Past Love

Chapter 5: What Can You Do?

Wednesday May 18th, 2005

8:00 a.m.

Tyrone

I sat down in the living room listening to the radio. I had it on 102.5 TSLS The St Louis sound and it was playing a song called All I Need by Method Man. As the song was playing all I could think about was Jahmelle. He told me the situation he was going through and everything with this guy Damon last night when he called me.

{Flashback}

"Well how do you think you can help him?"

"I don't know how but I have to do something. This dude has so much potential, he really does & I don't want him to be lost to the streets man."

"Well you can't help those that don't want to be helped you know….I mean we both know that all too well."

"Don't go there, Damon's different from Shawn. He wanted to get out and look, he got beat down for it!! But he did make the decision to get out, I guess because he sees that he has some potential as well."

"Well you know you can't save the world man, right?"

"I know that, that's not humanely possible, smartass but if I can save just one person that'd make me happy. Anyway I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

{End of flashback}

Ever since last night I don't know why but that drew me to Jahmelle more. Knowing the heart that he has. That man, he's a good person, I just don't want him getting in no messed up situation. I called him to see if he was still at his house. He didn't answer the phone so at that point I knew you weren't home so I guess I would have to wait until later to talk to him. I turned the radio off and I turned the television on and put it on ESPN. They were talking about my upcoming fight against Andre "Bonez" Tarver. He's the current heavyweight champion of the SBF. This dude right here is bad. He made a name for himself in that eight round match back in 2002 against Marlon Fuller. I've done my research on him and come July 4th when I fight him I'm going to take his heavyweight title and I'm going to make a name for myself. 

After I watch ESPN for an hour I turned the TV off and got up and got myself situated then I drove over to my mother's house.

9:00 a.m.

"Hey Ma, how you doing? I asked her as I walked into the house."

"Aww I'm hanging in there son I'm hanging in there." She said. "What's new with you?"

"Nothing much really. Just getting ready to prepare for this fight come July 4th."

"Oh I heard them talking about the fight on the radio this morning as well as ESPN. You know son, a lot of people are rooting for you. But it's also a lot of people rooting against you. So you have to prepare yourself both physically and mentally to prove them wrong." She told me as she gave me a hug. "Also what's going on with you? What's on your mind? You know I know you just as good as you know me and I can tell when something's on your mind and trust me I already know that it's more than this fight."

"Well to be honest Jahmelle is on my mind."

"What do you mean exactly?" She inquired, raising her eyebrow.

"Well he took this kid in yesterday and he's trying to help him. I think his name is damon. You know I think he feels guilty for not rescuing or saving Shawn."

"Well you know what to be honest I think we all feel that way. But you know how Jahmelle and Shawn were, they were attached at the hip." She said, chuckling. "They were almost inseparable, they were more like brothers than you and Shawn were and in all honesty you know that just as well as I do." She said she got her food out of the microwave.

"Well Mom you may be right about that. Actually you are right about that. But he can't save the world and you know that as well as I do. And if he does this he needs to do it for the right reasons not just because he's on some kind of guilt trip."

"What have you told him that?"

"No I haven't but maybe I should."

9:20 a.m.

I got into my car and headed over to the school. I don't know what I was going to say or what I would do when I saw Jahmelle but I knew I had to say something and I had to make sure that he was doing this for the right reasons.

******

******

9:25am

Jahmelle

I was sitting in my office grading papers and getting ready to teach these brats. I had the television in my room and I was watching ESPN. And they continue talking about the upcoming fight with Tyrone and Andre "Bonez" Tarver and as I continue grading papers I heard a knock at my door.

"Who's there?"

"It's Tyrone."

I wonder what he was doing here. I thought to myself. "Come on in man."

"Hey man, I need to talk to you." He said as he opened and closed the door. "Now look I'm just going to cut straight to the point with you Jahmelle because I've never been the type to bullshit with you at all. Now this situation with you and that student of yours ...."

"No, let me cut you off. What does this even have to do with you in the first place?" I asked Tyrone. "I mean I'm helping a student out, yes because he's in a bad situation. But what gives you the right to come in here and question me? Especially on school grounds."

"Look Jahmelle I just want to make sure that you're doing this for the right reasons and not doing this because of a guilt trip."

I don't know what came over me at that moment but the next thing I know I got out of that chair that was sitting in and I went over to Tyrone and I smacked him so hard. "No, I'm not doing this as a guilt trip, I'm doing this because I want to save this young man from the streets. Damon has as much smarts and as many opportunities as Shawn did. I don't want to see Damon make the same mistakes that Shawn did. So I'm trying my best to steer him in the right direction. But don't you ever in your life question me again. Now get out of my classroom." 

I was seething at this point. Now I didn't mean to smack Tyrone the way I did but he had me pissed. He held his face as he left the classroom and he looked at me with a look of sadness and a bit of anger. Now I only wonder what type of drama this could bring.

End of chapter 5