John Putnam's Journal
June 1, 2003
Day 7 - Sunday, June 1st, 2003 - We all got up and met around 10 to go to breakfast. Phil and his group and Audrey and I. We were going to go to a little hometown café for breakfast. Once we arrive there, the line was out the door. We decided to grab some fast food and get on with it. Audrey and I were packed and ready to go. After eating, we went back to the hotel one more time to say formal goodbye's before leaving. I was just about to pull out when dad called Phil. Phil handed me the phone and I knew what was coming. Dad says he wants me to come by the lake house before leaving. I was already anxious to hit the road and the lake house was 5 miles the wrong direction. We got to the lake house and went in. Mom was gone and it was just dad. He asked me if I still planned on going to the church and funeral home. I said yes. He told me to make sure I get all the details and literature to bring back down in a couple of days. I said ok. That was it. Why we could not have done that on the phone was a mystery. Everything as a whole was aggravating me anyway, why should this be different. As usual I was wrong. Dad had innocently asked me to come by without realizing, probably, that I was one second from heading north. He was sweet natured at that moment and just didn't know. Audrey and I went back out to the car and perhaps one of the most bizarre things to ever happen, happened. I was still thinking about the soccer ball - Laura - Angel's bumper sticker from day one off and on throughout the week. However, this event was even more pressing in the proof corner that Laura was with us and had her little finger in what was going on, as mom put it once. We got in the car and I turned it on. The radio station we had been listening to had a song playing that I recognized as being sung by Christopher Cross. The song was just finishing and within less than 10 seconds, it was over. Audrey looked at me and commented on how she had forgotten all about that song. I didn't know the specifics of the song, not even the title. I just recognized the artist. I asked her what about it. She said the name of the song was "Think of Laura". I was shocked to know there even existed such a title. We were pulling out of Horseshoe Bay by then and I could not wait to find out more about this song. If Laura was "doing" something, apparently I needed to be aware the song existed, but apparently that was not the time for me to listen to the whole thing. Once on the road, it took us about 45 minutes to get back in cell phone range. Neither of us had checked our voice mail in a week. As we plowed through them, writing down numbers and such, we were getting a list of people we needed to call. The first call I made was to a musician friend. I asked him if he had ever heard of a song called "Think of Laura" by Christopher Cross. He said "no" and I asked him to burn it off the internet and meet me at my house if he could when we got back into town. After we arrived home, some of our neighbors stopped by to see how we were doing and what was going on. They had mowed our yard for us. After a while, Audrey's best friend and her fiancé came by. We did some minor housekeeping, laundry, dishes, went through the mail, paid some bills and a little work in the yard. My musician friend showed up with the CD and our paychecks from work. He stayed for a while. He offered to bring us some dinner which turned into us going to his house for dinner. It was really nice. We finally arrive home late Sunday night. Once home, I remembered I had not listened to the song yet. We hurriedly grabbed the CD and tried to get our CD player to work. It didn't so we went out to the car. I didn't know what I was about to hear, but I was excited. The CD began and the first words came from a synthesized chorus, almost heavenly angelic type sound saying "Think of Laura". It blew me away. Every line of the song was perfect. I was beaming, I could not stop smiling. It was perfect. Audrey on the other hand cried. We sat there and listened to that song for at least 45 minutes over and over. Nothing but the glow of the light from the car radio. I was so happy to hear something like that. It was beautiful. I could not wait to share it with the rest of the family. For days after that, I could not get the song out of my head. If this was my sister making me feel better, it worked. I can't sing and I would do anything to be able to, but nothing is nicer than a good song to speak for you sometimes. Every once in a while, I'd see her smile, And she'd turned my day around. A girl with those eyes, could stare through the lies, And see what your heart was saying.
Think of Laura, but laugh don't cry, I know she'd want it that way. When you think of Laura laugh don't cry, I know she'd want it that way.
A friend of a friend, A friend 'til the end, That's the kind of girl she was. Taken away so young, Taken away, without a warning.
I know you, and you're here, In every day we live. I know her and she's here, I can feel her when I sing.
Hey Laura, where are you now? Are you far away from here? I don't think so, I think you're here, Taking our tears away.
Think of Laura, but laugh don't cry, I know she'd want it that way. When you think of Laura laugh don't cry, I know she'd want it that way.
And there it was. The perfect song. When we went to bed that night, I could hardly sleep. The song was going over and over in my head. I would wake in the middle of the night singing it in my head.
|