The Forgotten

I.

Yo, let me catch you up to my life so far. After Kaide got locked, me and our mom were down on our luck, we couldn't catch a break. We stayed in Harlem for 4 more years, then we got up out and moved to this place called Akron, Ohio. It's obviously way slower than NYC, less people, all of that, but my mom figured that it would be better for me to live here, you know, a fresh start.

When we got here, I was 11. Fast forward up to now; I'm 17, about the same age Kaide was when he got into all this shit. I knew my mom would get scared when I got around this age...but I planned on keeping my promise I made to Kaide when he took me back from P and Reed. He made me promise to never get into the drug world, and never to end up like him. He wanted me to make it out in a legit way, so I did.

Now, I attend Woodridge High School, a little school out in the sticks, full of white people. Shit wack yo, but anything to keep me out of trouble. I'm the star player on the basketball team, though; we got a pretty nice squad, and I had college scouts checking me out. I know Kaide would be proud, even though I haven't written him in some time now. I missed my brother man, with everything in me...and even now he still got at least 4 more years to go until he's eligible to get out. Or at least that's what I thought.

One day after practice, I came home, and there was a letter sitting right on the counter. It was Kaide. I wondered how he found our new address, but I brushed that thought off, I wanted to see what he had to say. I opened it as fast as I could, and read it out loud.

"Dev,

What's going on man? Lord knows I miss you two. I'm still here obviously, I'm maintaining. But I was waiting on a letter from you for about 3 years now, but I never got one. It's cool, I know you two been adjusting to this new life in a new state. I feel you. I hope you been keeping your promise you made to me too, stay out these streets man. I can't stress enough how much I want that from you. Anyway, I have some good news...the warden talked to me, and I'm getting released early on good behavior. I should be out May 2014, or somewhere along there, which gives me about 7 more months in here. How great is that? Of course once I'm out I'm going to have to get adjusted to the new life, before I come see you two. So you should be seeing me around Summer 2014. I hope you as eager for this as I am. I love you man, God bless.

-Kaide"

I stared at that last part of the letter for about ten minutes. I can't believe it man, my older brother is getting out early. I can't wait to tell my mom, I was about as happy as a kindergartner with a 64 box of crayons, as cheesy as that is.

After coming down from that emotional high, I sat down to watch some TV. We didn't have cable, so it was just local shit, you know? I was okay with that anyway, I truly wasn't a fan of a lot of things on TV. I turned the channel, and Maury was on. Honestly, this show made me laugh...it seemed so unrealistic. I knew me and my mom weren't high class, but the people on there made us seem like royalty. I was into the show for all of twenty minutes, until I heard a knock on my door. I look out the peephole, and it's my nigga Keith. This was one of the funniest niggas I knew man, him and a couple other niggas. I opened the door and dapped him up.

"Yo wassup man? I just got back from practice."

"Word, I feel it. Yo you heard about this nigga Mike's party? It's in two weeks. You trying to make an appearance?"

I wasn't the party type, but you know what? I was feeling up because of that letter.

"Yeah, son. I'll definitely be there."

And with a laugh, he dapped me back up, and left as quick as he came. Leaving me to finish this episode of Maury.