Elena Cadet dies in car accident

Elena Cadet, a 2009 graduate of Monte Vista High, died in a car accident over the weekend.

She was well known in the area for her prowess on the tennis court. She was named All-League for four years and led the Mustangs to two titles in the East Bay Athletic League.

She is the daughter of Vicky and Steve Cadet of Diablo. She was currently attending UC Riverside. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Ms. Cadet’s friend Gordon Nash, who attends University of San Diego, has contributed this write-up in her memory:

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Elena Cadet Blog.

There are those people in your life who really don’t have a huge impact. At least, not one you recognize. For the most part, you really don’t think much about them, unless you happen to be right smack in front of each other- passing in the halls, or waiting in line. But it’s like the Counting Crows said- you just don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone. Elena Cadet is dead. She is that person. Was that person.

It’s weird. It’s hard to explain, to describe how I feel right now. I can’t say we were close. I can’t even justly say that we were friends- acquaintances, more like. But somehow, I feel a certain, surprising amount of sobriety as I sit here, stunned, somewhat in awe of how quickly someone can be gone and how much it can affect you.

For someone so… I don’t want to say inconsequential. I think a metaphor conveys it best- movies have stars, and they’ve got supports. The star gets the glory. The supports make them great. Nobody notices the support, though. That is, nobody notices them until they’re gone. Then, you realize. Then, you actually begin to understand what an integral part of your life they’ve been- be it your past, present, or future.

I knew two Elenas (Eleni)? One I saw during school every day, in the passing hall that was always either blustery and cold, or cool and breezy- but always uncomfortable. I preferred to walk through there really only because it was usually the shortest path to class. In hindsight, I realize there were two things that made that corridor bearable in the slightest: first, passing by the cafeteria doors, which blasted warm air into the frigid hall; two, the smile and wave I would get from Elena every single day. It’s not something you really notice past simply smiling back and continuing on your way- but when its one of two memories you really can lucidly recall, its a bit of a big deal.

The other, I saw after school. When I think Elena, I think of a girl walking down from the locker rooms with her tennis gear on. Walking, not striding or running or skipping- just a plain old walk, every day, as we crossed paths on the way to track and tennis, smiled at each other, and that was it. That was Elena Cadet. That’s the one I know.

So it seems silly to say that I’m affected any more than a standard pay-your-respects and go. But there’s just something disconcerting about it all- why her? I could think of a million people to die before she. They say the nice guys finish last, but die first? I didn’t know her much more than that smile. That smile was a better one than mine, though. You could see so much of her in it. There aren’t many people who can smile at everyone and mean it every single time. There was something special about it. You could tell exactly who she was inside.

So why her? God must need a few more angels up there. He must not have been able to wait. He must have regretted sending her down in the first place, because without her in the kingdom, it must have been pretty normal- not stupendous, just normal. There are some people who just belong up there. I guess God just couldn’t wait.

Good luck, Elena Cadet. I can’t say I’ll truly miss you as many others can, but I do know that the world is missing something great now.

Gordie.