Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Robert Chadwick Ray
The smartest man I ever knew. I have so many thoughts of Chad that its crazy. Thoughts from Philly to Coatesville. I will share a few, I remember one time I got into a fight with this kid down the street from our house. I am not sure why I was fighting but I knew i had to. I beat this kid up, I am walking home in victory. I get inside the house and all of sudden there is a knock on the door and its this kids Dad and he grabs me by the shirt and starts yelling and screaming at me. Over the shoulder of this grown man I could see Chad hopping the banister's of the houses next to us. he was a couple of houses down playing chess with a older man. The man holding me didn't even realize Chad was coming until he felt Chad's hand around his throat. The man let me go and Chad whispered something in his ear, he let the man go and the man hurried down the street. Chad asked me if i was okay then when I said I was he told me to be careful and went back to his game. Every time I saw the man after that he went out of his way to speak to me. I wonder what Chad said to him, whatever he said it worked. You were watching over me then and I know you are watching over us now. 3 years ago I heard that you had gotten saved before you were killed, I was so happy. Thank you Jesus. Thanks Chad I miss you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I wasn't sure which post I wanted to respond to. But I was talking with a friend about the state of the world and how it's in everyone's best interest to be centered in Christ Jesus. I shared Chad's testimony and old wounds surfaced. This has to be the one death that I don't have peace about. I just don't. Months prior to his death my brother and I were just getting close again. He'd been in jail off and on, and Aunt Mable wasn't having it. Apparently his "bad boy" persona didn't sit well with her. Uncle Junie and Francine made no attempts to help me keep in contact with family. It just wasn't a priority for them. At the time I didn't believe it was a priority for my family either. So when the letters began to come I was excited. We wrote back and forth. I still have them. He always encouraged me to do my best and reminded me of how smart I was. He told me how one time he found me reading a newspaper upside down. I was probably just mimicking my dad. I miss my brother. I miss the relationship we would have had. I hate the fact when someone passes in our family their entire existance is filed away under "unmentionable". No one even speaks of him. How is he supposed to live on if we don't speak about him? There were 6 of us. Now there's 5. Let's not forget him. I don't have much knowledge of him. Shouldn't I know more? Why is his death the one thing in my mind that defines him? I was getting ready for a band concert the night I found out he died. I was walking down the hallway to the bathroom and heard the newscaster say something about Coatesville, so I ran back to see what the report was. A picture of him was on the screen saying that he'd been shot. I still have trouble watching the news. No one called me to tell me, action news told me. That's what silence does to our family; it hurts. If we don't tell our story/their story someone else will and the facts might not be correct. To this day I want justice. I don't know why the case wasn't pursued. It just doesn't make sense. I know that vengenence is the Lord's but a trial, a conviction, something would have been nice. Chad may be gone but can we at least keep his memory alive. I love and miss you my brother.
Candi he is not forgotten.......we won't let him be!!!!
Post a Comment