The Day After That

Today is the day the world remembers those with AIDS.  Funny how humanity, or organizations, set aside one day to remember a disease, world event, or whatever.  And today you needed to wear red; I chose a red tie.  Not to make a fashion statement, but to remember all those who have perished or are living and/or surviving with this plague.
We've all watched or heard of people- from celebrities to the next door neighbor- who are living with AIDS, and we feel sorry, or at least attempt it.  It doesn't hit home, like the other diseases, until you know someone who has been diagnosed and is living with it.  For me it was my best friend from grammar school, Frank.  He was two years older than me; we met on a Good Friday in 1967 and were having a discussion about movies. (yes, even in the 60s it was a preoccupation!)  He was discussing Thoroughly Modern Millie whilst I was discussing John Huston's The Bible...In the Beginning.  Well, from that day on we became the brothers we never had at the time.  Our families became one family- my introduction to Filipino food and culture and his introduction to Nicaraguan food and culture.  He convinced me to go to the same high school and college, which I did.  I even applied to join him at USC.  I was accepted  but did not have the guts to pursue it.  
Needless to say our paths took different ways.  He worked for a medical school in the admissions office; I became an educator.  Our friendship was thriving, though.  Through Frank I was able to see a lot of the United States.  In fact, my first trip to New York City was with him and my first Braodway musical was Twiggy and Tommy Tune in My One and Only.  We even got to see Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera in The Rink.  Oh, we had fun as school chums do.
But happiness can turn to sorrow.  In the early 90s he was complaining about not feeling well.  Our friendship by then was relegated to weekly phone calls.  Then, on one particular Saturday I went to visit Frank at home.  His mom and sister were subdued; Frank had been diagnosed with the HIV virus and didn't look good.  I tried to cheer him up to no use- he started to cry, took my hand and kept repeating "I don't want to die."  For once I was at a loss for words.
Frank died in 2001, a week after September 11th.  In fact, he was in New York in August visiting family who moved out there.
I got the phone call from his sister that if I wanted to say goodbye, that I'd best hurry.   Within 30 minutes, he was gone, listening to his favorite musical, Camelot- the motion picture soundtrack.
I was numb.  I lost my best friend.  The hardest thing to do was write a eulogy, which the family had asked me to do.  A funeral mass, a burial, a reception.  And all the memories that our friendship had built.  I miss him lots- he introduced me to foreign cinema and our love affair with Evita drove people crazy.  Was Patti Lupone the better Eva?  Or her alternate, Terri Klausner?  
Yes, today is the official day to remember those with AIDS.  Let us not forget that it is a disease that does not strike down one segment of society, but countless men, women and children.  May they rest in peace.  Amen.