The lost of two amazing people.

How do you forget about a person you have been pretty close with? A person that has worked with you and you learn so much from them? You even train then to become a better technician? Or drop everything in one location and move to be with your friend; your brother. Yes I have lost two great people that I consider family. Charles Banks and Perry Story became more than friends they are family even if they are not here with us. Two different people, two different minds, but one mazing heart.

When I started in the cable industry I meet Charles “Chuck” Banks. An amazing person to be around with. Had that energy to make everyone laugh. Always staying sharp and cool. We started working in the MDU Crew (rewiring hotels, commercial business and apartment complexes) and we always had a great time doing it. And we did have our moments of getting mad to each other but at the end of the day one way or another we just laughed about it. Meet his wonderful  and amazing family. Every one that I meet that was his friends he introduced me as “he’s my brother from another mother”. Felt like family.
But time passed and so circumstances in life had me moving to Florida. Then one day I get this call from Charles telling me “Hey bro how you doing? I need you to come back to Clarksville. I’m the new MDU Supervisor and would love for you to join me and the rest of the guys. Please man let’s make this happen.” So without a doubt I packed and moved back to Clarksville TN. And believe me we had a ball. We worked on two projects that we accomplished in less than expected time.

Then one night I’m watching tv and I get this call from my other great friend Phillip. I answer “Hey bro what’s up? You ok?” He says “Na man, are you sitting down? We just lost Charles bro.” I sat down on the stairs, I swear to you my heart sank. I had lost my brother. I was speechless, couldn't move. It was one of the hardest things to deal with. It wasn't easy. That whole two weeks were the worst. Every one that knew him had lost a huge chunk of their lives.  But I have decided to remember him as the funny and amazing person he was.


Then came this young fellow wanting to learn how to work in the cable industry. With a mouth full of dip and country as it came. Very eager to learn and always with a smile in his face. It didn't matter how difficult the task was he always said “This is easy, let’s get'er done”. He looked up to me. Always asking me a thousand questions about how was the best way to do the job. Or even call me and ask me “Hey Rafael did you get any bad remarks about my job or any failing QC’s?” He always wanted to make me proud. And believe me he always did. He would be done with his work let’s say at three, he would still until nine or ten helping other techs out, and the distance was not an issue for him. Because at the end of the day or night he was always with that smile. He was an amazing son, brother, friend and boyfriend. He treated his girlfriend like a queen. Always making sure she was happy, he was a real gentleman.

One night while eating pizza with the family I get a call from another good friend “Hey Rafael, Perry just had a real bad accident and we don’t know if he is going to make it.” Once again I was like “Lord let not this be possible”. I had lost another brother. It was not easy loosing another person that meant so much you and others.  I was honored to be the honorary pallbearer at his funeral. I really knew that I was part of his life and family.

So these two individuals became more than friends. They became family. Always lending a helping hand no matter what the issue was. Love by many. So those that value your friendship, keep them close. Make them part of your family. Because friends like those are hard to find and are even harder to keep.

"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing."