my cousin my best friend

Lew and I grew up together, as our mothers were sisters. As kids if one of us was in trouble the other one was too. Lew come to live with me and my parents for a short while when we were kids, about 5 or 6. We lived next to a railroad track and Lew loved to watch the trains go by. We slept in bunk beds in the middle room in our house and we could look out the window and watch the trains go by. One night we were supposed to be sleeping and a train came. We both crouched at the window watching, and trying to be quiet, at least I was. A caboose was in the middle of the train and Lew yelled "look an end in the middle". We both heard my stepfather’s feet hit the floor from the living room and we scurried to get in bed. Lew made it and I did not. Guess who got spanked?
My mother was a wonderful mother but was a real stickler on mud and water; we loved playing in it and always got caught because we would get dirty. We lived in the country and had a pump outside that made a lot of noise if you used it. Mother always heard it, so we had to be very careful if we pumped the handle. We learned if you just pumped it once after someone used it we could get a little bit of water without it making noise, so one day after mother got water for the house we were able to get about a cup of water. We divided the water and I went under the window and Lew sat next to the porch. He ran out of water before me and came over and yelled "you took all the water". Guess who got spanked. I owe him for these times as spanking or not they are some of my greatest memories.
As teens we only saw each other on Sundays as Lew moved back to Fort Wayne with his parents and I live in the country with my mother and stepfather. Grandmother Romery had the family over on Sundays so everyone came and we made the most of our times together. We stole cigarettes from anyone who left them unguarded, especially Lew’s older sister Carol. Our whole family smoked and how cool we thought we were. Little did we know the harm that later would be revealed about this product. Wish we had never started. Luckily I quit very young and before I had children. Lew quit later in life.
He married and moved to California so my best friend went away. We visited him once and then kind of lost touch. He married Marta and from what he told me about her they had a really wonderful life together. He told me about her reading to him if he was driving and then when they went to bed he would read to her. I thought that was the loveliest story I had ever heard. He loved her so very much; I envied him as very few people find that kind of love in life. I regret we lost touch and I never got to know Marta better.
After she died I visited Lew several times in California and surprised him and his brother Lyle and his wife Luann and his sister Sue and her husband Jack by showing up on a cruise they were on. It was our first cruise and it couldn't have been better.
I have so many great memories from our life together, I am so grateful he is my cousin. I have always thought of him as my brother and my friend. I could always tell him my most awful and most wonderful secrets and he loved me no matter what. I don't think GOD could have given me a better friend. I love you Lew, you are always going to be in my thoughts. Thanks for the memories and the love you shared.