Visit Laugh at Yourself First for "The Great World Leader, Scene 2," and more short fiction, scripts, and very little poetry from Paul Juser.
pauljuser.blogspot.com
If you're here with me in Binghamton, this week you may have read about Keisha Roman, or saw her on the TV. The only photo I saw was hideous. Keisha had a smile and a laugh that could light up a room. She was a doting mother who talked endlessly of her talented family. She once brought sketches from her brother that were better than I could ever hope to draw. She disappeared in April and was found this week dumped on the side of a country road. I was sad, the world has lost a shining light.
I knew Keisha some time between her time served for manslaughter and her domestic assault arrest. She'd been in a couple movies, so we were able to talk shop. Keisha has her own IMDB page, I don't even have that. She was also in a horror film starring this bald dude that used to stand in dumpsters and scream "METAL!!" for a local waste removal company. Several years later, both that dude and myself were interviewed in a documentary about Binghamton that I hope never comes to a theater near you.
I haven't seen Keisha in some time. It's been five years at least since I worked with her, and this occasion could not have been any more recent than two. I was walking down the street, probably en route to cafe or bus stop, and she drove past me in her car. She screeched to a halt and let traffic pile up behind her in the busy intersection as we filled each other in. She was smiling with as much spitfire as I remembered. I have no clue what hardships she may have encountered between now and then, and I was deeply saddened when I read the story. I could not let the media hold Keisha responsible for her own murder. This same line of thinking allowed Gary Ridgeway to murder 49 prostitutes over 20 years in Seattle. I hope those responsible receive the same compassion they showed Keisha. Thanks for reading.
-Paul
printisbetter.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment