NJM 1 in NoJoMo 2019

Tell us about the best or worst person you know. by Dark As Day, Bright As Night

That I know personally? It’s a hard toss up. Because Pam is the best person I know now, but then there’s my dad.

Obviously my dad has been on my mind this month because of Halloween. But he was a super awesome guy. You can ask my friends that I grew up with how cool he was.

He was everyone’s dad. Even if you didn’t come from a broken home, as a lot of my friends did, he was still your dad. Just like I call Mike and Jane, my friend Jennifer’s mum and dad, my second mum and dad (they really were <3) My dad was their second dad.

There was this kid that lived across the street. Stevie Staples. His home life was seriously fucked up. Abusive as hell. He started hanging around at our house a lot. lol he was my “first boyfriend” at 5 years old lol

He was always dirty. Like he hadn’t had a bath in weeks. One day he came over and … the poor kid smelled like shit. Literal shit. Turns out he had an accident. My parents figured it might have been a stress response.

So my dad quietly talked to him alone, then got him in the shower so he could clean up, and my mum washed his clothes.

I vaguely remember my parents getting some boys clothes to keep at the house for him.

My great grandma on my mum’s side was staying with us for a bit after she got sick. Our next door neighbour, Mrs. Miller would come and visit.

One day, they were sitting outside chatting, and my mum and dad joined them. Mrs. Miller started spewing hate regarding all the N-word and S-word moving into the area. Now, my mum and dad didn’t have a prejudice bone in their bodies, and what she said seriously pissed my dad off. Quietly, he said “Mrs. Miller, I have black blood running through my veins, and I would appreciate if you wouldn’t talk like that.” All the while my great grandma and mum were shooting bullets at her with their eyes.

She sputtered, and left mumbling under her breath. She never came back.

Mind you, at the time, we really had no idea what my dads lineage was. But, knowing how his side of the family was? There was a big possibility that he had “black blood” in him. (I had a DNA test done. He’s French, and English, that we’re 100% sure of. I still think my great grandma on his side was Blackfoot, though. My own wishful thinking lol)

He was always involved in my life. Taking me and my friends to the mall when the weather was too nasty to walk or take the T, helping me with my homework, letting all my friends hang out at our house (of course my mum was involved, too). If one of my guy friends had a problem, he would help them out.

He was a protector, too. One Halloween when I was pretty young, I was outside in the driveway. A group of teens came by, and sprayed shaving cream all over my sisters car. I ran inside and told my dad. He took of running down the street after them, caught one by the collar and dragged him back. He said “Clean it off!” the kid said he had nothing to clean it with. My dad grabbed the hat off the kids hat and said “Use this”. The kid cleaned it with his hat, apologizing the whole time. I’m sure the kid was scared shitless. My dad wasn’t very tall, but he was all muscle.

He was my best friend, someone I could count on.

He’s been gone for… hell, 11 years now.

I still miss him a lot.