Dear Buddy

Dear Buddy,

It has been nearly a year since that bastard took you away from everyone who loves you, so I decided to write you this letter.(Lets just hope they get high speed Internet in Heaven) Well, since you have been gone nothing much has changed, I'm still single, Hip Hop still sucks, Bush is even more of a nightmare this term, and ole' girl is getting married.(ex girlfriend) Speaking of her, remember all those hours I would talk to you about her when cupid decided to take a shit in my cereal? I remember that "have you lost your motherfucking mind" look that you gave me when I was talking about her and a tear strolled down my face, that was some classic shit man.(Embarassing, but classic) You were always there brother, listening to my constant whining and you never shamed me about it when the smoke cleared. I definitely love you for that.

Remember the time when you told me that you were going to be the "designated driver" when we went out to that club a couple of years ago? I had no idea that you were drinking that night, until I heard a cop knock on the car window as you and I were both asleep, stopped at a traffic light. I still remember you screaming "Shut the fuck up!" when the cop was being an asshole and I kept calling him and his partner "Serpico", "Kojak", "Cagney and Lacy", and "Murtaugh and Riggs".

Oh shit, I almost forgot this one. How about that time when we were in that North Carolina club and those guys were talking shit to you? Remember as we approached them, the crowd knew we meant business and they parted like the red sea and shit to get out of our way?? Yeah man, those were some good times.

OK, you got me, I can't lie to you, I am really writing this letter to apologize because over the past year I have been a horrible friend. When you passed I promised myself that I would visit your parents to see how they were doing, make sure everything was OK. To be honest, I have driven past their house about 20 times meaning to go inside, but couldn't find the courage to go to the door and see the hurt in their eyes from losing their only son. I have to apologize for disrespecting your father's wishes of "not looking to retaliate" against your killer. This is hard to say, but right after his sincere warning what do I do? I went to where I knew that your killer hung out at, and damn near hunted that motherfucker for about a week, with the intent of giving him a first class ticket to hell. Dear friend, your father seems like a very nice man and I'm sorry I disrespected him like that.

When some friends learned that I was hunting your killer, they had kind of an "intervention" with me and a pastor, I guess to straighten me out. I still remember the pastor saying "Vengeance is mine said the lord", and he also said, "God will make that young man pay for his sins". Regrettably, I told they pastor, "Yeah, but his ass is taking too motherfucking long!!" I know, that's bad, I apologize Buddy.

Even recently, when I learned that a bartender at a bar that I go to grew up with your killer I informed him that he killed my friend. When he got amazingly silent, I went to my car and got the billy club that I keep in my car and started to go back inside the bar and beat some key information out of him. But I don't need to tell you about that story, because I felt your presence holding me back, because for some reason I couldn't go back in the club. That was you, thanks, because "the ladies" have said that they "like my ass" so I'm not trying to showcase said ass in prison. So again, I must apologize my dear friend, because of the disappointment I have been as a friend since your passing.

But while I'm apologizing I must call you out though, because we are friends I am sure that you will understand. OK, because you have "gotten your wings" I am most certain that you wouldn't want me to hurt anyone or get hurt avenging your death. I have to call you out because the old Buddy would have been the first one, blasting like the last scene in "Scarface" if someone had done that to me. Hey I just call them like I see them, but I digress.

In closing, you were the best friend a guy could have and I miss you dearly. We will hang out again, and this time next year I hope to send you a letter with better overall behavior to report to you. So, tell everyone I said what's up, and when my father is bitching to you about me writing about him just ask him "If it is true or not". That will silence him, albeit momentarily. Peace. I love you man.

Love HumanityCritic R.I.P Fletcher "Buddy" Parker

News Footage surrounding friend's death