Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 03:43:15 EST
From: Wyzman34@aol.com
Subject: Brother 2 Brother Chapter 19

BROTHER 2 BROTHER

By Michael Martell

CHAPTER 19

-ERIC-


        Noble and I had left Chicago and were now continuing the tour in
Detroit, Michigan. Things had been going like gangbusters both with the
tour and my personal life. Since everything that went down in Chicago with
Jermaine and me, I had made some decisions. One concerned Noble. As much as
I liked him and was attracted to him we both agreed that anything deeper
happening between us would not be good. Not that we didn't enjoy each
other's physical company but that wasn't happening much with the tour going
full swing and more appearances and interviews. Noble was learning that it
was going to be work and we still had several more cities to go before the
tour ended and there was starting to be big talk about a movie and the
publishing company was chomping at the bit for another book from
me. Jermaine had not given up even after our conversation. He was still
calling me and still wanting to talk. I kept telling him that we had
nothing to talk about. I couldn't forget what had happened not his cheating
on me but what I had done with Noble. If the truth be known I was just
looking for a reason to have sex with Noble and when I found out Jermaine
had cheated on me it was the excuse I needed to take it there. That was
also another reason why Noble and I realized that it was best to cool
things off a big bit. Of course once that happened it seemed that
Jermaine's phone calls were coming more and more and more often and each
time it was getting harder and harder to resist talking to him. Things took
a shocking turn when Noble barged into my room, grabbed the remote control
and flipped the TV to CNN. Before I could ask what was his problem I caught
the news cast. The anchor was reporting that rap superstar Infamous had
been shot and killed in what was an apparent drive by. According to the
reporter, Infamous and his attorneys, who were not hurt, were leaving the
courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia when a black SUV drove by and opened
fire. Infamous was hit ten times and was pronounced dead on the scene. I
looked at Noble, who shook his head as tears rolled down his cheek. I knew
that Noble and Infamous were cousins, they were very close. I wanted to
comfort him but I knew that would lead to other things. Noble informed me
that he needed, wanted to go back to Atlanta. He had to be there for his
cousin, for his family and I could not blame him. He said he hated leaving
like that. I understood and actually him leaving would get me back on point
and focused. Karen had been complaining just a bit, so I had to get it in
gear. The surprises were not complete for me. The next surprise came a day
after Noble left when there was a knock on my hotel door. Since I was
expecting a messenger to deliver a package I didn't look through the peep
hole. My jaw dropped as I was greeted by a huge bouquet of roses of red,
yellow and white. The person holding the bouquet was Jermaine himself. I
shook my head, turned and walked away leaving the door open. I settled down
on the sofa as Jermaine walked in with the roses. He set them down in front
of me but continued to stand as if he was waiting for me to say
something. What was there to say? I was actually tired. I was tired of the
phone calls and this was it, the final straw. I just had it. After several
minutes Jermaine spoke.

"May I sit down?" Jermaine asked.

I looked at him and cut my eyes, "I don't care," I replied. Jermaine sat
down in a chair across from me. I couldn't help but notice that Jermaine
was looking good. I couldn't help but look at the roses that he
brought. They were beautiful.

"Can we talk?" Jermaine asked me.

"You're here, Jermaine, though I don't know what we have to talk about."

"About us, about what happened. About getting back what we lost."

What we lost? I looked at him as if he was crazy. "What we lost? No, it's
what you threw away. What you tossed aside. You didn't care about us."

"I did..I do care." Jermaine replied.

"Then why did you cheat on me?" I demanded to know. Jermaine looked down at
his hands. "I'm waiting."

"I was scared," Jermaine said in answer.

"Scared? You were scared and that was why you cheated? That's why?" I
demanded as I got to my feet.

"Yes, I was scared. I had everything I could ever want and I was scared
that I couldn't hold on to it."

"Jermaine, that is bullshit. Even if you were scared you could have come to
me. We could have talked about it. Don't you think I was scared too? I was
scared but I knew that I had you and that as long as I had you then there
was nothing that I couldn't do. Nothing could stop us. My love for you
overcame my fear. I never cheated on you. I may have thought about it,"
Jermaine looked at me, "Yes, I thought about it. BUT unlike you I never
did." I pointed at him, "you cheated, you drew first blood. You started
this and now you want to make it right. You want to make like it never
happened. You want me to forgive and forget."

"No, I don't want you to forgive and forget. I want you to love me. I want
us to work on this. I know we can make it right. We can get back what I
threw away. I was wrong, baby I was dead, dead wrong. And for the rest of
our lives I will not stop regretting how much I hurt you. How I betrayed
you, how I failed you."

