MW3N LUB 0U [FiNiZZL3 DRAFTiZZL3]

As I held his head in my lap, I looked around me. My jeans, t-shirt, and hands were drenched in a dark red liquid. I don’t think I was painting that day. So many people were surrounding us but in my mind I was all alone; just me and my best friend lying on the floor taking a quick nap. I wish he would hurry up a wake up I thought. My leg was beginning to fall asleep from his big head. “Pi bon zanmi paske vi!” every time he told me we would be best friends for life, I assumed he meant forever.

I reminisce to the days we would sit on the steps and talk about everything. Two peach sodas sitting between us with him taking sips of mine when he thought I wasn’t looking. I would look into his rainy day gray eyes and know I was always going to be safe with him. He was so light skinned I would use him as if he was a sheet of loose leafed paper drawing funny characters on him while he slept. His hair was longer than most children’s high water pants and O how much I dreaded the buckles my fingers received after I braided it. As much as I see him in my mind, I also see that day playing over and over like a movie with no stop button.

“Babygurl go get some peach sodas, I gotta have a talk with you.” “What did I do now? What do we have to talk about?” “Just go and I’ll see you when I get back.” I already knew what it was. My best friend previously saw me talking to a boy I liked so I knew what the conversation, well lecture, would be about. Midway to the Papi store to get our peach sodas, I heard a loud pop and then I heard nothing. I turned around to see what was going on and I saw my best friend with red paint attacking his shirt like an infectious disease. I laughed and thought “Here we go with the paint ball fight again.” He began yelling at me unaware of my temporary being deaf. I ran and hid behind a car because I thought the paint ball thugs were coming for me next in my all white attire. It seemed like forever waiting for my best friend to come and hide with me like we usually did. I went out to find him and he was still in the same spot, only now he was lying down.

I got my sound back and heard many people screaming. When I reached him, my best friend was repeating over and over “Mwen lub ou April.” I told him, “I love you too; now get up so I can braid your hair while we talk.”; “Ok you’re sleepy? You can lie on my lap and take a quick nap.” I layed down with him, not caring about the oil stain on my cheek, and not caring about the stray cat jumping over me to avoid a car. As I looked around us, I noticed so many people in our face with sorrow in there eyes. I thought, he’s only taking a nap damn it’s not that deep. All of a sudden every one disappeared. It was just me and my best friend, lying in the hot street, making snow angels in the thick, gooey red paint and oil mixture. Just me and my best friend until some one touched him and tried to pry him away from me. I had to protect him while he was sleep, I tried my best to protect him and keep him warm. “Where are ya’ll taking him?” I asked. “Leave him alone, he’s just taking a nap!” They took my best friend away from me and I sat in his blood, with my now red pants and t-shirt, until my parents took me home. I will forever remember my best friend. I cry sometimes not because I miss him, but because I know he is always on the back of my neck, walking on the back of me heels pushing me forward, saying “Mwen lub ou April.” I always reply back with a smile, “I love you too!!”