Past Love

Chapter 18: Finding Damon

Thursday July 28th, 2005

5:00am

Jahmelle

It was 5:00 a.m. and I was sitting up in my bed most of the night. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about the whole situation with Damon and Lee. This is the reason why he left town. I feel like I failed him even though he said I didn't. I still feel like I did. I feel like it's my job to find him and bring him back. He can't keep running away from things in his life.

"Hey baby you got to get some type of rest." Tyrone said. He stayed the entire night with me and having him there was one of the best experiences ever just him holding me and talking to me. "It's not your fault that you left so don't blame yourself." He said.

"That's the thing I feel like I should have done something sooner. It's a lot to this situation that you don't understand Tyrone. Look I might as well tell you now since it's going to come out eventually. You remember the other day I came to your place?"

"Yeah I remember. What about it?"

"Well I got back to my place. I saw Lee's car there. Him and Damon were in a heated argument and as Lee was getting ready to leave Damon took the lamp and cracked him in the back of the skull with it. I'm pretty sure he killed him and I witnessed it. I didn't know what to do so I went to your place. I haven't told anybody else. I ran into Dante not too long after that too. But I haven't told you until now, Kash doesn't even know and Dante doesn't know."

"What do you mean I'm the only one that knows? You can't keep something like that a secret man. Damon could have murdered somebody and you kept it a secret? What's wrong with you, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about trying to protect a friend. That kids already been through so much in life, he doesn't really need to have all that extra going on. The last thing he needs is juvenile detention or jail."

"Look Jahmelle I know you mean well but that's just something you don't do!!"

"I know but i just feel like it's my job, i mean ever since what happened with.....with Shawn you know i just feel like Damon's in the same position, i mean he wants to do good but at the same time he has people trying to pull him in the wrong direction and then with this whole thing it's like....I just don't know how to describe it, that dude, it's like he's Shawn all over again, it's like i'm getting another chance to right the wrongs and help him."

"I know but you can't help him out of this one, alright let's say if you do find him what next, he basically murdered someone, and in your house no less, if you turn him in then what, i mean you know about what he did, and with you not reporting it, you'll be considered an accessory to the crime."

"I know, don't you think I know that?" I said as I got out of bed. "I'm torn, i want to do the right thing, you know me but at the same time i want to look out for Damon." I said.

"Hey look, I know what i can do." Tyrone said, getting up out of bed. "I'll call Dante and talk to him, see what he can do, but in the meantime how about i make you some breakfast?" He said.

Over the next 30 minutes I took care of my daily routine, I took a shower, Tyrone hopped in there with me and what was going to be a 10 minute shower turned into a 30 minute shower. After that Tyrone made me some breakfast. It was something basic but good, Bacon and eggs, with some toast, and a side of grits, Tyrone went all out. We watched the news around 6:00am, then around 6:45am Tyrone went ahead and called Dante, Dante was here within' 30 minutes or so.

7:15am

"Alright Jahmelle now go over what happened one more time." Dante said.

"Well it was Friday, July 22nd, and...."

"Wait Jahmelle you mean to tell me this happened last week?"

"Yeah...."

"Jahmelle come on now you can't...."

"I know Dante, I know. Anyway it happened last Friday, me and Damon had stayed with Tyrone the night before, making sure he was alright after his drunken stupor, Damon had went home before me, then when i got there awhile later Him and Lee was arguing about Lee harassing Damon, Lee threatened to hurt him, his family and those that had been helping him, and as Lee was getting ready to leave Damon took the lamp that i had and smashed it over his head." I told Dante.

"Well what did you do?"

"I couldn't really do nothing, I mean I ran, I didn't want Damon to know I saw what happened, I didn't know what mindstate he was in, I was ducked down watching from a window outside." I told him.

"Well what led him to leaving?"

"Well I'm sure he knew that I knew because the day after it was an awkwardness between me and him, he was jumpy and everything. I guess yesterday was the tipping point for him, he just packed his stuff up and left."

"Well how did you know he left?"

"Well me and Tyrone came back from our date night last night we searched the house, he was gone. We went out and looked for him for a while, then came back here and waited until today to continue looking. This is the note that he left yesterday." I said as I gave Dante the note. He looked over the note.

"Well judging from this note that he left he made it pretty clear that it was basically no traces to find him, he turned his phone off, he knows how to disappear and maybe right now from what you're telling me that maybe his best option because if we do find him he's going to be arrested for murder basically. He murdered somebody Jahmelle and in all honesty with you failing to report this technically you could go down for aiding and abetting." He told me.

"Well I didn't know what to do." I told Dante.

"Well baby in all honesty this all could have been avoided if you said something from the very beginning." Tyrone said.

"I know but...I just felt like I could help him." I hold my head down.

"Look you're a good person with a good heart but you can't save the world man, look I know this whole situation with Shawn has really just taken a toll on you so here's what I'm going to do, you're not going to jail Jahmelle but if Damon contacts you, you need to let me know. I'll get my men on this." Dante said.

Dante left and closed the door behind him. After that I looked at Tyrone and saw how pissed he was, and he was pissed!

"Don't look at me like that Tyrone."

"How could you be so stupid?" He said, shaking his head. "You have this save the world mentality and i get it, look, we all wish we could have been there for Shawn and i get that you want to be there for Damon in the way you wasn't for Shawn but you went about it the wrong way and now look, Damon could be god knows where, doing god knows what just to get by, or he could be dead!" He said pissed.

"Look I already feel like absolute shit, you don't have to make me feel worse than I already do man, damn!" I said. "I just hope he's alright...."

End Of Chapter 18