Beep! Ding! Beep! Ding! Kersplat! With a swing of my arm, the alarm fell to the floor with a thud. My tears were like permanent marker around my eyes. As my mother glanced into my room, she hollered to make sure I was getting up. While entering the funeral home, my mother grabbed my hand. My breathing rate increased while my heart pounded like thunder. I managed a deep breath of fresh air before entering.   “Mr. Flumb, we’re here,” Mom said.   “Thanks,” he replied, “for coming so early, Diane?”   “Yea,” I answered.   “Joseph would really appreciate you being here.”   And once again, there was a dead silence. As I meandered over to this black casket, I wanted to holler out. And there he lay. My little Joe. Glancing at my best friend one last time, I trembled. Dead…Dead…Dead ran around in my head. My stomach gurgled and groaned while my face melted to sobs. I grabbed his hand for one last sense of Joe. His rock-solid and freezing hand raised the hair on my arms to stand straight on end and took me by surprise. “I love ya, Joe,” I whispered as I bent over to kiss his cheek, “and I always will.”   The service started soon after I took my seat. The room had instantly filled with guests. As I sat down with my hands folded neatly in my lap, I listened to Mr. Flumb speak. After listening to this muscular man speak of his strong-willed and full-hearted son, I had to give in. Like a waterfall of tears, I again had melted and dazed off. I pulled myself together to hear the sound of my name.   “…and would you please come up, Diane?” Mr. Flumb finished.   As quick as a bullet, I shot up to my feet. Looking around for approval, I managed my way to the front and could feel the stares at my back.   “What Diane has no idea of about our Joseph here is that she showed him there was hope in this world for us all after all. Diane,” he continued, “Joe couldn’t stop explaining to us how much fun he had with you, and he wrote this that night approximately two hours before our hospital run. Would you please read it to us?”   Taking the paper, it shook in five different directions between my trembling hands. Stepping up to the microphone and swallowing the lump in my throat, I began:
	Joseph Flumb, they called me Joe, Life is short, I do now know. Lessons I learned from people around, Standing up and making a sound. I became a much better man, With the truest love from Diane. And to my family, my love I did give, While I had a short chance to live. After born onto this place, A problem I then had to face. Worse than a gun, or even a knife, Cancer now has taken my life. But before I died, one new scent, And it was just my treatment. A girl so sweet she soured fruit, Hearing my news, another went mute. But she didn’t care, she still loved me, Past my problem she could see. Riding together I’ll always cherish, And this girl Diane I’ll forever miss. The truest friend I ever had I’m with you Diane, so don’t be sad. A true friend to you I did confide, Into the sunset we did ride. Into the future I now can see, With horses in heaven for you and me. Diane, I promise to hold your hand, And hear you sing to a country band. I’ll be there in all but one way, Walking down the aisle your wedding day. So off into space someday you’ll stare, And know that once I was there.
		As the tears again prevailed to fall, I clasped the podium with white knuckles to hold myself up. After many hours of weeping guests, the house was finally cleared. As I sat on the shingles outside my window, I called for my dog. Noticing how much the sun had warmed the shingles, Skytoe was hesitant to join me. “It’s okay,” I reassured him. After many hours of viewing the stars, I lay down and whispered to my puppy. “Skytoe,” I said, “there is so much Joe never got the chance to do. Instead of grieving about his disease, he lived on. Here I was wasting my life to fit in around this town by drinking by day and partying by night. There is so much I’ve missed and haven’t learned! You see that bright star there, Skytoe?” I questioned him. “Some people say that’s the North Star, but I’m gonna tell ya a lil secret. That’s no North Star, that’s little Joe!” Silence. “Little Joe!” I screamed out to the star, “you may be gone to everybody else, ol’ buddy, but you live on in my heart.” And without another word, I slept with my arms around Skytoe and dreamed about the horses in heaven.