R.I.P. CHRIS DODGE

Chris Dodge was one of my very best friends.... He died 3 years ago when three people tried to rob him at gunpoint on Spring Break in Daytona Beach, FL... Today I remember my friend...

I remember when we first met at Myers' Nursery. We both were there for our very first time. Mrs Myers brought us our breakfast... a big plate of grits and we both said at the exact same time, "that's a lot of grits!". From there we were like brothers.

I remember the first time you came to my house and your mama wanted to meet my mama. But she was at work so she talked to my granddad. After he said that he was a retired Army Sgt she said "Oh! So I don't have to worry about these two getting into any trouble then!" After that if you wanted to come over she never had a problem with it.

I remember when we used to go to the gym and hoop with the older guys and they said "ya'll two lil n****s can't be on the same team. Ya'll play too good."

I remember years later when we won the Lower State AAU Tournament for the second year in a row and you look at me and said, "They shouldn't have put these two lil n****s on the same team."

I remember when my pit bull had her first litter of puppies and I gave you 2nd pick. You got a all white boy and named him DeeBo. That name fit well cause all the way up til he was old enough to finally go home with you, he bullied all his brothers and sisters.

I remember we both liked Eboni Jacobs and you said that we'd make a deal. Since we both had a class with her on different days, the person who got her phone number and called her first would be the one who could go after her.... maybe we should've told Justin Castor about our plan.

I remember when had our Sweet Potato festival and we had to catch Mrs Howell's chicken that had escaped. The guy on stage said, "somebody bring that chicken on stage, maybe he wanna get on the microphone."

I remember when your grandmother died and you said you didn't wanna go to the funeral. I told you that she would want you there. later on you thanked me for talking you into it.

I remember that time we got into that fight with them boys down at Airport High School. They were mad because we were taking those girls out. And you said, "ain't our fault you f*ck boys don't know how to keep your girls!". I thought we were gonna have to call our peoples... good thing them boys were straight b*tches. 4 on 2? and we still whipped them!

I remember when that girl said she was pregnant by you. We later found out that it wasn't yours... Boy! You were scared!

I remember after me and my step dad got into that fight you came over a couple days later and said, "next time call me and we'll both get in that ass. Nobody messes with our mama!"

I remember the first time you saw my lil brother and you said, "Yes sir! Ya'll both got that Jackson head!"

I remember you told everybody that I was the best artist in our high school. Even though I know you probably were mad that I gave up basketball to draw.

I remember that no matter how much money I let you borrow you'd always bring back a lil more than I gave you. You called it "interest"

I remember when I said I wanted to ask ******** to marry me, the first thing you said was, "whether you know it or not, I'm gonna be your best man."

I remember we used to go to the mall like every day for 3 months straight... then hit Sonics up on the way home. I later found out that my overdosing on slushies was because Tomika worked there and you wanted to holla at her. No wonder they were free. hahaha

I remember we rode down to Augusta just to buy lottery tickets when the PowerBall hit over 200 MILLION and the whole way we were talking about how we would spend the money if we won. We both agreed to give the other at least 2 million. I can't remember why we settled on 2 mil though.

I remember you told me to call and let you know what my mama was cooking on Thursday because your mama didn't cook on Thursdays.

I remember we would go to each others family reunions and see how many people we could convince that the other was in the family. I mean we tried to convince your Great Aunt that I was one of your Uncle George's sons.... hahaha and she believed it!!!

I remember when you worked at Target and some days you would wear your red polo and khakis to school... then it just so happen that I wore a red polo and khakis one day that you did and Tina asked me if I could hooked her up with a job at Target.... I didn't work at TARGET!!! hahahaha

I remember one year we went to Spring Break and met those girls from New York... Dog! Til this day I'm with you... they had to be strippers... Ol girl grinded me all the way down the bar... and I wasn't a lil dude!

I remember that would be the last time we went to Spring Break together...

So a couple years ago you asked me to go down to Daytona Beach with you and some other people. I told you I was broke and I couldn't go. You said I was good and you would pay for everything...just go! But my pride wouldn't let me go and have my best friend pay my way knowing I wouldn't be able to pay you back anytime soon. You didn't say you were disappointed but I could tell you were.... that would be the last time I saw you alive....

When people tell me that I look like a drug dealer... it hurts a lil because that was the reason those boys tried to rob you... You never sold drugs, because of me you stopped saying the N-word... Shit! You didn't even steal because you said your Grandmama would come down from Heaven and beat you! hahaha

R.I.P. Christopher David Dodge

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