"You are god damn right," I snapped, "you failed me, you betrayed me, you
broke my heart and I hate you for that," I said as tears burned my eyes, "I
hate you, Jermaine. I hate you for doing this to me, to us. I hate you
because I still love you." I said what was in my heart, what I was
feeling. I still loved Jermaine but what he did to me and to my love for
him filled me with hate for him. Jermaine walked towards me tears in his
eyes. He reached for me but I backed away. The hurt in his eyes hurt me too
but he deserved it. Thankfully my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller
ID and saw that it was Dre's number. We hadn't talked in a minute. I picked
up the phone turning my back on Jermaine. Dre would deliver the next
surprise to my time in Detroit. When I hung up the phone I turned to see
Jermaine still there, looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"Is everything okay?"

I just shook my head. The news that Dre had given me was way too much. I
still couldn't believe it. How much hell was God going to allow Jamal to
bear. I told Jermaine what Dre told me. He was as concerned and stunned as
I was. When he asked if anyone had called Mohammed and Sonny I shook my
head. I told him that they felt I should tell Mohammed. I didn't want the
job. But Shane and Sean were on the way to the hospital to be with Jamal
and Kei. Dre was also going to the hospital as well. I wanted to be
there. Needed to be there. Once I broke this news to Mohammed, there was no
telling what he would do. How he would react. Jamal was his heart and
soul. His life and reason for living. And once again his son was hurt while
he was away wrestling. I didn't know how I was going to tell him this.

"Eric," Jermaine said, "are you okay? Do you want me to leave?"

To both our surprise I shook my head. I looked at Jermaine confusion,
concern and hurt in my eyes, "How can I tell Mohammed about this?" this
time I allowed Jermaine to approach me and as he wrapped his arms around me
I cried. I cried for Jamal and Kei. I cried for Mohammed and Sonny. I cried
for Noble and Infamous. And I cried for myself and Jermaine. For what we
had and what was lost. Could it be recaptured. It would never be what it
was but could it be anything? Could we be together and start brand new? I
had no idea. But right now I had to make a call that I hated to make.

-Shane-

Sean and I arrived at the hospital. After the phone call from Andre about
Jamal we quickly made our way to the hospital. Matthew offered to come
along but Sean told him that he would call him later. Thank God for that. I
could not be around Matt after what almost happened between us in the
bathroom and besides my mind, our mind had to be on Jamal and Sonny's son
Kei. Dre didn't tell us much just that something had happened to Jamal and
that we needed to come to the hospital. When I asked if Mohammed and Sonny
had been told, Dre told me that Eric was going to do that. Eric was
starting to become the bearer of bad news when it came to Jamal. I knew
Mohammed and Sonny would be beside themselves. When we arrived at the
hospital Dre was already there. He still didn't have anything new to tell
us. Sean was about to find a doctor when Detective Linton appeared. I
remembered him from when Sean was raped. I thought he was much more helpful
than his asshole partner, who turned out to be a crooked cop. He approached
us along with an attractive latin man, whom he introduced as Detective
Carlos Martinez.

"What happened, Detective?" Sean asked.

"Perhaps we should all sit down," Detective Linton suggested. After we all
sat down he began, "by the book I should be telling this to the
fathers. But because I know you are all close to this family I am going to
share this with you."

I felt Sean grip my hand as Detective Linton explained what had
happened. By the time he was finished we were all in stunned silence,
except Sean, who was crying. What we had heard brought back terrible
memories of Sean's own rape. Jamal and Kei had both been sexually
assaulted. They were slipped the date rape drug and subjected to repeated
sexual assault. They had no idea who had done it. The news was terrible,
too terrible. Sean hugged me and I held him tight as we both prayed and
sobbed over the two young men. The sound of a cell phone ringing cut
through the moment and everyone looked at Det. Linton as he answered his
cell phone. He said a few words, nodded his head and said thanks. He ended
the call and looked at us all.

"We have a witness who knows what happened," Linton said. We all sat up
eager to know who this was. "I don't know who it is but he is on his way
here. He was apparently injured at the party." Detective Linton and
Martinez excused themselves and went back to talk to a doctor.

"Shane," Sean said, tears in his eyes, "we should call Matthew."

I sat up at that, "Matthew? Why?" Sean looked at me oddly.

"Matthew is a rape counselor. He can help Jamal and Kei."

I nodded my head, "Yes, I know but maybe we should wait for Mo Mo and Sonny
to make that decision?" I just didn't want to be around Matt right
now. Sean seemed to accept my thoughts on it. I could only imagine what
Mohammed and Sonny were going through.

