February 14. It's a day that has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different people. For some, it's a special day because it's the day they came into the world and took their first breath. For some, it might be an anniversary date. A celebration of the union and bond that was made between 2 people and cemented their love for each other. For some, mostly the stores, it's Valentine's Day. An insipid ass shopping holiday aimed at trying to convince you to buy as much as you possibly can for your mate because you obviously don't love them enough during the other 364 days of the year and you absolutely need this day to show them you unabashedly, unequivocally love them until the end of days.
The 14th is a day that means a lot of things to a lot of people and reminds them of mostly happy things. Sadly though, this is also a day that means the loss of a loved to a lot of people. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that the 14th means a loss to. It was a significant loss in my life at that time, as I was in period of uncertainty, sadness, anger, mourning, and absolute rage. I lost my mentor on that day, 17 years ago. He was a lot more that just my mentor though. Vashawn Amare Jorden was my sensei, like a brother to me, he was a father figure when I was estranged from my biological one at the time (he was battling his own demons), he was my cousin. Someone I was proud to share a bloodline with. Someone who introduced me to the very thing that I would build my life around. Someone who inspired me to pick up an instrument. Someone who inspired me to learn about martial arts, but also taught me that the meaning of being a good person.
The Dragon of the North was also responsible for teaching me about a day that a lot of people close to me had always dreaded when it came around on the calendar (well some of them still do just because of my track record with said day). Vashawn was from Detroit, so he was instrumental in introducing me to a night that they held up there known as Devil's Night. It was because of that information and him owning a copy of the movie that changed my life and put me on the path projection that it did. Everyone knows about what the death of Sonya did to me and what it did to my psyche, but not a lot of people understand the magnitude of losing the closest person in the world to me at that time. I was only 13 years old when I watched my cousin die in front of my eyes. How hard it was to call his girlfriend, who was pregnant with Jessyca at the time, and hear her break down on the phone trying to fight through her tears trying to get to the hospital.
I hope that you reading this will NEVER have to get into an ambulance with anyone that you care about and watch them fight as valiantly as they could to hold on to their life. Trying your damn hardest not to break down, but still hope that you're helping enough to keep their mind focused enough to make it to the hospital. Shawn didn't have that luxury. He died as he was being rushed into the emergency room. The doctor called his death at 11:09 that night. I'll never forget it. Exactly 5 minutes later, Monica rushed in to see me on the floor, a crying, bloody mess. She did her best to attempt to comfort me, but it was me that had to do the comforting for her because she took the biggest loss of all.
There are a few things I took from that night. First thing being the way he died. He was shot seven times, point blank. Secondly, the person who pulled the trigger. It was betrayal the likes of which I've not experienced before or since then. Third, I will never forget the look on Monica's face when she received the news about him. I've never seen such a look of loss and brokenness in my life before. Lastly, the horror that his death foreshadowed in similar fashion 2 years later. By the same hand, 2 of the most important people in my life were gunned down and my life was never the same afterward. Sonya's death was the catalyst that fueled my rage and thirst for revenge, but it was Shawn's death that started me toward the path to the dark side and also heralded the beginning of the Dark Years.
It will be 17 years to the day tomorrow that one of the best and brightest lights that this world had to offer was taken before he even got the chance to get started changing the world. It still hurts that you're not here to see what's become of me, my mentor, but I know that while you wouldn't approve of some of the stuff I've done since you've been gone, I do know that you would be extremely proud of the man that I've become because of your teachings to me and your inspiration to keep pushing me to be better and be better than I was yesterday. To you, Vashawn, the Dragon of the North, I hope that you're resting peacefully and I hope that you're watching over me still. I love you my mentor, my sensei, my cousin, my brother...
