Thanksgiving, by Michael Davis – Straight No Chaser #329 | @MDWorld

October 25, 2013 Michael Davis 4 Comments

One of the best memories I have is a Thanksgiving from more than twenty five years ago. I don’t remember how it happened, but my boys Lee Speller, Denys Cowan, and Malcolm Jones all ended up at my aunt’s apartment in Jamaica Queens, chowing down like there was no tomorrow.

Because to three young talented Turks in our 20s, there was no tomorrow. We were invincible. We were all masters of the universe.

Malcolm and I were friends since high school — the greatest high school ever — the High School Of Art & Design. Malcolm, Denys and I went to the same high school. Malcolm and I were close friends, and I knew OF Denys, but he and I were not friends at A&D, nor had we formally met.

I knew of him because my then-girlfriend Carole Rivera (how you like me NOW, Carole?) left me for a guy who was a member of the A & D martial arts club, as was Denys. I had thoughts of fighting for Carole, but her new boyfriend was a member of the martial arts club…

DUH.

Carole was fine and I was crazy about her, but was she worth an ass-kicking?

Yeah, she was. But I have this issue with pain…

So yes, I knew OF Denys, but at A & D he was part of the enemy camp. Besides, I had met, and this was her real name, Jackie Brown.

I met Lee in junior high school, and I could not STAND him. Yet somehow, he and I became the best of friends.

Life — go figure.

Years later, Denys and I were formally introduced by a lovely angel by the name of Darlene at Marvel Comics.

Denys and I  HATED each other.

But somehow he and I became the best of friends.

Like I said. Life — go figure.

Fast forward to Denys, Malcolm, Lee, and I stuffing our faces at my aunt’s house at Thanksgiving eons ago.

We were indestructible. We were masters of the universe, and nothing, and I mean nothing, could hurt us.

Except it could.

Fast forward to a dark place that Malcolm could not pull himself out of. No matter what Denys and I said to our old friend, it didn’t matter. Malcolm took his own life.

After that Darlene, sweet and wonderful Darlene, who insisted Denys and I meet because we were “part of the few black artists in comics and we should know each other,” died.

Darlene was the receptionist at Marvel Comics and was indeed the salt of the earth. I could not have loved her more if she was related to me. If not for her, there would have been no Denys Cowan & Michael Davis relationship, which means no Dwayne McDuffie relationship, and no Denys Cowan, Dwayne McDuffie, Derek Dingle relationship.

Or, in other words — no Milestone Media.

Life — go figure. It’s a fucking bitch.

Malcolm, dead. Darlene, dead. And earlier this year, Lee, dead.

Except…

Except Lee wasn’t dead.

My information (thank God) was wrong. Lee is alive.

I was told Lee was killed and wrote about that right here while I was drunk out of my mind. I was drunk out of my mind because I thought Lee was dead, and I had not seen or spoken to him in years.

The last time I saw Lee was when I postponed a trip to Japan so I could surprise him at his wedding. That was fun. Lee’s wedding party and guests were about 100% African American, so me being me, I showed up with a white girl.

I thought he was going to cry like a baby when he saw the white girl.

NO! I’m kidding!

I thought he and I were both going to cry like babies when we saw each other, as it was a few years since the last time I saw him. If there was ever any reason why two boys from the hood should cry, it’d an overdue reunion…and a white girl.

I’m still amazed that Lee is actually alive. So much so, that I had to call Denys and ask him if the Thanksgiving I remembered really happened.

Were Malcolm, Denys, Lee, and myself truly together that magical Thanksgiving?

Were we ever that young?

Were we ever that happy?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Lee is alive, that Thanksgiving happened, Christmas (my favorite time of the year) is right around the corner, and I am Master Of The Universe.

Lee — I love you man, don’t fucking die on me. Denys, ditto.

Oh and fellas — Thanksgiving’s a month away…