by Tobias Van Buren

Created on: August 11, 2008

MY FRIEND ROX PHILOSOPHICALLY WROTE ON HIS DEALING WITH MELANOMA. It is not I to be given credit here, but he - post-mortem eighteen years. So though I must check off the box below that it is mine, it is not mine, but PLEASE - give credit to this friend of mine who wrote this while dying of Melanoma! The same as you'd given my brother credit earlier writing about his (our) father's last days.

Last night I came across a 20-year old letter from a ROX POWELL, an Ebasco Services co-employee. He was laid off in 1984, then I being laid of ten years later - from the World Trade Center. In 1987, he was diagnosed with deadly Melanoma, starting with a small pimple in one of his legs. He went through a series of operations, the cancer spreading, leaving him with a leg that looked more like a stick. My supervisor - Juanita M - had connection with Paramount Pictures, handed me a number of free tickets for Rox and I. One of the movies he and I saw together was - "FATAL ATTRACTION".

October 17, 1989 was his 54Th and last birthday. He knew he'd probably not make his 55Th, so he wanted his 54Th to be celebrated in style. He insisted that I join him on an evening cruise on the Hudson River that night - the Princess Line. He wouldn't take any money from me - paid $120 for the two of us. It was a wonderful cruise. I remember it was foggy that night, with a slight drizzle - the shore looking like various colors of cotton candy - the buildings.

The boat left the dock around 8 or 8:30 p.m., our having sat there for about an hour before. Dinner was served, which was Fillet Mignon, with the trimmings - and wine. We toasted Rox' 54Th birthday - I being just two months - exactly - from turning 50.

There was a live band playing, consisting of mostly younger people than we were. Rox asked me to go over to the band and request that they play the Theme from Moulin Rouge (1953) - "WHERE IS YOUR HEART" - a beautiful piece I remember well from when I'd seen the movie in 1953 - making me think of my step-mom Evelyn - our seeing the movie together. The band never heard of it! I hummed it, hoping it might ring a bell. No! I went back to Rox and we sang it by ourselves - my not remembering all the words, but certainly the melody.

It was such a memorable affair. I tried to get some pictures, but I had only a few left on the roll. Most did not come out, if any.

On my way home, I had my car radio on. Right at the exact moment our boat left dock on the Hudson, the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake was in progress

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