Bawls...

So today, I bawled.

In the morning, a human resources counselor and one of BCA's guidance counselors spoke with us students in Mr. Holbrook's room. We went around and recited how we reacted to the news and what we learned from the times we had with Mr. Holbrook. I revealed how his passing didn't come as a complete shock as I knew everything beforehand and was somewhat involved with the events leading up to it. It's also terribly difficult to keep some things, such as this, absolutely top secret, and other things not so much.

We then had pizza for lunch, except it wasn't from the place that Mr. Holbrook would always take out. There weren't any donuts either. :( I talked with Dr. Abramson and Mr. Vidal for a bit and listened to their recounting their visit with Mr. Holbrook at the hospital before he left. They described how he was wired up fifteen different ways and was breathing on a ventilator...internal bleeding...comatose...and a cardiac arrest ended it...and how the nurse had to ask them if she could take him off the ventilator. It was really touching and sad, but this year so far was filled with nothing but success [phenomenal showings at Duke and PUMaC, outstanding BCA Math Competition, all of the star seniors getting into MIT early], so if he had to pick a time, now would be best...

Then the principal and vice principal led all the students to the boardroom for a meeting. We discussed the short term solution to commemorating the passing of Mr. Holbrook, which is now online here. Everyone was dismissed afterwards.

In the end, only Nevard, Abramson, Mayers, my dad and I, Mark and his mom remained, and some alumni. While Mark was talking with the alumni elsewhere, Dr. Mayers said the most touching thing of the entire day: that I reminded Mr. Holbrook of his two daughters, who are both overseas and barely contact him. Though I knew that I was one of the better females that was on the math team, I didn't know that he saw me as his [grand]daughter. It hit me so much that I bawled for most of the afternoon... :'(

It's really sad to see the one who first acknowledged you in a previously unknown world leave...

You will always be remembered.