D....K.....

[poliphilo]

My best friend from theological college died earlier this year. I just found out. We weren't close; we weren't brothers; what brought us together was being married men in a community of bachelors. He found me flippant; I found him rather too earnest. He grinned a lot and had  to have jokes explained to him. We used to play badminton- the only time I've ever played any game competitively. He always beat me. 

He had a little scooter. I used to ride on the back to the badminton courts. One time, coming down King's Parade, we went into a skid and nearly crashed. 

After ordination he and his wife moved to Bristol. My wife and I visited them there. We went round the SS Great Britain- only recently returned from the Falklands- in a foursome and he reproved me for drinking scrumpy. Then he went to New Zealand and we lost touch.  He spent most of his adult life labouring at a theological magnum opus that is going to be published posthumously. 

He was 63. 

Comments

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Ouch! That's not old. And what a crying shame that he hasn't lived to see the publication of his work. Maybe its completion totally consumed him...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

He was talking about this book of his thirty five years ago. I think even then he thought of it as his life's work.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Oh, lord. And I thought my PhuD was in danger of consuming me???