A Totally Psychic Day

by Hank Stallings
(Nashville, TN USA)

Eric now plays guitar on the other side

As a child I had friend, Eric. He was a very unique kid and I always felt special that he wanted to be my friend.

Eric had varied interests, I believe he and I were 11 when we became friends. While most of us 11 year olds, played in the woods, played basketball, etc...Eric played the guitar and collected albums. His hero was Chet Atkins and he played some of his music on his guitar for me.

Eric was certainly my best friend, I'm unsure where I fell in his life...perhaps only a friend (not best friend - back then there was a distinction).

During a month in the summer my brother and sister and I would go to my grandmother's farm. Eric had been on my mind all day one day...I had a headache and felt sad. I laid down on my grandmothers bed for a nap...and 30 minutes later I awoke from a dream, I don't remember what it was, but it centered around Eric.

My grandmother answered the phone and I could here her side of the conversation. I could tell it was bad news...when she hung up the phone, she came to me and told me that I needed to pack my things, I was going home, that my mom was on the way.

"It's Eric isn't? What happened to Eric?"

Eric had been visiting cousins, he was in the back of a pickup truck. They were on a gravel road and they were just goofing off, sliding here and sliding there in the gravel. The driver didn't see the log that was beside the road, he slid into it and the truck began to flip over. Eric tried to jump, but the edge of the backend caught him in the chest and crushed him. He didn't suffer, a rib went right through his heart.

That was a totally psychic day for me. And it was 38 years ago, I still think of him. I know he is on the other side and he's playing his guitar.