Past Love

Chapter 3: Home Turf

Monday May 16th, 2005

5:45am

Jahmelle

I woke up and took care of my daily hygiene, and I turned the radio onto 89.1 JESL, St Louis Jazz channel. They were playing What A Wonderful World By Louis Armstrong. After the past 24 hours I've had that was like Shawn's way of telling me to cheer up and things would be alright. Even though Shawn tried to act like a hard thug, he had a soft spot for Jazz music and Louis Armstrong was one of his favorite musicians, he loved songs from him like Panama, Dr Jazz & Stardust. Usually every year on the anniversary of Louis Armstrong's passing they'd play all of those records in heavy rotation. Anyway after What a wonderful world finished playing, I smiled and got ready for the day. I decided to do a half hour workout, then I hoped in the shower, time passed by. I got dressed around 7am and made something to eat. Being a Physical Education teacher is always interesting, you get to help those that aren't in as good shape as they should be in good shape. It's basically being like a personal trainer. I mean for someone with a bum knee I can still do my best to help others less fortunate and also I can help educate them on how to train their body and keep clean, both inside and out and be the best they can be. Around 7:45am I got into my 2000 Toyota Camry and turned the radio onto 102.5 TSLS (The St. Louis Sound) to listen to some of the songs they were playing. Around 8:00am I got to Cambridge High School on the corner of Page & Union Blvd. I got there I saw some cameras and paparazzi there. As I pulled into my parking spot Nelly's song "Hot In Here" Came on and I saw Tyrone talking to a few people. I wonder what he was doing here. I stayed in the car for a second, then I saw him look over in my direction, and he finished talking to the reporters and paparazzi there. I got out of my car and was getting ready to walk in the building.

"Hey, hey where are you off to so quick?" He yelled, lightly jogging to catch up to me.

"Gotta get to my office, classes are getting ready to start soon." He told me.

"Oh okay, well I understand that, well you got any plans after school?"

"Not really, other than looking over some workout guides, and grading some papers, not only do I teach P.E. but i also teach sex ed, and to think in high school people still need that class." I said laughing. "The way these bad ass kids be fucking you think they never took the class a day in their life." We both busted out laughing.

"Yeah, these young kids be trippin'." He said. "Well I mean I remember back in our time we were just as wild." He said laughing, and lightly punched me in the shoulder.

"Not me, I was a saint." I said.

"Lies."

"Well when was the last time I got buck wild with someone?" I laughed.

"You don't remember??" He asked as he raised his eyebrow and bit his bottom lip.

After that, we both stared into each other's eyes.

"W-w-w well i got to get to work." I said stuttering.

"Alright, sounds good." He said. "I guess I'll see you later on then..."

"Yeah, we'll see." I said, kinda dismissing him as I headed into the school building. "I wonder what that was about." I mumbled as I headed to my office.

12:45pm

"Alright guys keep running around the track, come on, give me 3 more laps." I told the students as they ran around the track. "Come on, after this we're gonna do 50 squats and 50 pushups." I told them. "Come on y'all." I said as I began to run with them a bit. "Come on, y'all can do it, these 3 laps are nothing." I told them. As i was running, off in the distance, across the street from the school over in fowler park i seen something going on, the closer i looked i seen Damon, talking to some other guy and from the body language of both of them i could tell that it looked like the situation was going to escalate and it was going to escalate quickly. I talked to one of the students and told them to keep track of the other students as they completed laps, then I jogged over to where Damon was.

"Hey Damon how you doin' man?"

"Yo Damon, who's this?"

"This is nobody man, just someone who's minding they own business, isn't that right?"

"Damon, you should be in school, what are you doing over here?"

"Yo man, what's your problem? You his dad or somethin'?"

"Actually..."

"Man i ain't got time for this, Damon call me when you're ready for some work, don't beat around the bush either." Dude said as he walked away.

"Damon, what are you doing?"

"Damn teach, what do you want?"

"First of all don't talk to me like i'm one of your hood ass friends, second i'm trying to keep your ass out of trouble, you have a bright future ahead of you, i see something in you man but you're out here trying to mess your whole life up by getting involved with people like that." I said. "Now if you want a job, or you need a job, I know some people, some positive people that can help you, but first of all you need to put that bad ass attitude of yours in check and be willing to use your eyes and ears, and learn and listen, and pay attention. Now look after school come and meet me in the parking lot around 4:00pm." I told him. "And get your bad ass to class!" I said as I walked with him back to the school.

Over the next few hours classes with different students was hectic, even for me, some of the students I had running laps, others were doing dodgeball or just wildin' out in general. I was so relieved when school let out around 3:15pm. After that I spent the next 40 minutes or so cleaning up and checking things before I closed the gym up. I headed to the parking lot around 3:55pm and was actually surprised when Damon was actually there.

"Yo teach what's up?"

"You tell me, you actually showed up."

"Yeah, I didn't think I would at first either." He said. "I ain't never had no one care about me."

"Well what about your parents?"

"My mom is working two, maybe three jobs, my pops in and out of jail." He said. "That's the way it is."

"Well what about aunts and uncles?"

"Uncle dead, my aunt's a dope fiend." He said.

"Damn Damon, I'm sorry man, the struggle is real out here." I stated. "But you have the potential to go far in life, I just don't want to see opportunity wasted." I honestly said. "Hop in my car." I said.

This was probably against school rules as far as teacher/student interaction but at that moment I didn't care, it was just something in me that said I needed to help Damon, and that's what I was going to do. We got in the car and I drove. We made a bit more small talk as I drove up Page Boulevard then turned onto Gregan Pl, then he nodded over to which house Lee lived in and I saw guys playing cards outside, and some deals going down. Then I drove into the Welding place that was further down that street, then drove through a small alley and ended up on Kingsland Ave. I pulled over on the road and turned the car off.

"Now you see that, I know Lee's your homeboy and all but do you want to live life like that? I mean i get that it's your HOME TURF and all but still you have to value your life more than that, your life is more than just a street corner and slangin' rocks or whatever, don't get lumped into that circle of people. They've given up on life, I know you haven't. Now let me help you, i know someone that works at The mall up the street i told him. I could get you a job in one of the chain stores there, I mean pay will be decent, maybe no more than $9 or $10 an hour honestly, but it's something." I told him.

"Thanks teach, I appreciate it man." He said. "I've never had anyone care like this, it means a lot, it really does." He told me.

After that he told me where he lived and I dropped him off at his place, then I headed over to Shawn's old place, the place where Tyrone was staying for the time being. I hoped he was at the house, I went and I knocked on the door and rang the doorbell and he opened it with nothing but a towel on.

"Oh it's you, I thought you forgot for a second about our plans."

"Naw, never that. I just had to help someone with something."

"Bet? Well come on in." He said. Man, I wonder what tonight would bring.

End of Chapter 3