Dark coffee

Chapter Twenty-seven

A week later

Today was Hassan's funeral. All morning my family and I have helped Darell and his grandparents to organize the funeral. Around 1 o'clock in the afternoon, we went back home and got ready for the ceremony. I put on a black jumpsuit and tied my hair in a bun. When everyone was ready we went back to the funeral home.

When we arrived, there were Darell's family members who came from Ghana, the United States and the United Kingdom who were distributing t-shirts with Hassan's picture on it. Seeing this beautiful photo of him saddened me. My brothers also seemed enormously sad.

When we arrive in the room, I expected to feel nothing but pain, but on the opposite, it was the first time in my life that I felt so much love and hope. What my eyes saw was the realization of the famous speech of Martin Luther King Jr: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. " The room was filled with different ethnic people present side by side to support the family of a young black man who left too early. I saw love among the hundreds of people with different religions who came together to offer their condolences, hugged to comfort one another and comfort a family even if they didn't know them. We could hear in the background of the room the magnificent tenor soul voice of a man who was signing "I need Thee" with beautiful riffs and runs.

At the end of the funeral, to underline this tragic event, Darell mentioned to those present that he was going to organize, in a month, an event to educate young people in the neighbourhood about street gangs and friendships. My brothers, their friends, Quincy's dad and his coworkers will help him organize it. After Darell announcement, my family and I went back home.

As soon as we came home, my dad ordered pizzas and fries. We ate  together forgetting our misunderstandings . We then watched  a comedy. After the movie we went to sleep.

The following days were focused on the organization of the event. Darell, my brothers, their friends, the police officers, the girls and I had meetings every day after school in the neighbourhood youth center. The first few days, we decided in the objective of attracting as many people as possible that we were going to ask restaurants if they wanted to contribute by offering food for a low price at the event. Many refused but some accepted. Some of them refused to give food but agreed to give drinks, plates and disposable utensils.

After the food goal was completed, the following weeks were focused on obtaining permits to organize the event in a neighbourhood park and also to be able to have alcohols and do barbecues.

So much so that we had things to do, I didn't spend much time with Darell as I wanted as we had separated the tasks into groups to go faster. He wasn't in my group. However, having the group separated had helped us enormously, because a week after advertising in the neighbourhood, distributing posters we were ready.

When the day of the event arrived, I woke up anxious but ready to face it. It was the first week of April. When I looked outside, I saw a beautiful Sun but I could hear the wind which let me know that it was probably a little cold. Right after, I went to the bathroom to start getting ready even if the event was going to start at 5 p.m. I needed to be ready especially because the girls were about to come to my house so that we could go to the event together.

As soon as I finished my shower and got dressed I went downstairs. I was wearing dark blue skinny jeans that were slightly torn on the knees, a black faux leather jacket that I had left open and inside a gray flared sweater. I had left my wavy long Brazilian weaves loose.

When I got downstairs, I saw my father in the kitchen. I greeted him and asked him where the others were. He replied that my mother was in their room and that my brothers went out already. They told him that we were just going to see them at the event. I was wondering why they hadn't asked the girls and me to come and help them in the morning instead of in the afternoon. I didn't focus on it any longer since I was hungry. I cooked breakfast and served a plate to my father.