Love's Journey

By Donnell Baynor

Love's Journey My Brother, My Keeper, tells the story of two brothers Jovan Brown, better known as J.B. and Lee Jae Kyuk, better known as L.J. as they tackle the everyday struggles and trials of life and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781387486083

Book preview

Copyright©2019byDonnellBaynor

Allrightsreserved.Thisbookoranyportionthereof

maynotbereproducedorusedinanymannerwhatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica First Printing, 2019

ISBN978-1-79471-177-8

LuluPressInc.

3101HillsboroughSt

Raleigh,NC27607-5436www.Lulu.com

Love'sJourney

writtenby:DonnellBaynor Prologue

I'mrunning...

I'm running away from life and I'm running away from love. I'm runningawayfromthedeepsymphonictragediesofthedaysthat haunt me.

Daysoffear...

...anddaysofpain. Days of lies...

...anddaysofheartbreakingdeceit.

I lovedand I lost, but whenI fell, I fell hard.Sonow I'mrunning, runningawayfromtheworldaroundmeandthosethatareapart of it. Because maybe this world wasn't meant for me. I'm not supposed to be here.

ThedaythatIwatchedmyparentsdiebythehandsofsomeguy thatrobbedourstore,wasthedaymylifewastarnishedandmy heartofficiallydried.Butnow,nowyouJ.B.,you'regoneandI'm aloneinaworldthatdoesn'tunderstandwhatitmeanstolive,to love, to be...

...alive.

I'm trying J.B. man, I really am, but I'm tired and I can't run anymore.AndsoIstandhere,ataplacewhereIcanbewithyou, myhyung...mybrother.AndaplacewhereIcanbewithmyabeoji and eomeoni.

Idon'tknowwhattodo. I'mtired,I'msosotired.

HelpmeJ.B.,helpmebefreeofthispain.

As I stand here, there's a voice. A voice calling out to me. It's faintandsoItrytoignoreit.Iclosemyeyes,drowningoutallthe noise, and pray to the lord that he forgive me for my sins including the one that I'm about to commit.

Andthen...

...Iletgo.

ChapterOne

New York, the birthplace of some of hip hop's legends. Grandmaster Flash, Fab 5 Freddy, the Cold Crush Crew, Kurtis Blow,MelleMele,evensomeoftoday'sartistssuchasJayZ,Nas, and The Notorious B.I.G. all got their start here.

Myparentsusetoownandmanageadelistoreonthecornerof Northern Boulevard, no not that one if that's what you're thinking.Whiletheyranthe shop,Iusetohangoutsidewithmy best friend J.B. and watch as the different B. Boys danced and battledeachotherintheparkinglot.ItwasatthatmomentthatI fell in love with dance and hip hop.

Despitemypassions,myparentsweren'ttookeenontheideaof me listening to American rap and dancing. Both of my parents werefirst-generationKorean-American,freshofftheboatandso they maintained most of their traditional Korean ways. At thetime I was ten years old, but they already had their plans for my futurelaidoutforme.Soyoucanimaginewhatthedayswerelike whenthey'dcomehomeandcatchmelisteningtoanybitofrap.

LeeJaeKyuk!yelledMrs. Kyuk.

LeeJaeKyuk,turn thatnoiseoff!shoutedMr.Kyuk.

Myabeojiwouldcomeupstairsandbangonmydoorsohardand shout at the top of his lungs, all just to get me to turn my music off. They often wondered why I wasn't like all the other Korean- American kids and listened to K-pop otherwise known as Korean popmusic.Hell,tobehonest,eventheotherKoreankidslistened toothermusic.MostwereintoEDM,rap,orAmericanpopmusic. I tried to explain to my parents many times over, but of course,

theyneverlisten.ItwasjustasWillSmithsaid,parentsjustdon'tunderstand.

My problems didn'tstop at myparents though.J.B.and Iwould oftengetsenthomefromschoolforfighting.Theotherblackkids would pick on me calling me a chink that wanted to be nigga.

Ayeyochink,whatyoulisteningto?oneoftheblackschoolkids would say.

Iwouldoftenrespond,thatisifIresponded,I'mlisteningtothat new Ja.

Man,thefuckouttahere,Jacornyasfuck.exclaimedoneofthekids.

Noniggainhisrightmindwouldlistentothatlameasnigga. said another.

Butyouain'tnonigga,youjustanuglyslantedeyedchink muthafuckathatwannabeanigga.saidoneoftheboysina condescending tone.

Man, J.B. would get so mad that he would slam his notebook downonthelunchtable,jumpupandstormovertothegroupofboys.

Yo,leavehimalone!J.B.wouldoftenshout.

Niggayoubettermindyourbusinessandwalkthefuckaway. said the same boy.

ThenextthingIknew,J.B.andtheboywerepushingeachother, thenonething ledto another,somebody gotpunchedand then allusstartedtothrowdown.Yeah,thosewerefuntimesandyet, those fun times never seem to last.

Onedayonmywayhomefromschool,Istopped bytheshopto pick up a few things. I walked in the back to get a few supplies. Suddenly I heard a bit of commotion and when I came to the door,wewerebeingrobbedandIwatchedastherobbercouldn't just settle for the money. My eomeoni tried to call the police as therobberwasleaving,butheheardherandturnedaroundand shot her. My abeoji, obviously upset, attempted to attack the robber.Theytussledforabitbeforeweheardthegungooff.AsI went to my eomeoni's aid, I watched painfully as my abeoji collapsed on to the floor.

Abeoji!AbeojiIcried.

The robber looked at me and considered killing me as well, but therewasalreadytoomuchcommotioninthestores.Duetothe gunfire,oneoftheneighboringstorescalledthepoliceandasthe sirens got closer, the robber took what he stole and ran. Whenthepolicegotthere,Iwassittingonthefloorholdingmyeomeoni allthewhile,cryingforthelossofbothofmyparents.J.B.'smom, Ms. Bridges had heard about the incident on the news and met me at the hospital. Not long after, the doctor came and both of my parents were pronounced dead.

BeingthatmyparentsweretheonlyfamilyIhadhereinAmerica, I had nowhere else to go. It was either return to Korea and stay withtherestofmyfamilyorstayhere.Followingthefuneral,Ms. BridgesofferedtotakemeinandIspenttherestofmyteenyears with the Bridges. However, it wasn't easy. I often found myself

angryandwithoutanywaytodealwithit,ofttimessecluding myself from the outside world.

Thenoneday,IsawJ.B.dancing.Inhighschool,J.B.hadjoined somehiphopdanceclassandIwouldoftencatchhimpracticing in the house or out