Meeting Marshall Mathers: The Relapse Era

Chapter 25

It had been exactly 13 months post-funeral, and life had only just managed to get moving again, but it had stopped on halt for his first year anniversary - last month. You could only imagine the mass celebration of his life that went on within his community, including a premier of a project he'd done with DJ Jewels.
I'd dropped down to what I considered an unhealthy UK dress size of 6, I'd always been an 8 and once a 10 but I'd not been this small and I didn't like it. Marshall was putting on noticeable weight, all he would do was eat and sleep using his sleeping aids again but now also teamed with pain relief tablets for his migraines caused by the deep onset of emotion. He also paired the concoctions with alcohol too, I had found him passed out in various places around the house where he had stayed up to the point where he slept where he dropped.
As well as the grief, his music was another factor that he was having difficulty dealing with, but last year he had managed to mix and release two compilation albums Eminem Raw and Uncut which was more of a mixtape last October which was then followed up by Eminem Presents: The Re-Up in December but after those releases it was like he'd hit a huge brick wall.
D12 had stopped production, they'd lost their general, their leader, their creator, he was the glue that had held them together, D12 was nothing without one of their soldiers, if one fell they all fell, and certainly that was the case. A couple of weeks ago nobody wanted to talk to anyone since Proof was gone, so they ditched their phones and other devices. Marshall was so depressed that he didn't even want to talk to his close friend's, he just continued to watch tour footage and delve into photo albums reminiscing on the good memories of them when he was still alive, this would only fuel him into a deeper grief.
However in this passing week it had been the most progressive yet, to see him at least begin to exercise and motivate himself a little, to actually venture out of the house and into the fresh air.. It was truly soul destroying seeing Proof's dear friends and family caught up in the whole process of his passing, heart wrenching to hear those reminiscent stories being told with tear touched eyes, only to be broken by the teller choking on emotion or sobbing.

I'd just arrived home fresh from a full morning in the salon, I'd had my eyelashes, eyebrows and nails all redone along with a full body and bikini wax followed by a workout in the pool and a full body massage. I was feeling so relaxed and at peace for the first time in a long while.
I was in the living room lying on the sofa, Sunday's were my day where I'd turn off any means of contact to rejuvenate and have a sofa day where I'd do absolutely nothing but watch TV and relax, it was important to de-stress to avoid a big buildup of weight upon the shoulders.
I sat watching my program with my first latte of the day, I was alone and left to my own devices, Marshall had gone out but he hadn't told me where he was going, nor did I question him.
I laughed along with the Jerry Springer Show, almost spilling my coffee as I went to take a sip now that it had cooled down. The smell as it traveled down my airways instantly made my mouth water but not in a good way, I pulled it away and held my hand over my mouth, put down my cup and stood up, feeling really peaky. I couldn't decide whether I needed to be sick or not as I felt a funny tingly feeling in my throat. I breathed out and sat back down and looked at my coffee asking myself where that little episode had just come from. I took my mug and sat back with it but as I brought it back up to my lips again that feeling returned!
I tipped away my much wanted coffee and exchanged it for some orange juice, I then heard the door go in the distance, I continued to walk through the house to see who had come in,

"Oh, hey you" I smiled as Marshall came in, he simply nodded and continued on up the staircase. My eyes followed him until he was out of sight. It had felt as though he'd gone back in himself after the progress he'd been making. As I turned on my heel to go back to the living room he shouted me up from the upstairs balcony, I smiled a little to myself as I turned around to the site of him jogging back down the stairs with a package wrapped up tightly,