My cousin, My freind

By Lavy Kosofsky

Just a few anecdotes about my good friend Nosson.
Nosson is a chevreman, always looking to make noise. We used to go on trips together, and he would always make noise. I remember in Six Flags, Nosson going over to every single booth, making everybody meshuge. He always wanted a free try, and if the guy's back was turned, he would take a second one too. Everyone in the group was either laughing their heads off or muttering nervously, "Nosson, you're crazy! they'll kick us out!"
One day of chol hamoed, we went to a park near our house, where Nosson joined a group of shvartzes playing basketball. He loved people, talking to people, and he also loved to play basketball. One of the shvartzes asked him if he watches tv. He responded with a straight face, "t-what?" The next day we were walking through the park on the way to shul, and one of the shvartzes called out, "what, you guys go to church every day!?" Nosson shouted back, "brother, we go three times a day!"
I remember once, when he was a kid, maybe ten years old he showed me his new game boy that he earned from tanya bal peh. he wanted to know if i thought it was alright to play gameboy, he just didnt think it was "pas." I didn't really get where he was coming from, i told him that if he learned so much tanya, he could take a little time to play gameboy. which he liked.
Nosson liked pranks, one time, i came to New york for a chasuna. i came into the house and Nosson ran over to me. "look at this pen, its amazing." i couldn't figure out whats so special about a stupid pen, so when i was alone in the room i couldn't hold myself back. i picked up the pen, debating if i should wait for nosson to show me the secret, but my curiosity got the better of me, and i pulled off the cover. BOOM. it exploded in my hands. it had a firecracker or something inside, instead of a pen. i got so scared. just then nosson came up to the room. "Did you like the pen?" he asked with a big grin on his face. boy, did we have a good time with that pen at the chasuna that night.
growing up, we used to spend a lot of time at our bubbys house, and the favorite game was hide and seek. when we heard the terrible news about Nosson, one of our cousins told me, "we are all playing hide and seek. just like back then, but Nosson is still hiding. the game is over, and we can't find nosson. i think everyone right now has joined in our game. we are all searching for nosson, trying to find him, trying to remember and hold on to our good friend, so full of chayus, of exuberance.
It hasn't sunk in yet, I haven't digested the fact that Nosson is no longer with us. It just doesn't fit, it doesn't make sense. How can someone who has so much energy, who is so alive, just leave us so quickly.The night of his levaya I took a long walk, just to think, to make sense of it all. I know it sounds crazy, but i sat down on a bench, and started talking to Nosson. It felt funny, just talking into the dark night. But afterward, I didn't feel so lonely anymore. I felt like I still had a piece of Nosson to hold on to.
Lchaim, we should be reunited bkorov mamash, bgeula hamitis vhashlaima bkorov mamash