I know about love... Pt 3

You can read part one here and part two here.

Fast forward to July 14, 2005. I'm 21 years old. Life is good. I've been with Officer, my high school sweetheart, for four years now. We have two girls, one born just a week ago at the time. I'm settling in with our new addition when I get a phone call from my cousin.

Cousin: I saw Locks earlier.
Me: Oh.
Cousin: He was walking with his cousin and I picked them up and gave them a ride.
Me: That's cool.
Cousin: I told him you had two girls now and he has two girls by the girl he was messing with before you.
Me: Wow, I didn't know that (*thinks to self* God is funny)
Cousin: Yeah, he told me to tell you hi, and that he hopes you're doing good.
Me: Oh *rolls eyes*

My cousin and I talked some more and then that was it. I shrugged the whole conversation off and that was that.


                                                             -----Next Day-----
                           

"OMG, Locks is DEAD!!!" My cousin screams into the phone.
"WHAT?! But you saw him yesterday!"
"I know. After I dropped him off, Locks got into some argument with a guy and the guy shot him in the head later that night."

I was in shock. I was ashamed. The previous day my hatred and indifference to Locks wasn't pretty. I felt silly especially after the good will he had towards me. My cousin's sobbing snapped me back into reality.

"I should have just passed them by! If I would not have picked them up, Locks would'nt have seen the guy and the guy would not have killed him! It's my fault!!!"

Of course we both knew it wasn't my cousin's fault. From my cousin's conversation yesterday, I learned that Locks had a good job downtown working on a cruise ship. He was the sole provider for his family. Why did he go back to his old hangout? He changed his life, Locks didn't belong to those streets anymore, so why? It hurt my heart to know there will be two little girls without their father because some knuckle head couldn't settle a disagreement like an adult.

After hanging up the phone, I cried. As much as I moved on and erased Locks from my life, I was still human.  
And Locks was human too. We had good times and bad. He was my first love. A love that taught me how to adjust and manage other loves that will enter my life. When Officer came home from work, I told him all about Locks and his death. It felt good to get it the weight off my shoulders and heart.

And it feels even better releasing it here.

I know I've been calling him Locks throughout my blog but he has a name. I'm posting the article that was written about his killing. Locks was only 23 *sigh* If you stroll down, you'll see him, he was killed Thursday July 14th at 11:15 pm.

http://www2.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=10305

Rest in Peace Locks.



-Toodles