Family Love

Let me tell you about the Basham family.

I was 18. Homeless. Living in my Pinto. The Bashams took me in.

They treated me like family. Shared everything with me. Friday night was pizza night. We’d all eat together. We laughed. We were family.

I’ll never forget it.

The Bashams took in strays. Kids who had no place to go. There was me and Todd McKinney. A working class wit. Todd was so smart, but no one took him seriously. I did. He was also very tough. Nobody fucked with him. He had his nose broken at least twice. He was my bodyguard. We loved each other. Todd eventually drank himself to death. I miss him so much.

It was a beautiful home. It was the only family I truly had. Some of my best memories are there.

Now it’s gone. I do remember feeding raccoons on the back porch. They ate stale bread, and were happy to have it. They were grateful, and so am I.