Goodbye Brandon

I've lived most of my life in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, you get used to the sound of sirens, it's either that or they'll drive you nuts. When I hear a siren here in Lawn, my first thought is 'was there a game today?', after a winning soccer game is about the only time you hear one, thankfully. I had a bad feeling yesterday when I heard the siren, I turned down the volume on the tv so I could try and place where it was, it was heading farther away so I assumed it was on it's way to the hospital and hoped that whoever it was was going to be okay. That was all, I went back to the show I was watching, ignoring that bad feeling.

After making my morning coffee I logged on to VOCM's website as I do every morning only to be greeted with the headline 'Teen Killed in Accident', I read the entry,
A single vehicle accident has claimed the life of a 14-year old boy from Lawn. Burin Peninsula RCMP say 4 other young people in the vehicle are listed in serious condition. The boy was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital in St.Lawrence. The collision occurred on Route 220 at the entrance to Lawn, just before 5pm last evening when the car left the road and landed on its roof.

I'm floored, tears start to flow and I don't even know who it was, I don't have to know, this is a small town, everyone knows everyone. Do I want to know? I regain my composure, the initial shock is wearing off, I realize I need to know, I start making note of who I see outside, school is out today, no surprise. This is not going to work I realize, I need to know who it was so I called my neighbour. It was Brandon. My heart sinks.

So young, so tragic. Brandon was a very sweet young man, he had a big heart, always had a smile and if I needed anything he was right there, nothing expected in return. Brandon brought over my little kitty when I adopted her from a neighbour a couple of years ago, he really liked her and she really liked him. He was gentle with her, Brandon had a quiet nature.

Brandon was from Marystown, he had just moved back here again to live with his mother not long ago. His mother had married a fellow from here, he has an older brother, I can't even imagine what they are going through.

I think of Jessica, another 14 year old we lost suddenly last year, she had walking pneumonia, within 24 hours of feeling ill she was dead. It wasn't that long ago, not even a year yet. This is a lot heartache for our little town, too much pain for the kids to have to go through.

The other four kids injured in this accident are all in serious but stable condition and are expected to pull through. Thank Goodness! They were wearing their seat belts, Brandon wasn't. Brandon should have known better, he knew about what happened to me and that I wouldn't be alive today if I had not been wearing mine.

Brandon, you will be missed.

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I have since learned that Brandon was in fact wearing his seatbelt, I'm not sure if they all were but I know he was.

Brandon was buried on Monday past, May 14th, Jessica's birthday. The two will forever be linked.