The Damarion Carlton Story: Basketball Player to the Life of Tragedy and Dramatic Results

By Wiley Deon Smith Jr.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched-they must be felt with the heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662470745

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The Damarion Carlton Story

Basketball Player to the Life of Tragedy and Dramatic Results

Wiley Deon Smith Jr.

Copyright © 2022 Wiley Deon Smith Jr.

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-6624-7080-6 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-7074-5 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Beginning

Semifinals

Family Matters

Championship Game

A Deal with the Devil

A Rock and a Hard Place

The Bombshells of All Bombshells

Damarion’s Final Days

I dedicate this book to my family, who have all supported me and been with me through thick and thin, no matter what the situation is about. Having family is the greatest thing in the world. I will always love them for everything they’ve done, and I thank you all for making me become the person I am today. I also thank God for letting me live another day and taking me to incredible journeys, and I can’t wait to experience a lot more. I mean all of this from the bottom of my heart. It’s been an honor to experience the first nineteen years of my life with a family that anyone could be thankful for. No matter how many times I’ve been down, I always have family to help me get back up. I also want to thank some of my former classmates that I call family and have always been there for me since day 1. If I haven’t met them in middle school, I probably would never have no one watching my back again—ever. From my real family to my GHS family, I love and thank all of you for everything you did for me and motivated me to becoming a man that I always wanted to be. And to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself, I am blessed to have family and a wonderful life as well. Thank you, God, and everyone else. One love.

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Damarion Carlton is a smart, athletic eighteen-year-old African American basketball player from Chicago. He is a senior at St. Rita High School. His mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and his father is a construction worker. He has two sisters and one brother. He is also on the A/B honor roll. But ever since his mom had breast cancer three years ago, he felt like his life was over if she died and he had no one but his sisters and brother who hates him. His father is all the way in California doing construction making millions, and he only sees his children three times a year, because Damarion’s parents have been separated for four years but have still been married for eighteen even though cheated on her seven times and gotten another woman pregnant. Damarion hates it very much. He wishes that his father would spend time with him every day in California because he hates being in Chicago where people get shot almost every day. He always watches the news and witnesses the violence that goes around the city ever since he was born. He always wonders what would happen if he died there. He asks himself that same question every day when he wakes up to go to school. But little does he know his time is about to run out sooner than later.

One day in the lunchroom, he and his best friend Corey are sitting at the table, eating pizza, salad, and a bag of Doritos. A few minutes later, Damarion’s older sister Daneysha approaches him and Corey to remind him to come home after his big game this evening.

Corey. Hey, bro, there’s this house party tonight at Desiree’s at eleven, and I was wondering after your game, I could drop by and pick you up?

Damarion. Really? A party at that girl’s house? Man, you must be crazy. She been trying to talk to me since the summer, and I don’t trust her, man. She smokes, drink, steals, get into fights, and I’m not trying to be boyfriend number 50. They can have her.

Corey. Dude, stop being a drama queen so much. She’s the finest girl in school, and you saying you don’t trust her? I’ll even smell her while she calls me Mack Daddy while I’m sitting on the toilet, thankful.

Damarion. Ew! Man, you disgust me sometimes.

Corey. Shut up, dude. It’s a guy thing. Oh man, here comes the gossiping hyena of the school with some more lame news.

Damarion. Chill out, man.

Daneysha. What, you talking about going to some girl’s party tonight? You know Mama don’t want you nowhere near no girl’s house. You better come home after your game.

Damarion. You see, that’s y’all problem. Y’all always telling me to come home after every game to check on ma, but you just go out and have fun with your friends and I can’t. I think it’s time for you to stop telling me what to do, Daneysha. I’m eighteen and I’m young. If I want to go out every night, I will. If you don’t like it, then that’s your problem.

Daneysha. Okay then, Mr. Superstar. You go ahead and go to that party and see what disease that chick gives you.

Corey. Man, why don’t you get away from this table? Your breath smells like dry grits and fly spray. Oooooh!

Damarion laughs.

Daneysha. Shut up, Corey, with your big forehead.

Corey. Well, at least I didn’t flunk the twelfth grade twice and have a bladder problem, baby.

Daneysha gasps, groans angrily.

Damarion. Chill out, bro. She’s my sister.

Corey. Man, you going to let your family put you down and make you feel like nothing, bro? Stand up for yourself, cuz! I don’t care if that’s your sister or queen of Brazil—you still shouldn’t be treated like that.

