Page 149 of The Love of Priest

"PJ, listen to me." Kaymen grabbed ahold of Priest's face, ordering him to focus on him. "You can't be here right now. I need you to get in Ru's car and leave," Kaymen explained to him.

A crazed look swamped Priest’s eyes. "No." He shook his head. "I can't fucking leave him. He died because of me. I can't leave him," he told Kaymen, his voice cracking in pain.

"Priest, do you understand the severity of this situation right now?! You're cradling Jamari's dead body in your arms! You need to leave! Now!" Kaymen sternly shouted at Priest in hopes of getting through his distraught mental state and bringing him back to his senses.

Shifting his eyes from Kaymen, he set them on Jamari. His jaw clenched as he fought the tears attempting to cascade from his eyes. "I love you, man," Priest whispered to Jamari as he applied a light kiss to his forehead. "Hold him until they get here," Priest instructed Kaymen, who did as he was told without hesitation.

Priest stood up with his heart heavy about leaving Jamari behind. As he approached J'Ru to receive the keys of his vehicle, J'Ru pulled him in for a hug. He knew Priest was going to be fucked up about Jamari dying. That was his little homie that he looked out for whenever he could. Jamari was innocent.

"It's not your fault," J'Ru told Priest sternly, wanting him to understand completely. "I love you, bro," he assured Priest before they parted from the hug. Once he handed Priest the keys, Kaymen rushed him to leave before the police and media swarmed the entire park.

Kaymen preferred he and J'Ru felt the heat of all the authorities and cameras that were bound to come out. Priest had enough shit going on.With the weight of the world weighing on him, Priest found J'Ru's car and got in. Once the door was shut, he stared aimlessly at the steering wheel.

"Fuck!" he roared as he banged his hand roughly on the steering wheel, sending Jamari's fresh blood splattering throughout the car.

In the distance, Priest could hear the blaring sirens and horns making their way through the streets. Quickly, he started J'Ru's car and peeled off the premises of the park. He lacked focus and direction. Certainly, the car was driving him instead of the other way around.

His mind continued to flash with the memory of Jamari's face. His brown eyes, his wired teeth, his cinnamon brown pulled back dreads, the light freckles that dotted his face. The kid was the epitome of innocence. Just a few minutes ago, he was living, talking, breathing, laughing, and now he was dead.

Priest passed the rushing paramedics and squad cars. He wished he could have stayed, but Kaymen was right. Being in the mix would make things worse for him. The media would shed darkness on innocent Jamari's death.

Priest let out a deep sigh once his aimless driving led him to park in front of Jamari's mother's house. The porch light was on, indicating that she was home and most likely waiting for Jamari to come back. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell her, but he knew he needed to be the one who delivered the news.

Priest nervously bit down on his bottom lip. Getting out of the car, he shuffled his steps toward the door, his feet getting heavier as he grew closer.

Lifting his fist, Priest applied his first knock on the door. His emotions were already getting the best of him. He knocked twice more before the door was pulled open by Tasha, Jamari's mother.

"Priest, what's the matter?" She immediately noticed the dead look in his eye. He was pale in the face, and his eyes were hollow and empty. Opening the door wider, Tasha's face twisted in fear as she noticed the blood that stained Priest's attire. "What happened?" she asked him.

Priest hung his head low in despair as she continued to question him. "I'm sorry, Tash," Priest croaked.

Tears scorched Tasha's eyes as she shook her head. "Priest, stop," she ordered him. "Tell me this is one of his sick jokes that he begged you to be a part of." Denial caused her to laugh. Jamari was a jokester, and he pulled crazy pranks on his mother all the time. That was his entertainment whenever he got tired of playing the game or watching television.

"Priest, say something to me right now!" she pleaded desperately. "Tell me my son is in your car and is waiting for me to lose my shit before he gets out and tells me this is one of his fucking jokes!" she jeered angrily.

"Tasha, I'm so, so sorry," Priest murmured to her lowly.

Tasha released a loud, heavy cry. She hunched over, unable to breathe properly. Her son was dead and wasn't coming back home to her. "That's—that's his b-blood?" she croaked in pain while pointing to the blood that stained Priest's clothing.

Priest said nothing. Instead, he pulled Tasha into his arms, hugging her. She cried loudly into his chest, the pains of a grieving mother taking over her. Her cries vibrated her entire body as she shook in Priest's arms.

"Oh, God!" she called out, desperately wanting to understand exactly how she would move on from losing her first baby. "Jamari's gone!" Her knees buckled. Priest found the strength to hold her up when her knees seemed to give out.

"He was on punishment!" she screeched in grief."He was on punishment!" Jamari had begged and begged his mother to let him off the hook these last days of his punishment so he could attend the event that was happening a few blocks down from their house. Swooned by how smooth a talker her son was, Tasha decided to be lenient this one time and allow him to get off the hook. That was now one of her biggest regrets. If she had just kept him home, Jamari would’ve still been there with her.

Priest was lost for words. He felt responsible. Whenever he was with Jamari, he always made sure to keep him safe. Jamari was never too far. Priest just wished he could turn back time and have Jamari near him. "I'll take care of all the funeral arrangements," he informed Tasha as she continued to cry on his chest, feeling Jamari's blood against her skin.

"My baby," she cried out. "He was just a baby, Priest."

Jamari had so much more life to live. He hadn't even entered his first year of high school. He had big dreams and high aspirations, and he hadn't even done a fraction of what it took to achieve them. Jamari took pride in being the older sibling. He kept his siblings in line and ran a tight ship while doing so. That was what everyone admired about him the most. He cared so much about his little brothers.

"I know." Priest continued to fight his own tears.

"Where is he?" Tasha asked through her cries.

Priest cleared his throat. "He passed in my arms," he revealed. The pain of holding Jamari in his arms penetrated his heart deeply. "He's still at the park. We called for help, but it was just too late."

Tasha's cries intensified. She felt as though she would never stop. Her breath began shortening, which caused Priest to appoint her a seat on the front porch. Tasha didn't want to be seated. She wanted to be there for her son. She shook her head, cries still pouring out of her.

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