Goodbye, Arriel.

Arriel at work

2 weeks ago, an old housemate and friend passed away. Scuttlebut says (and is probably right) that it was a heroin OD. Her memorial service was Saturday.

Arriel and I didn't get along really well after I moved out- she was angry with me for some choices that I had to make. I never stopped caring for her, though. I was happy when she got clean and started turning her life around. Seeing her made me smile.

I always admired her courage and conviction. She went cross-country on her own. She protested for causes she believed in. She made art and published 'zines, and worked with other homeless kids. She was strong, and fearless, and vital. She was amazingly innocent, but knew everything about the shit the world can hand you. She kicked heroin..... until it kicked her back.

I went to the service on Saturday. It was the 2nd one that week (my roommate's grandmother died last Sunday). It was a good service. Painful, funny, bitter, sad. It was at the commune where she'd grown up. One of the common rooms was full of her art and her bikes, with slideshows of photos, and a place to leave messages and grieve. The service was long, and was followed by a potluck dinner. Arriel would have liked that, I think.

Goodbye, Arriel. I hope that you're not in pain any more.

Say hi to my friends Danny and Jason, if you see them.

S.