57 Beechurst No More

I try to visit Morgantown whenever I can or at least once a year. Last year I was in Morgantown for a Football Game when my parents were visiting us and before that casually to meet friends. The latter time I took a couple of our (actually my wife's undergraduate friend and her cousin) friends, my brother and my wife to Morgantown. We had fun time and my friends liked it Morgantown a lot. Why would anybody not like the second heaven on Earth? The first of course being Vizag.

Our friend liked it so much that when her parents were around this time, she wanted to show Morgantown to them and asked us if we could accompany them so I can show them the best places in and around Morgantown. I was absolutely happy to do so and quickly convinced my wife to go along with me as it was her friend that we were meeting.

I took them to the regular places - Cooper's rock (The Park was actually closed for the season and won’t open until a month or so), Valley Falls, Campus etc. I tried to have lunch at my favorite place in Morgantown Black Bear which is a fusion Mexican restaurant. But no one was willing to experiment and preferred to try my other suggestion Asia Garden which was also closed for the time by the time we went there. So we settled for QDoba as all the other good places were not of liking to my other fellas.

So while having my lunch, it began to sink in the reality of what I saw on my little detour on the way to Black Bear. I had four addresses during my period in Morgantown and none holds better memories than my last home at 57 Beechurst Ave. I had 5 wonderful roommates who were in very similar situation as I was and came to Morgantown about the same time I did. So the chemistry was great and we had a blast.

I wanted to park behind the house and take a minute or two recollecting the good old days. So I drove in to the parking lot next to the church that was to North of the building. I drove behind the church and was expecting to see my old home behind it. To my shock there was nothing but asphalt laden parking lots with perfect lines for the car. It would appear as if the house never existed if you have not been there.

I felt a void in my memories. The old cricket games we had in my memory appeared to no long have the house in the backyard. I was cooking in the open parking lot now every Wednesday. We were all watching a horror movie 50 ft in the air every Friday night.

I felt a huge emptiness .. 57 Beechurst is now more. I felt bad that I should have taken a picture of it before I left. All that I have left is memories of good old days.