Damarion. You’re right. I think it’s time for me to finally be a man and stand up for myself. And I’m going to tell Mama after my game.

Corey. Whoa, man, hold up. What about old girl’s party, bro?

Damarion. I’ll let you know, man. Peace.

Corey. All right, man.

As the day flies, Corey wonders if his best friend has sold him out again. In the fourth quarter of the game, St. Rita is playing against another team from Chicago that hasn’t lost a game since last season, Lake View High. St. Rita is in the lead, 64–33. Coach Lockett from St. Rita is discussing the team’s game plan with three minutes left on the clock. Damarion has the ball; he dribbles and he shoots! A few minutes, St. Rita wins the game. They advance to the semifinals of the championship game, which is held in Atlanta. Damarion is cheered by the fans as he is on his way to the championship and could lead his team to it. After he is changing in the locker room, Dexter, another player on the team, stands next to him and mentions about the upcoming party later this evening.

Dexter. Hey, you wanna ride with me and drop you off at home?

Damarion. Sure. Wait, are you going to Desiree’s party later on?

Dexter. Me? Heck yeah, boy! I heard she got the whole dance team there though. It’s going to be jumping, cuz! You going?

Damarion. Actually, I got some business to take care of first, you know.

Dexter. Oh, it’s your mom’s, huh? I feel you, dude. My mom’s been sick for a week and nobody’s been there to take care of her, man. You do what you got to do, man, and I’ll pick you up in about an hour to go to this party, okay?

Damarion. All right.

Dexter. Cool. Now, come on and let me take you home. (Door shuts, car starts.)

About ten minutes later, Dexter drops Damarion home and reminds him what time to get ready for the house party. When Damarion opens the door to his house, he knows what’s about to happen next is not going to be good.

Damarion. Hey, Mama.

Mom. Hi, son. How’s your game?

Damarion. Good, won the game, 72–39.

Mom. Oh, that’s my superstar. When you play at that championship game, I’ll be right there in the crowd yelling for my baby.

Both laugh.

Damarion. Yeah, I know. Mama, there’s a house party at my cousin’s house at eleven, so can I go?

Mom. It happens to be your cousin Susan, right?

Damarion, lying. Uh…yeah! Susan’s party.

Mom. I guess you can go since she’s your favorite cousin.

Damarion. Thanks, Ma.

Mom. But I have something to tell you.

Damarion. What?

Mom. I have another doctor’s appointment Monday.

Damarion. What? Are you serious?

Mom. Yes, Mari. Now don’t panic. I’m not sure yet if I have another one or not, but everything’s going to be all right. You okay?

Damarion, crying. Mama, again? Another one? I don’t know if I can handle this anymore.

Mom. Look, don’t worry about it. Like I said, everything’s going to be okay.

Damarion. But what if everything won’t be okay? What if you do have it and die? (Sobbing continues.) What happens then? What’s gonna happen to me? Who’s going to take care of me?

Mom. Now calm down, baby. Don’t cry. Don’t say I’m going to die. Only the Lord knows when my time is up. Now you’ve still got your sisters and your brother, and your daddy is always working…

Damarion. Don’t give me that crap. My dad never came to see me. Yeah, only three times a year, but I want to see him every day, not every year. As for my sisters, they always tell me what to do, and they can do whatever they doggone well please and you don’t do nothing about it. And my brother, all he does is sell crack and beat up little kids, and he’s only thirteen years old, Mama! Thirteen! And you’re saying I need them? Whatever, bro.

Mom. Mari, I can’t do nothing to them girls. They got their own life and so does Lil Pete. I can’t do it. I’m sorry.

Damarion. Well, I think it’s pathetic that a strong woman like you can’t stop their three other kids from making bad choices while I’m making the right one. It’s sad. It really is. Well, I’m going upstairs to get ready for this party and hopefully put all this drama behind me.

Mom. Okay. (Cries.)

Damarion. Don’t cry, Ma. You get some water and some rest, and I’ll be okay, I promise. Now what time is your appointment Monday?

Mom. It’s at eleven.

Damarion. All right. Let me get ready, okay?

Mom. Okay. Love you, son.

Damarion. Love you too, Mom. (Kisses on the forehead.)

