THE EULOGY I WISH I COULD HAVE GIVEN
I sadly had to go to the funeral of my oldest friends and a very important person in my life. I tried to speak at his funeral but just couldn't do it. I was too choked up. So, like it is always easier I will write out what I wanted to say.
I met Tyrone the second day of kindergarten because that first day he and I were both very busy
crying because we wanted to go home. That second day we had a snack together and began a friendship that lasted until May 9th, 2019 but spiritually will last forever.
We became friends so quickly because Tyrone had a very pronounced overbite and I was Brown with no specificity and was not a traditional Christian. We didn't or couldn't fit in anywhere. The Black kids always made jokes about Tyrone's looks, so we ignored everyone and just hung with each other. This was the 70's and we cut our hands and clasped them together as blood brothers. We rode the bus together and talked and joked. We ate lunch and joked. We had recess and joked. Weekends were spent watching cartoons and cracking jokes.
Each year for 11 straight years we would walk together to the school door and hug and then wish each other good luck. All of my life's firsts we shared with each other.
We had a friend whom we called "Chaka" who was right by our side until 1982 when he moved to Minneapolis. It then was just Tyrone and I. Two unpopular misfits who only truly fit with each other.
When I was in fourth grade this little punk ass White boy said something about my mother being a wetback and we made the plan to fight after class. We did fight, he started to get the best of me and piot pf nowhere came this big heavy Black fist BAM right upside that boy's head. He got knocked goofy from the punch and I punched him in his stomach and crotch. I never said I fought fair.
We both flunked a class at the same time because we were too busy cutting up to pay attention. He was there when I got my first girlfriend and subsequently my first of many heartbreaks. When he got his girlfriend pregnant and she had Tylisha I swear I never saw a man in such love. He adored that baby. Wore me out with that baby. "She can hold her head up", "She can roll over", "She can stand if she holds something", "She said her first word", "She makes full sentences" just got me tired of that baby. No offense of course but he went on and on about that baby more than he did about The Steelers or U of M football. For those that knew him this was quite a feat.
He once told me he was going to be a deacon at his church. I told him if that preacher, Rev. Williams, ever asked me about him I said, "I'm not gonna lie to a preacher so you best hope he doesn't ask me because he will never let you back in the church unless you wearing sackcloth and ashes."
He was diagnosed with cancer and didn't tell me until December of 2018 and when it metastasized to his lungs he never told me. I couldn't figure out why until I talked to his second mother/sister Mary and she said he didn't want pity and didn't want me to stress myself to an ulcer.
He was suffering and knew he was going to die and was still watching my back. Still cared and was conscious of others. That was him. Simply a good, good man. A man that I love and will love until my day comes to go home. He touched too many people's lives and his life will echo into the future in a positive way. As long as I live I will love and miss my brother/friend.
