One evening when it was just the two of us, Irvin and I spoke about his impending death. I reassured him that his mum and dad would be waiting to welcome him to Heaven. And, he reassured me that he would be waiting for me.
Then, he looked at me thoughtfully, and slowly shook his head. "Hmm. Maybe I'll need to come down to the mezzanine floor to pick you up." he said. "Hang around there. Have a coffee or something while you wait. I'll have been up there for a while by then. I'll know my way around. I'll know the places to go."
Irvin was a joker to the end. He was always able to make me laugh. I miss him.