-Mohammed-

I heard the words but could not believe what I was hearing. When my cell
phone rang and I saw Eric's name I flashed back to when Jamal was hit by a
car. I snatched up the phone. I held my breath and after Eric told me that
Jamal was in the hospital, along with Kei, my heart sank and my knees went
weak. Sonny was there to catch me. I looked at him and the concern on his
face touched me. The same news I had gotten I had to give to him. Sonny's
reaction was more stoic but I knew it effect him. Eric didn't have any
information for me except the name of the hospital and the detective who
was handling the case. I hung up with Eric telling him that Sonny and I
would be coming home immediately. When the call ended I turned to Sonny and
we embraced and held each other. He spoke no words as we held each other
and wondered what had happened to our sons, to our family. We needed to
go. Damn XWF, damn our contracts, our sons needed us. Sonny informed Miller
that something had happened with our sons and that we had to go. To say
Miller was not pleased was an understatement. He issued an ultimatum. We
told Miller to kiss our entire black asses and we were out. I prayed to
Allah that my son was okay. Once again, while I was wrestling, my son was
hurt. This had to be a sign that it was time for me to give up
wrestling. It was time for me to be a father to my son. I could not believe
this. I could not believe this at all. Despite Miller not being pleased
with our departure he did alert the XWF executives to get us on the first
plane headed home. We had packed everything and were in the air heading
home in two hours. This plane flight was the longest I ever had. As Sonny
and I sat together we didn't speak much. We just held each others hand and
prayed. I could not believe any of this. If we had been home. If I had been
home, if one of us had been home. I could not believe I had slip in my
parental duties. I recall how hard I was on Tina, Jamal's mother when she
was going through her issues with drugs and men. Now she was in rehab and
getting better. She had left Jamal with me to raise as she helped
herself. Now look what I had done. Perhaps what everyone was saying was
true about gay men raising children. I should have put my wrestling career
on hold until Jamal was older. I should have been raising my son and not
off risking my life and entertaining people. I didn't need to
wrestle. Hell, I didn't need to work every again. I was smart with the
money I made in the ring. It was invested well and I was more than
comfortable. I had even been approached to be a major part of a luxury car
dealership that was very lucrative. I had so many opportunities outside of
the ring. It was time to take them.

"It's not our fault," Sonny said. He was looking out of the window, still
holding my hand, "this would have happened no matter what we were doing nor
where we were."

I didn't subscribe to that. The fact that it had happened twice now spoke
volumes to me. "Sonny...if we had been home...if one of us had been there
maybe..."

"Maybe doesn't change a damn thing," Sonny said turning to me, "what is
going to happen will happen regardless of where you are."

"Maybe but I can't do this anymore. I just can't." I confessed. "for a long
time I have thought about retiring from wrestling and maybe it is time."

Sonny shook his head, "You can't be serious. Wrestling is your life."

"No," I corrected him, "No, my son...our sons, our family...you are my
life. I don't need to step into another wrestling ring for the rest of my
life and at my age I am wondering if I ever need to. The business has been
very good to me. Great. I am very comfortable. I don't need the wear and
tear on my body. The aggravation, the potential danger and the time away
from my family."

"Baby," Sonny said as he kissed my hand, "our sons will be grown men very
soon and on their own."

"Exactly. I have missed a lot of time with Jamal because of wrestling and
its time for me to stop missing out. Soon he will be gone. Soon he will
have a life and a family of his own. I want to be there for him. I want us
to be there for our sons." I squeezed Sonny's hand as his eyes lowered to
the floor, "what's wrong?"

Sonny shook his head, "I'm not ready to give up wrestling."

I smiled, "I'm not asking you to. I'm making the decision for me. Not
you. You have to do what you feel is right."

"You won't be mad because I decided to continue?" Sonny asked.

"Just because we are together doesn't mean that we stop being
individuals. I want you to be happy. I want you to make our family top
priority and yes I will miss you. I will miss being on the road with
you. But truth be known this was a decision I was wrestling with before
this even happened." I looked him in his beautiful eyes. By Allah, I can't
believe that I was blessed with this wonderful, sexy, sensitive
man. "Sonny, I love you. I love our life and our family."

"Damnit Mohammed," Sonny said, tears forming in his eyes, "I love you
too. I can't continue wrestling without you."

"Sonny..."

"SSSSH! You said it. We are a family and my family has to be the top
priority. It's time we take care of our family." And there on the plane we
kissed. It was passionate, it was filled with love and it was thrilling. We
didn't care what people thought, we were together, in love and a family.

-BRETT-

I tried to tell the paramedics that I was okay. They weren't listening to
me, especially after they saw the marks on my neck where Dalziel had tried
to choke me and the blood on the back of my head. They said that I may have
a concussion and that I needed to go to the hospital. I wanted to tell the
police what had happened. They had to get Dalziel but the officers on the
scene said that someone would speak to me at the hospital. My head began to
throb and before I knew it I had passed out again. When I awoke I was being
rushed into the emergency room. A doctor flashed a light in my eyes and
asked what had happened. One of the paramedics said I was at the party, as
if they knew what that was all about. She seemed to and began asking me if
I had smoked, drank, eaten or ingested anything. When I told her no she
seemed to relax a bit. They were going to keep me over night for
observation. I was demanding to see the police. I had to tell them what had
happened. The doctors kept tell me that I could see the police once I was
settled in a room. That was too fucking long and it would be too late. So I
did the only thing I new I could do.

