Here's to You, Zephaniah.

Zephaniah(1)

13 days. 13 nights, 13 seconds, Daddy you really left me 13 days ago. I watch as my tears fall on his grave sight. "You always have been a fighter daddy so why couldn't you fight" - my words got choke up and I wiped my tears away. "I miss you so much daddy". "You were always my superhero." "My reason to keep going." "You had so much things to do with me, you had so much to accomplish", "we had so much to" - I cried harder as the bright sunlight glisten on my brown skin. I held on the flowers, I brought a little tighter and sat it on top of his grave stone. Somebody tap my shoulder and they're behold my big bother Zaire smiling with some McDonald's in his hands. Zaire sat next to me, and said he check my location, saw I was here and knew he had to come. "But I couldn't come without some food first" we both laugh and he passed me a bacon cheeseburger. I started eating and Zaire started singing my dad favorite song he sang to us as kids as his tears started coming down his eyes.

I shall wear a crown
I shall wear a crown
When it's all over, and I shall see his face,
I believe I shall see his face, oh god,
When it's all over, oh when it's all over,
I'm going to put on my robe, tell the story,
How I made it over,
I'm going to put on my robe
And tell the story how I made over.
I'm going to put on my robe and tell my story-

I joined in and started singing with him as we held hands and tears.

Im going to put on my robe, and tell the story,
How I made it over, I made it over,
I'm going to put on-
I'm going to tell the story!

Passerby stood and watch us sing but we continue crying and sang together. Some clap and others just stared, even watch one lady even said "y'all better sing". We reached the end on the song and everybody clapped. It wasn't too many but they were a good amount. An elderly lady came by and hugged me. We heard a car honk its horn, and a lady in a black limo singled my bother to come by. The lady told me we sing so beautifully, and she bet whoever we here visiting will be happy. I gave my thanks and my bother looked at me with a smile on his face and headed back to me. "Hey sis the lady in the limo asked if we can sing to help buried her son, they heard us singing and would like us to give the final grievances."

The lady who once was hugging me lifted her eyebrows and grab my hand, with pleading eyes and I looked at my bother and said yes. The small crowd yelled yes and their thanks you's. I told the lady she can have the rest of our McDonald's and whoever she visiting can have a meal together she chucked, took the food and I walked to my bother.

We headed to the lady in the limo, told her we will be willing to and she gave her thank you, then she gave us some insight on who was the deceased, it was her son, his best friend killed him over some money, but what was worst, the bullet was for his twin brother who was deep in these streets, they gave the best friend, the wrong person on purpose in order get to her oldest twin bother, and decided the best friend of the deceased to do the job for them and he did. While everybody knew he was just bait, and they didn't care. The young child, her child, was only 19. Shock and even sadder and we told her we just trail behind with the others, she said it wasn't too far from her and thank us again, and the song choice was ours to choose. In our cars, my brother called me and asked me what song we should pick and I said more than I can bear, I think we all need that reminder today.

We got to his burial area and yes indeed it wasn't far at all. We parked our cars and they were taking the casket out of another limo, I started crying, and stood outside my car, as the memories of my dad came up and I wanted to back out, but the sun was shining so bright and I knew I had to do this. My bother tapped my shoulder. "We can do this sis". I gave a slight smile and he put his hands over my shoulder. I smiled harder and we walked to the mother and she hugged me,when we got done she wiped my tears. My brother went and talked to the men who were holding the casket, watching the scene before us, the lady hugged me again and to cry in my arms. A few muffled thank you's and she let me go. I grab her hand and we all stood with the rest for the final words. The pastor prayed over the body and asked the mother to step forward. I let her hand go as she spoke her testimony.