Uncle Leonard (Part 2 of 4)

A few years later, Leonard was called to be an LDS missionary in
the State of Pennsylvania. We were all excited for him. In everyones mind, Leonard was one of the most perfect individuals. He had his whole life planned out. He knew exactly what he was doing with his life. He was also honest and true in every way.
Leonard left for two years to serve as a missionary for the Church. As the months went by, we got letters, tapes, and on special occasions, phone calls from him. I was twelve at the time. I counted the years – seven -- until I would be old enough to be a missionary also.
Then one Sunday night in January 1974, we had just gotten home from church. We had a simple Sunday night meal, and then started watching home movies. The phone rang. My Dad answered it, then called Mom into the kitchen to talk on the phone. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could sense something was wrong. A few minutes later Dad came back into the living room. He said, “Children, come here. Your Uncle Leonard was killed in a car accident.”
It wasn’t until Monday morning as I was getting ready for school that the reality hit me. We had learned that Leonard had been with four other missionaries, driving in a car, when a man who knew them, and they had been teaching about the church, forced them off the freeway, causing the fatal accident. All but the driver of the car were killed.
I sat on the edge of the bed. I opened my bottom dresser drawer and pulled out the boondoggle neck tie Leonard had made for me. After he had given it to me, I wore it for several months around my neck, and under my shirt, and finally put it away in my
drawer. But that morning I put it on again. I cried out in my mind, “Please Heavenly Father, don’t let him be dead. Make it all a big mistake. Please don’t let him be dead!” But I soon realized that he was dead, and my childish pleading wouldn’t bring him back.