On Friday evening I dropped my cousin off to the flea market on 27th and I passed by Jorge & Jerry’s supermarket. I smiled and remembered my friend Joe. He used to work there. He’s one of the most hard working men I know. That boy knows he will keep two jobs and go to school at the same time.

I met him when I was 12. It was at my friend Yolanda’s 13th birthday party. I walked in to the party and I saw him sitting there. He was so cute! He was about my height and chocolate chocolate chocolate! When he saw me he said, “Hey, aren’t you that girl on TV at school?” I smiled and said, “Yes.” proudly. He responded, “Your voice is too squeaky.”

I frowned at him and sat down next to him. And so began our love/hate reationship. For many years following that we would try to get together but it didn’t happen until my senior year in highschool. He was going to a different highschool but we lived on the same block. That boy used to get me in trouble cuz I wasn’t allowed to talk to boys but he and I would sneak off to see each other when I was daring.

I broke his heart when I left for college and he stayed in Miami. I was wilding out at that time. I had three boyfriends which were kinda hard to maintain even though they all lived in different places. Once I was visiting Miami and I called his house and asked for my other boyfriend. I didnt recognize his voice. ooh!

He wrote me this mean letter cursing me out and telling me how much I hurt him. I never replied. We lost contact for a while after that but no matter what we would find each other. He moved up to Tallahassee to go to FAMU and when I would go to visit my bestfriend Tamara I always made sure that I saw him. We would fight all the time but neither one of us would let go completely. It was crazy but he’s always been good to me and I appreciate his friendship.

I’m smiling all the way home from the flea market and thinking about him. When I get in the door Anna is on the phone. She’s laughing like crazy and tells me that she just got a call from none other than my friend Joe. He was looking for me.

I called the number she gave me and we chatted. It turns out that he just moved back to Miami as well. His girlfriend moved back to Miami too. He has been with her for about 5 years now but he says he’s not thinking about marriage at all.

This morning he came to get me from my friend Andy’s house, in Pembroke Pines. I battled the expressway last night to find his place so I could celebrate his graduation and I got lost. I was crying and screaming but Andy talked to me the whole way there so I wouldn’t get too hysterical. The expressway is so scary.

So when Joe called me I asked him to come up to Pembroke (a city outside of Miami) because I had spent the night because I didn’t want to get lost again in the dark.

Ofcourse Joe came. He always does when I call. It was wild seeing him again. The last time I saw him I had just had my younger son and he came to visit us in Gainesville.

He looked the same. Still short. Still black. But we both had to laugh at the fact that we’re back in Miami and all grown up. Even though we have such a romantic past he’s more like a brother to me. I will always love his mean behind cuz he’s always there when I need him.

Life is a trip.

Up one day, down the next. The key is not to let life keep you down. I always get back up.