When it rains, it pours. I had been teasing Tim some few months ago that now most of the trials with his family were over, trials with my family would start. This isn't exactly a trial, but it is a tragedy.

My father called this morning and asked me if I was sitting down. He had that somber, distinct tone of voice that let's you know someone has died. I've heard that tone a lot lately. I was expecting him to tell me that my grandfather had died. But it wasn't my grandfather. It was one of my friends. My father's best friend's youngest daughter had died during Pledge Week. She drowned. I'm still in shock and part of my mind is screaming "It's not FAIR!"

My father asked me to call my brother and tell him the news. He and Kenji were like brother and sister. Telling someone that one of their best friends is dead, and stupidly, tragically dead (stupid reason!!!!!!!!) is not fun.

Kenji and I liked to spar verbally. She grew up in Missippi and when she was about 11 or 12, her family moved out to Northridge; The Valley. She couldn't understand the Valley culture or white people/Southern California culture. We weren't black enough. Especially me. Mainly because I tended to like Asians and White guys, I spoke correctly and well.... just didn't act Black (blame my parents if you must, I just couldn't conform to what society thought Black People should dress and act like).

But she could do my hair :) and after a while I didn't mind being teased by her. The best part was when my dad told me that she was dating a white guy at UNLV.

We lost touch when I went off to college. My dad kept tabs on all of us and kept us informed about each other, but I haven't seen her since my high school graduation. Later I heard that she had married (I don't think it was that white guy) and I thought she had graduated. Maybe she had and was going back to work on her Master's. ...

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