I’d always seen Kokopelli print around. I’d recognized the figure. I never knew the significance until I was gifted a hand beaded Kokopelli bracelet. Handcrafted by a 90 year old German woman who would sadly pass away two months after.

I got to know Dagmar through her “young” friend Ken who happens to be in his 70s. They’d frequent the restaurant that I worked in.

A double Hornitos margarita on the rocks for the both of them, also sharing a basket of duck tenders with honey mustard and fries.

Dagmar didn’t talk too much. But shed pretend to hear even though she couldn’t and would look to Ken for him to answer for her. Trust.

Dagmar didn’t even smile all too often. But she’d stare and nod. Sometimes furrow her brows.

I hold the bracelet in the same drawer as all my super sentimental jewelry.

After Dagmar passed, I stopped seeing Ken for a while. Until he came in with his vibrant ex wife who lived in Alaska.

Ken got into a horrible car accident right after Dagmar passed. He had lost a significant amount of weight and it took him grabbing my shoulder for me to recognize him. I cried a little going to grab his margarita that he tributes to Dag.

He tells me that he’s loosing his vision fast and that he’ll be almost blind by the next year.

Kris the ex wife heard about his health, sold her house in Alaska and moved in with him. With the money she got from selling her house she took him to see Yellowstone. For the first and the last time.

He came into the restaurant this last weekend to show me the photos of buffalos that he took.

I hug Kris and Ken every time I see them.

Ken has graduated to using a cane. Kris bickers with him but adores him.

I adore them