Page 90 of Still Made For You

"Our good days have always outweighed our bad days, and I pray that God continues to show favor upon this family. Watching you all grow and thrive and make names for yourselves warms this little heart of mine something serious. We all make mistakes and prayerfully, we all learn from those mistakes. We may not always like each other, but the Bible says that we must always love one another. I know you all asked me to pray, but there are some things that I need to get off my chest, and what better time than now?

"To my children: Truth, Faith, and Prosper. I love you more than words could ever express. I know growing up, I may not have told you as much as I should have, but I tried my best to show you. You all have done a fine job raising these children. I remember when you guys were younger, you used to get so mad at me for being so hard and strict. I’m sure you understand now, why I pushed you the way I did. This world we live in is cruel, and it will turn you every way but loose, if you’re not careful. Being your mother has been an honor, and although a couple of you gave me a run for my money, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” She gave Uncle Prosper the side eye, making the whole table laugh. I miss Knowledge with all my heart, but I cherish the moments that I have with the rest of my children. A parent’s worst nightmare is having to bury a child. While I do not question God, I can be honest about the pain I feel in my heart.

"Truth, I’m so proud of you. You might be the baby, but you’ve held it down as a leader in this family when your father passed. Lord knows, some days I could barely think straight, but you held us together. Faith, thank you for being the caregiver and cook for this family. It does my heart good to know that when the Lord comes to take me home, there’s someone here who still knows all our family recipes. I’m proud of you, daughter. Prosper,” Tears welled in Granny’s eyes.

“Your brother came to me in a dream last night and told me that you were keeping something from me. He said you wanted him to tell me so that I wouldn’t be so upset. I had to laugh because that’s how it has always been. You would get into trouble and then make him tell me in order to lessen the blow. And even though you were older, he still went along with it.” She laughed while wiping the tears from her face. It broke my heart to see my granny cry, but I couldn’t imagine what she was dealing with. Losing a parent is hard enough, so I would not be able to fathom what it must feel like to watch your child deteriorate before your eyes.

“I know you’re ready, but my heart isn’t, and it never will be. Your brother said that he was waiting for you, and as much as it breaks my heart, I have peace, knowing that you will be in the hands of the Most High. Thank you for bringing laughter to our family. There were so many times I wanted to wring your neck when you were younger. You’ve always been my most adventurous and courageous child. You’ve never been afraid of anything that came your way, no matter how big or small it was. Your father used to say you had the heart of a lion, and I believed him.

"You have always been a warrior, and it hasn’t changed. I know that you have fought your hardest and I’m grateful for every day I get to have you on this side of Heaven. I’m proud of you and I will love you in this life and the next. I can’t say goodbye because you will always be a part of me. However, I want you to know I will be okay. You have raised some incredible children, and I know they will pick up the torch and run with it with the same passion you always have.” She walked over to him as he sat in his seat. I’d never seen Uncle Prosper cry a day in my life, but as Granny held his sunken cheeks in her hands, he broke down. Ms. Tammy rubbed his back while they had their moment.” A series of sniffles resonated around the room. As I looked across the table, I saw Freedom comforting River. We were family, and we needed to stick together.

Last night, Uncle Prosper, danced the night away with his walker in tow. I was glad that we were able to spend this time together and have these memories for a lifetime. The doctors were only giving him a few more weeks to live, but we were praying for a different outcome.

“To my grandchildren, I love you so much. when I look around this table and see how much love is in this room, it gives me joy. Most families don’t blend well when new members are added, but I am grateful for the additional blessings that have been brought into this family. Relationships and marriage require a lot of hard work and a few sleepless nights but when you have the right partner, it makes the journey worth it.

“No matter how hard it gets, don’t stop fighting for one another. Not just because you have children, but because of the love that you have for one another. I have watched these relationships blossom into beautiful love stories, and I pray that God honors your union and your efforts. Make sure to seek advice from wise counsel. Sometimes, your little friends don’t understand what it takes to have a successful marriage. That’s why it’s important to have mentors around you who can tell you the truth.

"Life is short, so never give up on your dreams, no matter how scary they may seem. Failure is a possibility, but success isn’t unless you try. I’ve prayed over this family for years, and God has honored my requests. I pray this family grows bigger and stronger in the years to come. I pray our love for one another brings about healing, forgiveness, understanding, and endurance.

