I miss her......
by Cody Holt
(Elgin IL )
Nicole "Nikki" Kehm
Nicole and I grew up together. I met her on my first day of living (1-9-92) more than likely she was born 10 days before me(12-30-91). Nichole Kehm was her name and still is to me. We played soccer together on a team in elgin and even though we didnt play we chased each other around the soccer field. She moved away to Sheboygan Wisconsin when I was about 9 and i only got to see her one other time when i was about 11. That day my dad had us take pictures together one silly one and one serious so we could look back one day. I still felt at that age one day we would marry haha my dad and her dad always joked like that too. I hugged her that night and that would be the last time I would get to see her in person.....till the funeral. In October 07 we started talking via myspace and planned on meeting again in the summer of 08 and we did meet... Not how I wanted to though.
On July 1, 2008 Nikki (thats wat she went by to many people) was walking along a rural road just outside the town of scott in wisconsin with her friend tara. They were going after her boyfriend who got in a fight with one kid at the party and then he started off down the highway... Nikki and Tara shortly followed. Thats when a red pontiac struck Nikki from behind. The police said it was going at about 70 miles an hour. The car was driven by an drunk teenage driver who got in a fight with Nikki's boyfriend at the party. The police caught up with him that night or the next morning. Nikki flew 100 feet into a ditch and he kept driving. Tara was hit on her arm nothing serious. Tara flagged down a motorist and caught up to her boyfriend who ran back yelling "please dont be dead" I got the news the next morning. I cried and cried and sat by myself under the tree.
On July 7th I left for Glenbeulah, Wisconsin to the viewing. As we got closer and closer it got more real to me but it didnt get the realist until we stepped into the funeral home where I saw her in the coffin. It was a moment where i had a feeling that is indescribable seeing someone you havent seen in the longest time lying in a coffin when you just talked to her on myspace about a week earlyier.
And on a board before getting to the coffin I saw that picture we took so many years before.. I started to cry I ran into the bathroom trying to wake up. Nothing worked as I came out I came across her brother who I also had grown up with but I was closer to Nikki and my brother was closer to him. We hugged and caught up.
I hugged everyone and tried to say my good byes but all that I could say was "im sorry" as I stood in front of her coffin I felt 9 again and I felt that she was standing in front of me I felt as we finally met but no words were exchanged no hugs no nothing I felt everyone looking at me. They knew that we shared a bond as a kid and maybe even now.
The next day was hard I said my goodbyes at the church I hugged everyone again then her mom asked if my brother and I wanted to be a pallbearer at first I said no but I gradually had to accept. I looked at her all grown up her tan was tinted with little bits of gray, her eyes closed forever she looked soo beautiful and so graceful. After the ceremony I carried her out of the church with 5 others my hands slid off the coffin and then they closed the hearse I stood outside the only one to watch it go away. I wanted to chase her like I used to do. It wouldnt do any good anyways. I wanted to go home we left about a hour later.
Finally just a while ago the teen was found guilty on all counts. Justice was done but not fully. Nikki will never go to another prom, visit a college, get married, and have kids.
I hope somewhere sometime someone will read this and help someone out who is drunk or decide not to drink. It would be in the memory of Nikki and the thousands who die of drunk drivers. Nikki I miss you. Everyone misses you!!