You Got Potential

II.

Israel & Malik in the MM.

-Israel Easton-

-October 3rd, 2018-

It was that time of year again. I sighed getting up out of bed after saying a prayer thanking Allah. I walked to my closet grabbing some grey Nike sweats, a hoodie, and my brown Timberland boots. I put a couple of chains on my neck including the one Malik gave me for my 17th birthday. I grabbed my things and left out of my apartment to be met by the cold and windy Brooklyn fall weather. Hopping inside my truck I made the long drive towards the cemetery where Malik's grave was.

Pulling up to the cemetery I parked in a nearby parking lot and decided to walk the rest of the way. Getting to the familiar spot I stood in front of the headstone with his engravings on it.

"Its really been four years cuz." 

I took the same chain he had gotten me for my birthday off of my neck and into my hands. Uncontrollably, I broke down and started crying. Even after four years, I still couldn't cope with the fact he was really gone. It felt like the shit just happened yesterday. I had so many questions yet not enough answers. Even the police investigation in my eyes was bullshit. Of course, they ruled it as a gang-related shooting and never kept searching for who could have done this. I knew Malik though. He wouldn't have let this happen. I always kind of questioned whether he was set up or not but it was so hard to tell. Both Malik and Mike had a lot of recognition with multiple plugs in the city and they were well known. It could've been anybody watching them on the low.

I kissed my hand and placed it on his headstone and said a prayer one last time before getting off the ground. walking back towards my truck I bumped into someone. It was a female with a little boy.

"My bad. Come on pooh let's go see daddy." She spoke lowly moving her and what I assumed to be her child out of my way.

"You all good ma," I called after her watching her walk towards the other side of the cemetery.

I watched her walk away before I turned away from them and kept walking towards where I parked my truck. Hopping in I sighed and went into my driver console pulling out a half-smoked backwood. Grabbing my all blue Bic lighter out of my pocket and sparked it up. Putting my phone on shuffle mode, the sound of Kendrick's Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst played lowly in the background. Sitting back I let the familiar calm feeling take over my body as I smoked. I ashed out what was left and made my way back to the city.

***

-K'Yanna Barber-

-October 3rd, 2018-

I grabbed AJ by his hand and continued to walk away from the man we had bumped into. As we got closer to Aiden's grave I got more and more anxious. I took a couple of deep, shaky, breaths before touching his headstone. I read his engraving once more as I began to get teary-eyed.

Aiden M. Jerome

September 15th, 1993-October 1st, 2015

Aiden; Loving Father, Son, & Friend. Your soul will be loved and remembered each passing day. Rest in Paradise.

Letting the tears flow down my face, the distant memory of his last few hours alive with me replayed in my head over and over...

***