Bardfilm just learned this story, and insisted that I post it. To this day the significance had not clicked with me. Since the story was relayed via instant message, I’ll copy it here to give it the same flavor:
10:02
Although, true story, we did find a skull once.
10:02
I now regret not being into Shakespeare yet at the time. True once in a lifetime opportunity missed.
10:02
What kinda skull? Human.
10:03
Some random Saturday morning, back in the days when the kids could just say “Going out!” and be gone on an adventure all day.
10:04
We were wandering around “the marsh” area of town, going on various adventures, when one of the kids in the lead (my cousin Joey) spotted a brown paper bag on the trail. He kicked it, in case some sort of treasure lie within.
10:04
And by treasure, I mean Playboy magazines, beer, etc….
10:04
Out rolls a skull.
10:05
I can’t honestly remember how much of a skull it was, but it was clearly a human skull.
10:05
My cousin had gloves, so he picked it up and we began marching home with it.
10:05
Vivid memory of walking down the street in a procession, as a car came the other way and slowed as we walked.
10:06
My cousin actually had the presence of mind to say “What’samatter, lady? You’re looking at me like I got two heads.”
10:07
We get it home (his home), parents call the police.
10:07
That’s when one of the kids in the group (Richie), loses it. He announces that the bad guys who killed the guy in the first place are gonna find us and kill us, and runs all the way home to his own house.
10:08
Turns out it had been stolen by somebody working in the nearby museum or something, and was part of some old indian exhibit.
I wish I could remember when this had happened, but I figure I had to be younger than 13 years old. My love for all things Shakespeare had not yet kicked in, so poor Yorick never crossed my mind until this very day. After posting this I will contact my mom, see if she remembers when this story took place. I’m also going to cc my brother, who was there at the time.
That was our oh so brief “Stand By Me” moment. We got written up in the town newspaper, but only cousin Joey got his name in the paper.
UPDATED August 18, 2014 : My cousin Joey died this morning after a long illness. RIP, Gizz.