𝟐 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬

I didn’t know he was a killer; I grew up with him, yet that’s innocence & bliss for you. I was too tired watching him struggle, though he was the one to always got and get by any means. I often thought, what life could be if he followed me? You see it was like that in Providence, I take that “be safe” very serious, you didn’t know when it was going to be the wrong place or the wrong time. I know I was always intuitive with my surroundings and whenever I felt something didn’t seem right, I often tried to tell Melly that while we were together. I remember when I first met him, I want to say it was 2006-2007, we exchange snacks I had honey buns, Dorito's, and a Capri sun, while he had Dunkaroos, a water bottle, and some jolly ranchers. We bonded quick when we talked about Power Rangers, Spider-Man, Danny Phantom, Codename Kids Next Door, you name it we always dwelled pretending to be those heroes & bad guys from the shows and movies. From there we were a dynamic duo, going to the same schools, I remember getting to my first fight in elementary school it was first grade, I was getting jumped and Melly swooped in like Aang in the Avatar state. We got in trouble that day because I broke glass upon another student's head, but they never found out because Melly took the blame for it, ever since then I feel like I still owe for that to this day. He really didn’t care though, he just wanted to make sure that I was alright. Melly was never a coward, he was that one authentic friend that would genuinely go out their way to make sure you were good, no matter who saw it.

I remember Melly telling how he pistol whipped his stepfather for the first time, we were in middle school, I was thirteen & Melly was twelve years old. He said after the sixth grade when his pops died due to gun violence, his stepfather was talking down on him about how he was a low life who didn’t value his own life, nor the safety of others. Melly got angry and went to his room to grab a Smith & Wesson off his dresser, that his dad gave him when he was ten years old. Melly went back to his stepfather and started beating him the same gun his father gave him. He told me after that his stepfather left his mother, and they never saw him again. I didn’t know how troubled Melly was, though that was my friend, he needed to do that in order to protect his father’s honor. I got use to that when we went into our older years, by the time I was seventeen years old I was thinking of going to RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) for college. Melly would tell me he wanted to apply for Yale, his potential was rare & innovative, his hustle for success he was starving, I would often notice certain days when I went one way to school, and he would go the other way ready to work. Melly was keen to his hustle while on the streets, people thought he was insane on half of the things he did, except that’s how it was living around here, you were either eat at the table or you were on the table. I tried getting used to it, though it was challenging knowing some of the stuff he did, it was clear in my intentions I tried to steer him into the rode I was on. Though Melly couldn’t see himself getting out of here anytime soon, he saw my way and knew I was going to make it out of here.

I remember this conversation we had before I left for my second year in at NEC (New England College), he observed so much that he learned not to react about people’s comments, he practiced being present & conscious, growing silently within himself. He told me that he be having conversations with God himself, it got to a point where I was a little lost where he was going in this conversation. Melly told me if anything happened to him that he was going to be alright, for when it did, he will be alive long enough to see me with my own family, and my children having children. I interject telling him that if something were to happen to him, I couldn’t live myself, and go out killing whoever did what they did to him. He would only laugh and hug me saying “No need for it my brother”. Melly told me to stay focused & when my semester was over that he would teach my everything he knew as of how he got toward the point where he was. I left knowing he was straight, he was getting his life together, he would update me through chats we had texting how his journey was going. I was compelling to know Melly’s life was going well, though when the summer began there was usually a feud in Prov between different sections or side in the hood that never associated with each other. Though he would eventually be ending up someone in jail, or someone dying, it was excruciating to know Melly was one of those souls lost in that feud, I’m not going to dwell on the situation though I knew Melly was trying to protect himself. The fact it cost him his life, I was tired that he met his demise, when he left this earth a part of me died right next to him, though then it clicked to me what he said in our last conversation together in person, about him prating to be more conscious, aware, and growing silently in the world.

To this day, I often wish Melly was still here with me, if I were to do it all over again I would in a heartbeat. If it means getting him back on my side again breathing I would, through the laughs & hardships we had. Though I know he’s free know, probably watching over me as I keep growing in silence, his legacy is going to live on through the work I do for him & God. The realest person I got to meet, only thing I want to know is if he’s proud of me.