After the kiss on the forehead, Damarion goes upstairs, takes a shower, and gets dressed for what should be a night to remember. He’s wearing his gray jacket, his favorite 2Pac Thug Life T-shirt underneath, white pants, and red Air Jordans. His teammate, Dexter, hunks outside, waiting for Damarion to come out of his house and in the car. Desiree’s house is only five miles away from his home, but it looks like more than a drugstore.

They arrive there a few minutes later, looking at all who’re there and what they missed so far. The crowd greets the fellas as they get out of the car to greet them back. Damarion gets appreciated way differently than he was after his games, but it really doesn’t matter to him. He loves to get the support that his estranged family doesn’t give him. Meanwhile, his best friend, Corey, spots him and Dexter the way he knows how.

Corey. Give me all your Jordans, partner!

Damarion. Who that?

Corey, laughs. Just messing with you, boy. What’s up, man?

Damarion. What up, man? I told you about sneaking up behind me like that. One of those nights, man, I’m gon’ get you back.

Corey. I’ll be waiting, man. What up, Dex?

Dexter. What up? Still got them bathroom fantasies, huh?

Corey. You know me, man. Just waiting on the right one.

Damarion. What about that fat chick that lives across the street from you, man? She’s the one for you.

Corey. Hey, chill out, man! You know I don’t speak to that pig, bro!

All laughing.

Corey. What about Desiree? She waiting for you to give her what she wants.

Damarion. And what is that, a new Gucci sweater? I told you, Corey, I’m not going to mess with that girl, man. I’m serious.

Corey. All right, then. You gonna regret it, man. You missing out all of her.

Damarion. Good. Talk to you later, cuz. Come on, Dex.

Corey. All right, Willie lumpy. I’ll see you around. (Laughs.)

As the party rolls along, everyone seems to have a good time, smoking, drinking, dancing, and enjoying the teenage lifestyle. But Damarion, on the other hand, wants to be himself: quiet, calm, cool, and doesn’t cause any problems with anybody, because he always has a good personality. With Young Thug’s hit song Best Friend playing in the background, Damarion’s friend, Tasha, approaches him, and then it won’t be the last person he’ll eventually see this evening.

Tasha. Hi, Mari.

Damarion. Hey, what are you doing here?

Tasha. Nothing, just want to get out of the house for a while. You know how my parents are.

Damarion. Yeah, I know.

Tasha. So how’s your mom doing?

Damarion. I really don’t want to talk about it right now.

Tasha. Okay, I’m not trying to get into your business or nothing like that.

Damarion. I know that. (Both chuckle.)

Tasha. All right, then. I’ll see you later.

Corey. What’s up, Tasha? Let me give you backrub with butter, baby.

Tasha, scoffs. Boy, bye.

Corey. Come on now, baby. I’ll slow it down this time. Haha. Man, what you doing? Looking for the fattest, ugliest chick you see and ask them for a dance, and then they’ll ask you for a bacon cheeseburger on the way back home?

Damarion. What? The hell are you talking about, man?

Corey. I don’t know, man. Just been unhappy lately. You know when Roxie broke up with me about a month ago?

Damarion. Yeah, why?

Corey. Because she wanted to marry me, man. I never had a girl tell me that before, and ever since then, I’ve been telling all these other chicks about those weird things I want to do, man.

Damarion. Dude, you were with her for three days, bro. Come on, don’t be in your feelings forever, man.

Corey. You right! Why I’m tripping for? I’m too young and cool to get married, you know what I’m saying?

Damarion. I feel you.

Corey. Females get too crazy these days, man. Especially when that check comes, bro. I mean, they will do anything, and I mean anything, for a dollar, so I advise you to watch your every move, because you don’t know what those females are capable of now, man. Even when you go to sleep, watch your back.

Damarion. Bro, you think I need you to tell me that? I know how they get down. You didn’t have to tell me that.

Corey. I’m just letting you know. So…

Damarion. Look, if it’s about me trying to hook up with Desiree, man, I don’t want to hear it.

Corey. No, bro, it’s not that.

Damarion. Well, what then?

Corey. I was just about to you that she’s behind you.

Damarion. What? Hey, girl! How you been doing?

Desiree. Hey, sexy. I’m doing fine. Enjoying the party?

Damarion. Yeah, it’s…it’s pretty tight.

Desiree. Thanks. How do you like my dress?

Damarion, stammering. It’s…beautiful. You look good.

Desiree. Aww…thank you! You were always such a sweetheart.

Damarion. I’ve been called that a lot.

Desiree, giggles. So…what are you doing right now?

Damarion. Nothing. Just looking