PRISONER EXPRESS

Friendship to me was my cousin Ruben. He never turned his back on me ever, not even when I was going through the worst of my drug addiction.

He would make time to go find me so I could accompany him to a new cafe to check out their quality of tacos, or listen to the latest album he had bought. At times it was just to sit on the back steps and sip beer without much conversation.

As kids we played street football and shared comic books, which we collected. We flew kites by the creek and explored the creek banks before going home. Exploring the banks was my idea and it always got him in trouble with his mom 'cause he would get home covered in mud.

Ruben's dad was an addict and mine had another family in California. Ruben isn't with us anymore, and I miss him.

Friendship? That was Ruben, and I haven't seen it since he passed away. Friendship is hard to find in my world, yet I know it's out there. I'm still looking but I'm running short on time. I'm 44 yrs old.