A Player's Prayer

Prolouge

Prologue 
6 years ago...

The somber feeling of death engulfed the congregation in a blanket of sorrow as they mourned the death of Lorenzo Williams along with the Williams family. There was not a dry eye in the room as Loco's friends and family came to terms with the fact that he was gone. Loco laid in the crip blue casket adorned in white and blue flowers. He was dressed in a black suit with blue trimming, and had his infamous Seattle Mariners custom diamond pendant around his neck. A blue bandanna was clutched in between his fingers. He was still very much Loco even in his final state.

Large photographs of himself during his best moments were projected on the TV panels and stands in the front of the church.

The day Lorenzo was set to be released from Attica Correctional, Latrice Williams got a call from New York's Wyoming County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner to come identify the body of twenty two year old Lorenzo Williams. Prior to the news, the Williams family was ecstatic to hear that the oldest would be returning home after a two year bid upstate. Lorenzo spent majority of his life locked up and now he was truly gone for good.

The news shattered Latrice's heart who was inconsolable. It was like a scene out of a movie hearing her son was killed execution style and left for dead.

Brooklyn saw an uptick in shootings and violence following Loco's death, everyone confused and angry at what went down. They still didn't have the answers they were looking for.

Seated at the front of the church in the family section was B, her parents and her old sister Desirae. Smoke joined them as well along with her grandmother Joyce and a few other members of the family. B clutched the tear stained obituary tightly in her hands, trying her best not to break down again. She worked hard with the funeral planners to make the program, wanting the world to see her brother through her eyes.

The obituary was illustrated in story form, taking readers on the journey of who Lorenzo was and highlighting things that many may not have known about him. The world viewed him as a criminal who got his karma. In all reality they didn't know shit about shit.

Outside of his hard body exterior and demeanor, Lorenzo was one of the most kind hearted people. He would give his last to his family and did everything to protect those he loved. All the memories she had with her brother came rushing back as a new set of tears fell from her eyes, staining the cover of the glossy program once again.

The church was packed out and pews were filled, mourners pouring out into the streets. The funeral was private, reserved for friends and family only but the outpouring reflected the depth of love the hood had for Loco. He was the definition of hood famous.

Everyone was dressed in white and blue as requested by the family knowing that was what Lorenzo would have wanted. Those colors represented him to the fullest.

Smoke went up to speak a short while later, holding back tears as he spoke about his best friend. He and Loco were inseparable since grade school. B went up after him to read the eulogy with Desirae by her side, trying to keep a poker face in the eyes of her friends and family. She couldn't even look at her parents distraught faces, afraid of breaking down before she could finish reading.

"Lorenzo Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 26th, 1994. Canarsie to be specific, like he would always say. Known to his friends and family as Loco, he was the very essence of duty, humility and selflessness. He was always unapologetically him no matter what. He always made sure his little sisters were good even though he acted like their father at times." The audience laughed knowing that shit was true.