"We are powerful as individuals, but together, this family is unstoppable. We have paved the way for so many children and young adults in this community and fed countless families. The name Graham represents honor, loyalty, unity, love, and respect. It’s the reason Proctor and I chose to name you all the way we did. You are royalty amongst the people, and while many will praise you for all your good deeds, there will always be snakes lingering in the distance, waiting to watch you fall. Don’t let them. That’s why it’s so important you all have each other’s backs. Even when we don’t agree with one another, the love in our hearts must be the anchor that holds us together. When I’m dead and gone, I want this family to be as strong as it is now. No fighting, no separating, and no hatred or I’ll come back and haunt each and every one of you.” Granny pointed her finger out around the table.

“Momma, you’re going to outlive us all,” My father spoke up. He hated it whenever she spoke about dying.

“Oh, hush up. I may very well live many more years, but I want to make my requests known openly so none of you can go back and say I never told you. I want Sunday dinners to continue when I’m gone, and I’ve already started prepping these ladies on how to prepare my recipes. I don’t want y’all falling apart when I leave. I’d like to enjoy my mansion in Heaven with my fancy robe and slippers.

“Anyways, I’m going to say one last prayer before we continue on with our evening. I’ve got a couple of grandchildren who think they can beat me in Spades, so I need to put them in their place once and for all.” She snickered.

“Put your money where your mouth is, Granny!” Messiah yelled out, but Granny waved him off.

“Boy, I hope you brought your big pocketbook with you tonight, Grandson!”

“Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing our family together. Thank you for allowing us to see another day that was not promised to us. We know all of our blessings come from you, and we thank you for showing favor to our family. We ask you to grant us with strength for the journey ahead of us. Comfort us on the days when we are weak. For we know that when we are weak, you are strong. Lead us on the path you desire for us and guide us along the way. You know the desires of my heart, but in all things, let your will be done in our lives. Continue to bless us richly and protect us from any harm. We ask these in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.”

“Amen,”

I agreed with everything Granny spoke because there wasn’t another family out there like ours. We were truly one of a kind and I prayed the love would always remain the same. My brothers and cousins were my first introduction to friendship and as we’ve grown, nothing has changed. I know if I ever needed someone to you have my back, they would come running with no questions asked. We were a dynamic group of powerful men and women and I prayed for continued success for everyone one of us. There would never be another family like ours and I’m grateful for that.

“You seem to be in deep thought husband of mine.” Ciyani came and sat in my lap.

“I’m happy to have the family all together. Plus, I’m still thinking about how dope our wedding was and how I get to spend the rest of my life loving your pretty ass.”

“Never in my life would I have imagined that trip to the grocery store would have led me to my forever home. I love you so much and I can’t wait to spend the rest our of lives together. Thank you for seeing me and choosing me to be your wife.”

“You were made for me, baby girl. You always have been, and you always will be. This is only the beginning for us.”

April 10th

“Thank you all for coming. I’m Aaron Matthews, your father's attorney. As I informed you over the phone, Mr. Graham gave strict orders for how he wanted his estate to be divided. We went over his requests thoroughly, and he made sure to express that his word was final. In his own words, ‘You motherfuckers better be grateful.’ Aaron read Prosper’s message from a piece of paper. I laughed while dabbing the oncoming tears from my eyes.

Although he’d done his best to prepare us for this, that didn’t make things any easier. It’s been a month since Prosper passed, and the fog has just begun to lift from my mind. Those last few days with him broke me down completely. Watching someone you love slowly deteriorate does something to your soul. The last few days were the worst when he became non-verbal and could no longer communicate with us. Sometimes, he’d smile while throwing up the middle finger. He maintained his zeal until the very end.

“Alright, I’m going to go ahead and get started if that’s okay with you all. I, Prosper Elias Graham, a resident of the City of Jonah Hills, Country of Richland, State of Ohio, being of sound mind,-” I tuned out the rest of his words, and I thought about how quickly life had changed. It’s almost been a year since Renegade found me and brought me back home. I never saw myself moving back to Jonah Hills, let alone moving in with Gee. We sold my house and moved my dogs into his home. They loved all the extra yard space, and it felt good to call his place my home.

When Renegade proposed to me on Valentine’s Day, I thought we would have a long engagement. However, we ended up having a small ceremony a few weeks later. At the time, Prosper was barely hanging on, and we wanted him to be a part of our celebration. He told me that he loved me and to take care of his boy. I made a promise to him that I would, and I had no intentions of breaking that promise.

“Did you bring the chest with you,” the lawyer asked. I nodded my head before setting the chest on the table. We talked about opening it but decided to wait until after the reading of his will.

“Mr. Graham requested that everyone reads their respective letters, and they will explain what is included in your inheritance. I also have some paperwork for you all to fill out, indicating that you understand the terms and conditions.” He opened the chest and then began passing the letters out. I thought I should step out in order to give them some privacy, but Renegade told me to stay. When the lawyer handed me an envelope, I stared at him in confusion.

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