I guess it was six or seven years ago I met Joey doing karaoke on Friday nights at the bar. I always loved karaoke one of my favorite things. Good job, good job, good job, was a phrase that would be coined by Joey cause after every singer he would say that.

Monday nights were five-dollar pitchers and free pool. I was known for being the worst pool player in the bar. I and Joey would shoot pool and he would always win. He was a great pool player. Somewhere early on in our pool playing days, he scratched on the eight ball, and I beat him.

I paraded around the bar, riding my pool stick like a horse yelling I whooped Joey’s ass, I beat him so bad, making a huge spectacle and everyone was laughing.Of Course every single one of my balls where still on the table and Joey would say you didn’t beat me I beat myself. I would say that’s the best kinda win. After that huge spectacle, and me making a huge ass outta myself.

Every time we would shoot pool I would play hide the white ball and joey would get down to the eight ball and I would hold my breath waiting to make a new spectacle of myself. This went on for years. Half the time joey would scratch on the eight ball just because of the pressure, I swear it was the time of my life.

After a game, I would go to the table all smiles to take a sip of my beer and Raise would say, Joey scatch again? I would say yup. Raise would say, that’s funny.

We won trivia together one night, I don’t know how, we weren’t that bright. Raise always had some zingers, like what grows faster your fingernails or your toenails, who can know this kind of stuff? Raise would say come back next Wednesday and take on the raining champs Justin Bieber and smoking Joe at a combined weight of 650 pounds, it was funny, you had to be there.

I moved away a few years ago, but I always come back to visit with my friends. It’s not as often as I would like, but I always cherish the time we spend together, when I can come to visit. The last time I was down there was three months ago.

I and Joey shot four games of pool and he beat me every time. As he sank the last eight balls in I said you know what would have happened if you had missed, and he said ya, that’s why I didn’t miss. We talked for hours that night, smoking, drinking catching up.

When I was told last week that Joey went missing, I speculated that he was probably laid up in some Traylor park with some chic and he would be fine.

When I went to bed that night I said God, watch out for joey. When I woke up the next morning I got the news that joey was no longer with us, I said, God, please watch out for Joey.

Someone took Joey from us, but I don’t want to talk about that. What I want is to remember all the good times, I will miss my friend. So I try to make peace with my anger and my feelings.

I ask God, to please watch out for Joey.