Ghost Bike

It was bizarre. Just on the way home from work last night, Patrick and I were talking about how amazingly cool it would be if someone parked David's bike outside the bar. Lo and behold, we pulled around the corner and there, as it stood out in the darkness, was a bike painted white. Curiousity made us walk across the street and there it still was. It was real. Not David's bike, but one painted white with a chef's coat attached and a pan hanging from one of the bars. People had written on the chef's coat, their thoughts on David and wishes. An empty bottle of gin rested near the back wheel. I sat down in front of it, trying to collect my thoughts about how to best express myself on the chef's coat. I wrote "David - always a smile and a kind word. This place won't be the same without your face. Love always, The Lenlings". Not my best writing moment, but it was honest and from the heart. P put it better, writing, "Sorry, the kitchen is closed. Chef David has returned home."

I took the camera across the street before work to snap some pictures, but it wasn't the same as seeing it in the glow of the neon. They had also taken the chef's coat and pan (and of course, the empty booze bottles) inside so no local jackass would mess with them overnight. Before bed tonight, I'll steal over and take a proper pic. It's still amazingly hard to admit he's gone. He got P a job cooking at Rick's (fancy pants strip club). He was always there with his face in his laptop, his gin on the rocks and a Skyy cranberry - yes, both at the same time, the man was usually on a mission when he was there, but aren't a lot of chefs? When P and I were stone cold broke, he'd be the first one to offer up one of his home rolled smokes if we wanted one.

As I wrote on facebook, "Dear David - sorry for the faux pas on your name on Friday. DAVID, not Dave. You are so missed right now. I hope you see the tribute/shrine to you outside Grump's. You always had a smile and something sweet to say to me. I remember I smooched you on the mouth about 2 weeks ago and you said I made your day. Wish I had done that more now. I miss you a lot, darling. I'll always hold you in my heart."