Rainbow of Paint.

When we moved into our house a brand new Home Depot opened 2 blocks away. Perfect timing for us since the house we moved into looked like the set of the Brady Bunch. The wallpaper was so old the pattern was hieroglyphics. Off we went to Home Depot to get some paint. That's when we met. He stood there so cute, so happy and ready to help. I was clueless to what color I wanted. But he had all of the answers. The second he opened his mouth I knew it. He knew color, he knew style, he knew how to decorate...he was gay. Nolan and I hit it off right from the start. We made each other laugh and couldn't stop talking. He wanted to come over and help decorate. We made plans but they never seemed to work out.

Over the past few months we had to go to Home Depot for this or that and I would always go because I loved talking to Nolan. I invited him for dinner several times but he couldn't come because he was a professional ice skater for Disney on Ice and had shows to do, practices and a Home Depot job to hold. I knew Nolans life. He told me everything he asked for advice. Nolan, even with his Home Depot smock on was a sharp dresser. His hair was always styled nice, nails clean as the board of health and face as cute as a button. On the front of his smock read the name "Gus." Why Gus I asked him. He said because he wanted to be known as a skater...not a Home Depot worker. When he would go out people would yell his name and say "Hey, you work at Home Depot." He hated that more than anything.

One year Bobby and I went to the Ribs and Soul Fest and we saw Nolan in line getting is ribs. The line was about 50 deep and he told us he was going to buy us ribs. We said no thanks. He said take cuts in front of me. We didn't want ribs and declined his offer. But we stood there in the hot sun talking to him while he was getting his ribs. Nolan was sharper than Coco Chanel, wearing a purse only a diva could get away with. Looking straight outta G.Q. he ate his ribs in the daintiest way to make sure the sauce didn't get on his $350.00 shirt.

Later on since we saw Nolan outside of his element we became closer. I would pick out some paint and he told me to get the best paint and he would mark the can as oops paint and put a $5.00 sticker on it.

A few months went by. We didn't need anything from Home Depot. Finally we decided to re-do the bathroom. On several trips to Home Depot I didn't see Nolan. I asked one of the associates where he was and they told me he died. He was 28 years old. He wasn't sick but had a heart attack. He wasn't on drugs, he didn't have HIV, he was fine the day before.

Today I went into Home Depot. I haven't been in there in so long but when I walked past the paint department I felt so sad. I miss my friend. I miss his smile and I miss our talks.

I'm sure he's in a rainbow of paint colors, skating his heart out, eating ribs and dressed to the nines.