to work with me at Loxley Brothers body shop when he was eighteen years old, I was twenty three. We became friends instantly. He and his wife became regulars at my house on the weekends playing cards.Tommy even took up hunting with uncle Ken,Dad and me. Even when Tommy moved on to anther shop we remained on the same bowling team and worked firework's shows around the fourth of July for several years after. Then him and his wife split and he disappeared for a while.
One of my favorite memories of Tommy was his first rabbit hunting trip with Ken, dad and me. Tommy was near Uncle Ken when he jumped a rabbit and pulled up his gun and fired at the rabbit, a clean miss. Uncle Ken quickly ceased the moment and said Tommy we do not shot at the rabbit on the jump we call the dogs over and get them started on the track and let them run the rabbit around. Tommy apologized and we moved on. A couple of hours later Ken and Tommy stopped for a cigarette break and while standing together a rabbit jumped next to them and Ken quickly swung his gun and killed the rabbit. Tommy said hey man you were suppose to call the dogs and let them run, that what you said. Ken looked at him and said hell Tommy you believe a word I said and started laughing loudly. Tommy shaking his head and I see that how it is.
On another hunt in January muzzle loading season for deer we were hunting together on my farm and I ran six or seven deer toward Tommy, they just about ran over him. I asked him why he did not take a shot? He said he did but his gun did not go off.
Later at dinner with uncle Ken, Tommy was telling the story to him . Uncle Ken said Tommy I know what you should have done, and Tommy asked him what? Uncle Ken said son you should have just throwed the gun over in the creek if it won't shoot. Tommy shaking his head and laughing with us.
I have not seen Tommy in over twelve years, the last time being the Friday afternoon he quit working for me I gave him his paycheck and he never returned from dinner. He did call me on the phone about nine years ago and apologized for walking out on me. Tommy said he was in rehab and was in the process of trying to get his life back together and wanted to talk to me we talked for over an hour. A day or two later I found out that Tommy had been arrested and had been living in a trash dumpster about three blocks from my house.
I have remained in contact with his ex wife thru the years and seen his two sons.
And the week he was released from prison his ex wife called me to let me know when he would get out and that I would probably be one of the first people that he contacted, but he never did. He was just forty two years old. I have often thought of friends that pass thru our lives. Friends that are apart of our lives for just a short time, and we may not see or hear from them for years at a time. But remain in our hearts and memories for all time.