The Ghetto

Goodbye

11:00 A.M. Saturday Morning Briante's funeral started it lasted until 1 P.M. After leaving the church we headed to the burial site where the most crying would occur. Flowers had been placed on top of his casket and passions gathered around under the tent to say their last words to Briante or about him.

I went first saying "I never would've thought I'd be the one to lose a dear friend or more like a brother. He never did anything to anyone he never wanted trouble he only wanted payback. This is all my faul,t because I was laying in that hospital bed half dead my brother only wanted to the other man to feel what I was feeling. I stopped for a second to wipe my eyes. I love you man always and forever BJ for life. I walked over and kissed his casket. I took my seat next to his mom and she patted my back and said I'm sorry. "Thank you" I said through tears and sniffles.

Everyone else said what they had to say and we went ahead and buried my bestfriend. When they put all the dirt over the casket I walked over to the tombstone which had the words engraved
Briante Markell Lang March 12th, 2000 - October 25th 2015. "Shall The Memories We've Shared Forever Live."

I stood and wiped my eyes and got into the car. Desmond was in the back seat my mom was driving. I started out the window occasionally wiping my eyes and sniffing loudly. When we pulled up to the house I pulled out my house key and walked straight to my room and sat on the bed. My bestfriend, my ace, my homeboy, my nigga, he's gone for real. Desmond walked in and sat down next to me.

"Look Desmond I know this is tough, but you can't just mope around now just because your friend is gone."

"He was my brother not my friend Desmond, I know you understand look at how you acted when Zoe was killed you moped around and cried man, I didn't understand it at the time but now I do."

"So what now you're just going to sit around and do this all day for the rest of your life? It's time to go out and do something man something Briante would be proud of."

"It's funny I gave him this same speech a couple weeks ago and now he's giving it to me, how ironic."

"Look man I need some time alone can I at least get that?"

"Whatever homie but don't take too long."

He exited the room and closes the door behind him. After about 10 minutes I got up and went into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stripped. I needed this badly. As I let the hot water run over my body I started to think about Briante again. My thoughts were interrupted when my mom knocked on the door and came in the bathroom and sat on the toilet. I peeked my head out,

"Momma what are you doing?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I know you're taking this hard."

"Mama you couldn't have waited until I'd gotten out of the shower first, I mean what if I was naked?"

"Boy I birthed you I've seen that lil patty wacker already."

"I always laugh when she says that. I'm not little anymore mama I'm 16 years old my "patty wacker" is a lot like a Big Mac now."

She laughed "Boy you crazy, anyways I have to go to work, I love you, be safe and lock up the house if you leave."

"I love you too Mama."

She walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. I turned off the water and got out of the shower, and wrapped my towel around my waist and let my body air dry. I walked into my room and closed the door, locked it and let the towel drop. I walked over to my drawer abd grabbed my white "Polo" underwear and slid them on. Next I found my sky blue colored skinny jeans, my "Marvin The Martian 7's" and the matching shirt. I grabbed my wallet and my Nikon camera and my keys and walked out of the house.

Desmond was sitting on the wall that was on the left side of the opening that led up to the apartment.

"Yo lil dick D I'm about to go site seeing you coming?"

"Yeah I'll slide."

We hopped in the car and sped off. We pulled up to Cascade park the sun was setting, I hopped out of the whip and sat on the hood. I pulled the camera up to my eyes twisted the lens a little bit to focus and snapped a perfect photo. I asked Desmond to snap a few of me while I was sitting on the hood of my car. After he finished I looked at them all and put the camera away. Things were going to change now that B was gone, I didn't know if I was ready to take on the world without my bestfriend. I tear rolled down my cheek as I said "Long Live B."

A new life was about to start and hopefully I could handle it.