5 MONTHS LATER...
JAHNAI JACKSON
NOVEMBER 2022
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
I grabbed my keys and walked out my dorm.
While walking out, I get a call from my mother.
"Hi mom"
"Hey baby, have you hit the road yet?"
"Not yet , I'm about to drive my car infront of Jazz's apartment "
"Okay I'll see you in a lil bit"
So my life has been up and down this year.
From losing my little brother to now being on my own in college.
Well not technically.
I was in a dorm and Jazz had got an apartment right next to the school.
We couldn't move in together because well honestly,I wasn't ready for all of that just yet.
Then my relationship was on the rocks.
I just didn't know what to believe anymore.
Von says he didn't kill my brother but was it true?
Whispers had been going around my community since my brother died and all fingers pointed to him.
I just hope that wasn't true, u know?
I drive to Jazz house and drop my car off.
When she wakes up, she will be driving back to Chicago while I fly.
It was the day before Thanksgiving and I had to be present with my family.
Especially after the year we have had.
I get to the airport and check in for my flight.
My brother was well known , so everywhere I went people sent their condolences and asked my permission to take pictures.
I didn't mind, yes I was still grieving but I wasn't a rude ass either.
I got on my flight and I slept the entire time.
.......
My mom picks me up from the airport.
We exchange in a longgg hug and she helps me put my bags in the car.
"I'm so glad to see you baby"
"Same here, how you been holding up?"
"Some days are better than others, u know?" She admitted.
I definitely felt her on that.
As we drove, some chills came over my body.
Like something was about to happen.
"Jahnai.."
"Yes..."
"I know you been gone and focused on school for a while but it's somewhere we need to go before we stop at home"
"Okay"
"I bought you something professional to put on. Where we going, a lot of eyes were going to be on us"
Are we going on the news or something?
What's going on.
An hour later, my mother and I pull up to a courthouse.
What the hell?
We get dressed in the bathroom and then a ton of us got entered the courtroom.
As the judge speaks, I finally put two and two together.
I'm about to find out who killed my brother.
Somebody appears in a orange jumpsuit but I wasn't making out who it was.
Then my heart dropped, I can't believe this shit.
"We have reached a verdict in the case of Dukes vs The State of Illinois. We find you guilty in the murder of Raheem Jackson, you will be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole"
I just screamed, I can't believe this motherfucker killed my brother!
And for what?
"Would any of the family like to make a statement before we dismiss?"
My mother stood up with a note in her hand.
"I would just like to start off by wishing my gratitude for how fast my baby's case was solved. But I also do not wish my pain on any other mother. To Nate Dukes, when my son entered high school I never would have thought of you as a murder. But killers come in all shapes and sizes. I tried my best to be there for you as a mother figure because I know you had no guidance. But to nuff my baby out of 16 years of his life all over a woman was absolutely devastating. I don't hate you for what you did, I hate that you were able to get away with it for so long. You came to my son's funeral, u hugged me and you even offered me a prayer. You don't deserve to die in jail, I wish you could leave the same way my son did"
My mother sat down and everybody in the courtroom clapped.
My mother and I left and I was left stuck.
Being in school really put a big distraction on me because I didn't know half of what was going on in my brother's case.
This was also probably the fastest case I seen solved for a black guy, but I think that was due to the weight the Jackson name held in the city.
As we entered the car, I started talking to my mom.
"Mom Duke really killed Raheem?"
"Yes baby, I went to every court date. I learned a lot about your brother that I didn't know as he mother that I should of"
"Like what?"
"Okay so basically right.. this was in his confession. Duke was raised by his grandparents. They were old , and didn't have a lot of money. So he jumped in the game when he was a little boy. Fast forward to high school, Duke was selling drugs and in a gang that's why he was so well dressed which caused arrogance. He was top dog at y'all school until your brother showed up immediately intimidating him . So he faked a friendship with him , going from the guy of the school to the side kick really shot his ego down. Which is why he took his anger out on women and did them how he did em. Your bestfriend Skyler was seeing both of them but Raheem sparked her interest and she chose him. He got her pregnant, Duke found out and lost his mind. Plotted against him for months and when he had the perfect chance to kill him.. he did"
I just sobbed I couldn't believe any of this.
To his relationship with Sky, the baby or anything.
I thought I had trust issues then, I definitely got them now.
