Member-only story
My Walks with Helen
A memory of a sweet soul from high school
I didn’t know Helen Lopez well, but I did know her. We connected in some subtle way that can’t be easily described with words.
She was sensitive, intelligent, girl with a roundish symmetrical face that was a joy to observe. About 5’3”, she carried long straight light brown hair that came down and slid over her shoulders.
I don’t even recall how we connected, only that we did. From what I can remember she was a loner as I was. We walked slowly together, though this pace wasn’t a choice, I let her lead the way.
I was a loud, eccentric kid, who didn’t really fit in anywhere. A loner, and a loser in my own mind, Helen was a splash of sunshine in my awkward existence. For those who knew me from the Highbridge neighborhood my nickname was “Crazy Louie.” In one sense I wore that name like a badge of honor, on the other hand I knew it marked me as a permanent outsider in my high school world.