Well, February came in pretty quietly. Everything was calm and cool until Saturday, February 23...at 2:30 pm when I got a phone call from my cousin. As I answered the call, I didn't expect to hear what I was about to hear. My cousin was frantic...and I didn't know why. Immediately, my thoughts went to my aunt. I thought something happened to her. My cousin was crying so hard that she could barely get her words out. My heart sank... I didn't know if I should sit or stand. She begged me to just come over because she didn't want to tell me this bad news over the phone. At this point, my heart was at my throat and I forced her to tell me what was wrong. As I listened to my aunt wailing in the background, my cousin uttered the words: "Chloe called....Andre passed out. Andre passed out and he's gone. Andre's gone!!!" My response: "I just spoke to Andre on Thursday, what are you talking about?!"
My cousin Andre had a heart attack while shopping at a mall in Florida were he lived with his wife, Chloe. He was 42.
I told my cousin that I would be right over and hung up. I cried. I yelled and cried my heart out. I called my dad and broke the news to him. Then I got a ride from a friend and went to my aunt's house. A slew of friends and family visited while I was there. Shock and disbelief...pretty much the general feeling of the night.
A week later, my son and I were in Florida.
My cousin's funeral was filled with family, friends, and Co-workers. A picture slideshow played over and over throughout the service. Photos of dinners, weddings, and just good times...all playing on a projector...for everyone to remember Andre. As I stood by his coffin, I couldn't help but watch the picture show and cry. This "gentle giant" with his famous head slant was gone.
It's been exactly a month since Andre passed and I still can't wrap my head around it.
To be continued...
