Questions Unanswered

It is another Manic Monday, work day, summer school day and I hope a great day to start the week for you.  When I was around 12 or 13 my Mom payed the nice hippie college student next door to teach me how to play the guitar. She figured he could since the whole neighborhood was treated to his electric guitar solos most afternoon's. It was the 70's and I thought he was so cool with his long straight hair, peaceful demeanor, and his use of words like 'man', 'groovy', and 'far out'. He was a great musician and a patient teacher as it turned out. He was home for Summer break from the University of Texas in Austin. His Dad was lifetime military and his parents only child. I of course had a little crush on him. He was just great at teaching my awkward fingers where to go, made it fun by making up tunes and never once showed any impatience. I became friends with his Mom and she would let me know when he was home for break so I could go say hi and look all starry eyed at him. He would grin at me and call me 'Snake', his pet name for me although why escapes me now. Then one day I was told Mike was missing. He shared an apartment in Austin and had not been seen for days. That was 1975. His Dad retired from the military soon after and moved he and his wife to San Antonio. But how will Mike find them now I worried? I prayed for him every day. I saw his Mom in San Antonio for the last time in the early 90's. Husband had passed away and she still wondered what happened to her only son. She said to me in her living room gazing at his picture, "I know Mike must be dead. He would have come home by now if he were still alive".  She said his then girlfriend still sent her a Christmas card every year and I think that was a small comfort, to sort of have that connection. I told her a Texas Ranger had come to our door in 1979 asking questions as a body had been found in Louisiana close to where his truck had been recovered. She had no knowledge of this, curious as we gave the Ranger their address. She passed away in 1996. I googled his name night before last, not expecting to find anything but there it was-an article from a Louisiana newspaper dated 2007 about DNA helping to identify John Doe's. It was Mike's travel partner the article was talking about, Mike was mentioned almost as a foot note as his body evidently from this article was identified not long after it was found. They were murdered, drug deal gone bad.  I still have this weird empty feeling. How could anyone be so violent to the nice, peaceful, guitar playing, hippie college student? Why was his Mom not given the opportunity to bury her son? Questions unanswered but I do feel a little better knowing he was found. RIP Mike musician peaceful hippie, you were a beloved son, boyfriend and my guitar teacher. If there is a rock and roll heaven ....kisses