"OH NO!! MAMA BABY!! NO!! WHY LORD WHY!?"
A wailing heavyset mother was held up by two larger gentlemen in all black suits as she continued to crumple in front of a closed casket. The all-black casket was decorated with plethoras of flowers and bouquets of all shades from pale yellow to vibrant reds. A picture of a young man was held above the casket in what seemed to be a post-graduation photo. He was showing off his golds at the bottom with his arm wrapped around another graduate, his dreads neatly groomed into braids and their attire both white dress-shirts and dark slacks. The young man showing his golds looked full of life and that, along with his senior photos, would be the last photos that everyone would see.
De'Quavious Je'Marcus Deuwayne Martin.
Shot dead in Baton Rouge, Lousiana on suspicion of homicide.
De'Quavious moved to Baton Rouge from Atlanta off a sports scholarship that he earned in high school, the first one in his family to ever go off to school. Standing at 6'4, a scholar and a looming professional in basketball under the right mentors. Everyone was ecstatic to send him off but after a full school year De'Quavious, under the guise of doing excellent in school, began to change his mannerisms and nobody even knew he wasn't attending school anymore. Nobody but his girlfriend in Baton Rouge, In'dya.
Out of state tuition was far too expensive and he began to hang out with the wrong crowd outside of school till eventually, he wanted to run the streets and make fast money. But, after 3 years, lack of phone calls and distemper every time someone managed to get a hold of him whether it be through Instagram or through a phone call, the reality of the entire situation began to cascade over his family and now he said his final goodbyes in a closed-casket funeral.
Da'Quavious' mother wailed on her knees, her arms sprawled over the casket while his other brothers, A'maree and Dakari, the 26 year old twins, stood on each side of her with their shoulders slumped and heads low. His two sisters, Parys and Carmelia sat next to the youngest brother of the 6, Jay'Shyan, in silence. Scattered cries and sobs littered the packed church for what felt like an eternity until the pastor was able to gain a mutual silence across the church to bid final farewells.
As somber as our hearts are weighed down this morning, let us rise and pray to God for this young man to gain his wings and sit alongside the King as he watches over his family forever and ever.
- - - -
Once the extended family bid their farewells to Da'Quavious, the chilly Louisiana air breezing past along with a few freshly-fallen Fall leaves, the Martin family gathered together to bid their final farewell to their brother. There was a potent silence the lingered among the 5 siblings, Da'Quavious' mother and their step-father Chauncy, like the cemetery spoke a blatant truth that nobody could fully grasp or admit to.
"C'mon babies, let's go back to Auntie Rita house and get out these clothes." Da'Quavious' mother, Peaches, dabbed her runny nose and mascara a few times before she turned around to walk back to their designated limo.
"You go ahead, Mama. I'll catch a ride with A'maree." Parys, the oldest girl at 18, tucked her grey bob behind her ear and focused her eyes back on her brother's tombstone. It was a solemn grey with golden undertones, two angels held up his placard with faint inscriptions of what appeared to be tears running down their faces. She.. Just couldn't believe someone could kill her brother in cold blood.
And from the autopsy report, it was personal... 8 gunshots in total, 1 to the neck, 1 in the mouth, and one between the eyes. She was.. Almost glad she didn't see him in such a horror. That wasn't the brother she knew and loved. That wasn't the same brother who would tease her crossovers and teach her how to dribble with such passion, such light, such enthusiasm.
Who the fuck did this? And was he still running the streets? Was he even at this funeral?
"Q.." Parys murmured to herself underneath the whispers of the wind.
She didn't even realize her tears were streaking her makeup.
A'maree wrapped his arm around his sister in silence as she sobbed, burying her face in her hands not caring about no NARS foundation or eyelash extensions.
Her brother was fucking gone. Killed. Murdered for no fuckin' reason.
A'maree clenched his jaw, a few stray tears also flowing down his chiseled, dark-brown face. Da'quavious was the only one who, out of his mama 3 older boys, decided to go off to college and everyone was so proud. He knew in his gut that it wasn't a good idea to go to LSU by himself. But his stubborn ass insisted he come out here alone.
"Nah, bruh, yeen gotta move out to the NOLA with me. I got this! How I'm supposed to pull bitches and I got your hefty hefty ass breathin' over me? Trust, I got this my nigga, trust!"
I should've went with your ass.
A'maree, pulling himself from his mournful memories, rubbed Parys shoulder a few more times before clearin his throat. "Parys.. I don't think mama going to tell you just yet but... You know Auntie Rita tryna get mama to move out here. She don't think mama in a good headspace to go back to Atlanta with all them memories... So.. I just wanted you to be included in this even if she don't tell you upfront.
"What?!" Parys pulled her face from her hands and almost choked on the air. "How the fuck Aunnie Rita going to ask her something like that?"
"Parys. I ain't trying to argue over Q grave like this. So, c'mon, let's go and meet mama at the house and you can talk to her there."
Parys, frustrated as fuck, shrugged A'maree off and stomped down the hill, her emotions blended into a hard lump in her chest.
