D'Anthony Carlos has skated through life always being protected. When you're related to the biggest drug cartel in the DMV you gotta be protected. When all of your uncles are the most feared and respected you automatically garner the same attention...
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Today we'll finally be burying my bestfriend, Markel. His flesh will be put to rest, but his spirit won't. Until justice is received his soul will cause havoc. Markel is alive and awake. Continue to tell his story and spread his word. My angel always.. -Z.D.
I pull my black trench coat closer to my body as it's a cold day. D'Anthony has his arm wrapped around me as I stare off into the distance of a green field with tombstones every which way. Everyone was expecting Markel's parents to bury him in his home state of New York, but they decided to lay his body to rest in Washington D.C., the place he's lived for the past two years. Or the place his soul dwelled before death if you ask his father.
It was weird because I was expecting to be wailing at the top of my lungs at Markel's funeral, especially when they opened the casket. I always disliked funerals, that part in particular. I never understood why they had to open the casket in the first place. I remember when they opened my father's casket at his funeral, I was scarred for a long time. I couldn't get that image out of my head. A person just laying their lifeless and not breathing. People say it's for final closure, but it fucks me up.
I honestly think I cried all the tears I had left out. All I had today were streams that ran down my face when a woman with a powerful voice sang or when one of Markel's closest cousins gave a speech about him. I was truly ready for this to be over, but it was nowhere near done. Even once he's buried we still have to worry about the police officers trial because any and everyone they could find from that night who was willing to cooperate would be testifying at the trial that had no date yet.
I watch as men in suits with white gloves move the big flower off the top of Markel's Red Cherry Wood casket. It was the closest thing to his favorite color of red. According to Markel's parents, Nas took care of all the funeral expenses. He told them not to spare a dollar, but the Scott's just wanted something small and meaningful. They didn't even let that many people come. Considering all the people Markel knew, only 50 were invited including me, his Kappa line brothers not excluding Gideon or Israel and D'Anthony, Nubia, some other Howard students, rappers and producers he knew from the industry, family, and Sahara...