"POLICE! POLICE! HELP ME! HELP ME!" I screamed. The doctors and the
paramedics were trying to get me to be quiet but I would not. I wanted the
police now. The Doctor ordered a sedative and I screamed louder. The doctor
had injected me with the sedative just as two men in suits, one black and
one latino. They looked like cops. "Help me...I know what happened at the
party. I know who did it. I know what happened to Jamal and Kei," I was
talking so fast but I had to. That doctor bitch had given me a sedative and
no telling when I would be loopy as a loon. The two men came to me.

"What do you say?" the Latin one asked.

"I know what happened at the party. I was there." I said.

"I'm Detective Martinez and this is my partner Det. Linton. Tell us what
happened."

At last. I told them everything I knew. About coming in to find Jamal and
Kei being used as sex toys. I told them about Dalziel and what I
suspected. As I spoke they wrote down ever word. They then wanted
information on Dalziel and that was when the sedative hit. I couldn't keep
my mind straight and when they spoke it sounded like a bunch of mess. I do
remember mumbling something. "Tell Mohammed...I'm sorry..." and then I was
out like a light.

-ERIC & JERMAINE-

Karen got us a flight out of Detriot after I explained what had happened. I
laid it all out and she was very helpful and receptive. She said that the
book tour would be okay, she could and would shuffle some things around and
reschedule some dates. She was a miracle worker. She managed to get a
flight for me and Jermaine, together. It was good having Jermaine with me
since I had to get things packed and it would have taken longer if I had to
do it all by myself. We didn't talk about much on the flight back. Our
conversation would have to wait. When we arrived at the air port I called a
cab and we beat it straight for the hospital. When we arrived Shane, Sean
and Andre met us. We hugged and kissed and they filled me in on what was
happening. Jermaine just stood there silently. It was then that I
recognized Detective Linton coming towards us. We all turned looking at him
with anticipation of news.

"We just questioned an eyewitness who was at the party," Det. Linton said.

"Who was it? What happened?" I found myself asking.

"According to the witness, he arrived at the party to see both victims
being sexually assaulted by several party attendees."

Everyone gasped. I felt Jermaine wrap his arms around me and it felt good.

"Who did this to them?" Shane asked.

"The witness said that someone named Dalziel had done this."

Dalziel? I knew that name. I looked at Shane, Sean and Dre. "Dalziel? Is
that the guy that Mohammed got into a fight with over Brett?"

"That's what he said," Det. Linton said.

"He who?" Sean asked.

"Brett. He's the witness."

"Brett was there?" I snapped, I knew Brett was low down but to do to a
freak party at Mohammed's house. He had to have known something was up with
that. "That nasty bitch! I bet he was in on this. I bet he wanted to get
back at Mohammed and Sonny."

"According to him that wasn't the case. He didn't know where the party was
taken place at until he arrived. He stated that we he saw what was going on
he tried to get Jamal out when this Dalziel person stopped him, he tried to
choke him, he smashed his head against a wall." Linton told us.

"So are you going to arrest him, Dalziel?" Dre asked.

"Once we find him. They had sedated Brett and it kicked in before he could
tell us where to find this guy. But we will find him." Linton promised,
"has anyone heard from their fathers?"

"We are right here," Everyone turned around to see Mohammed and Sonny
standing there. They looked as if they had just arrived. I could tell by
the look in Mohammed's eyes that he heard the name of the man responsible
for this.

"Mr. Moyenda, Mr. Dexter," Det. Linton said approaching them.

"Detective," Mohammed said, his voice sounding very deep and tired, "We
need to see our sons."

"I understand that. We will let the doctors know that you are here." Linton
nodded at Martinez, who went to notify the doctors.

"The man that did this. I know him." Mohammed replied.

"Yes sir. I have been informed by the witness."

"Brett. He is my ex and Dalziel used him as well. He posted some
pornographic videos of Brett on the internet."

"Yes sir. We have been informed of that as well. We will find this man."
Linton said.

Mohammed's eyes clouded over and his voice sounded like an avalanche. "He
better hope you find him before I do."

To Be Continued

[A Word from the Author: I want to thank you all for being patient. From
breaking my right wrist and the complications that followed. Then working
and real life stuff I had not been able to keep a regular update. Many of
you have written to me wanting to know when the next chapter was
coming. Well, it's here and there will be more. I hope you enjoy it. As
always I love hearing from you so send me an email at wyzman34@aol.com and
also visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brotherslikeus_brother2brother/