So, yesterday I get a message from my team leader at work saying that one of our staff members hadn’t shown up yet.  I totally ignored the call.  The fella in question was Merik, and, knowing Merik, he would be there soon and I wouldn’t have to go in early.  I didn’t get another call from my team leader, so, I figured everything was fine. 

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When I showed up, my team leader was still at work, Merik was a no call-no show, which is VERY unusual.  This is a guy that was uber responsible.  Sure, he hit the pipe occasionally on the job, but it never affected his work performance in the least, and the fellas we worked with were always taken care and always content.  Merik was good at his job. 

It was weird that Merik didn't show.  Val and I talked about me coming in tomorrow, on my day off, just incase Merik doesn’t show again.  I was really irritated.  I wanted to have my day off because since my lovely Megan started working, I haven’t seen too much of her and I was looking forward to spending some time with her.

All night last night and all day today I have been seething.  I was pissed at Merik for being such a flake!  Come on!  I realize that he and his lady friend were having issues and all, but to flake like this, and make me work on my day off!?  That was just too much! 

I called Val this afternoon, inquiring about Merik and if Val had heard from him.  I expected him to tell me that Merik spaced, and was at some party or something, and was really sorry and will be in tonight and all will be well. 

Yea…

Well, Merik wasn’t so much being a flake, as he was being dead. 

He died in his apartment yesterday around 10 am from, what his sister told Val, was an "accident”.  I was floored!  He was young, I think, 43?  He really was a cool fella too.  The weirdest thing was, on some level, I knew something was wrong, and all night last night, at work, I kept feeling like someone was there with me.  I put it off as my imagination after watching all these shows over the Halloween season about ghosts and haunting.  But now, I dunno.

I feel like such an ass for getting so mad at him for not showing up too.  In fact, I told Megan this morning, in my all to sarcastic and thoughtless way I do sometimes, “He better be dead in some ditch, that big jerk!”  Well, it wasn’t a ditch they found him in. 

Merik was a really cool guy.  We had plans to play music together at some point.  I wish I had a chance to get to know him better.