In the gritty underbelly of New York City, Cartier Bennett, a hardened drug dealer's path intersects with that of Xyah Payne, a young, naive nurse. As their worlds collide, a dangerous love story unfolds, where manipulation becomes a twisted form of...
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"WE'RE ALL HERE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND DEATH of our beloved Lawrence," The pastor proclaimed, a solemn expression across his face as he addressed the church.
Cartier never thought this day would come. The day where he'd bury his closest friend, his oldest friend. Cartier sat emotionless throughout the whole service, he'd done his share of crying the previous night and had no more tears left to cry, or so he thought.
"We say to you in the midst of our sorrow and loss, that we are grateful that you lived your life among us, even though a short one."
TJ and Amaaj sat on either side of Cartier, their faces wet and their eyes bloodshot. All four of them shared a deep bond and grew immensely close over the years. You couldn't tell one that the others weren't his brothers. The church was packed, so full that people were spilling out of the church, opting to stand in any place they could. Boogie... Lawrence was loved by all, able to effortlessly brighten up a room with just his personality alone.
"We take relief in knowing that your suffering has ended. We release you now into the Everlasting and Loving Arms of Our Lord." The casket began to close slowly. Cries from family and friends shook the church as this was their last goodbye.
Cartier felt his heart in his stomach, recollecting back on the image of his friend lying in his casket. His head slightly sunken in due to his bullet wound. It was a sickening sight. Cartier's chest began to rise and fall rapidly as his vision became blurry. His bottom lip quivered, his throat threatening to let out the most gut-wrenching cry.
"You may know Wholeness and Peace now and through all eternity." Amaaj, TJ, and Cartier were called up to carry the casket along with Lawrence's father and two brothers. This was it.
Carrying the casket to the hearse hit Cartier differently, his face contorted as he finally let his tears fall. The sounds of people wailing not making him feel any better. The choir sung as they walked slowly down the aisle, the six men propped the casket onto their shoulders and walked it to the hearse, sliding it gently into the back.
People filed out of the church and into their cars, making a large line behind the hearse as it drove through the city to the cemetery. Amaaj and TJ rode with Cartier. It was a quiet ride, not one person having the energy to even say anything and with good reason. Arriving at the gravesite, the men had barely made any effort to get out of the car. They just watched as people began to gather around the plot.
"We gotta do this shit y'all." Cartier finally broke the silence, "He would want us out there."
They all eventually got out, they were probably the last ones to arrive at the now crowded plot. They were ushered to the front of the crowd by Lawrence's mother, standing next to her and the rest of Lawrence's immediate family. Lawrence's mother held on to Cartier's arm tightly as they began lowering him into the ground. Cartier pulled her into his embrace once she begun crying. Lawrence's mother took Cartier in during his younger teenage years, once Cartier's mother found out he was a drug dealer. So they were close.
"You can do that shit, just not in my house." Cartier's mother told him. And from that day on he left, never really looking back. The money he was getting was way to infatuating to just let it go. So he would occasionally stop by and leave a wads of cash in her mailbox, not having the courage to hear what she had to say about the man he currently was. So Lawrence's mother took him in, he was like a son to her and her husband and a brother to their sons.
Once the casket was lowered completely into the ground, people had their turn of shoveling dirt onto the casket until it was filled, leaving only a mound. After a while the crowd got smaller and smaller as people got in their cars and left for the repass. But Cartier, Amaaj, and TJ stayed.
The boys sat around the mound of dirt, completely taking in the situation they were in. Their closest friend was now gone.
"Now what?" Amaaj muttered, a hopeless look upon his face.
To that TJ pulled out three blunts, handing one to both Cartier and Amaaj. They all light their blunts, holding it in the air as a way of paying homage before facing it.
"You know, one thing Boog probably liked more than us was weed." Cartier joked quietly which emitted small chuckles from his friends as they silently agreed.
But Amaaj was right about something. After all the crying, grieving, and hurt.
