room where we were playing pool. “Boys, y’all come on here and get in the tub. I’ve already ran you some water. Quan, you go and get in grandma’s tub. Shaun, you go and get in the other tub. I’ve already laid your night clothes in the bathroom. When y’all get out of the tub, go in yo ur room and go to bed. I’ll take y’all to school in the morning. How does that sound?”
They both started jumping up and down! “Yay!”
“Are you going to pick us up tomorrow from school too?” Quan asked. “I want to come back and play pool!”
My mama looked at my dad, placing her hand on her wide hip. “See Gerald what you done started with that pool table.” She laughed. “Now we can’t get rid of these two munchkins!”
“Munchkins?” The boys giggled.
“Take your little butts and get in the tub like I told you to five minutes ago!” She told the boys. They left the room going to do what she’d said.
My dad stood on the other end of the table laughing. “Those little guys are a mess.”
“Yes they are.” I agreed.
“Tre, tell Kisha to have the boys backpacks ready in the morning so that I can stop by and pick them up on my way to take them to school .” My mama told me.
“Okay, I’ll tell her.”
She walked over and gave me a hug and kiss. “Well I’m glad that you came over but I am about to go and put these munchkins to bed and then go in my room and find me a good movie to watch.”
“Okay.” I hugged and kissed her back. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She left out and then me and my dad started to play a real game of pool, before we had just been messing around with the boys. While we were playing I told him about what was going on with me and Kisha. I even told him about what had happened with Tamika. “Man pops, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I honestly went over there to have a few drinks with the fellas, enjoy myself and go home. I had no intentions on getting that messed up. It just crept up on me!”
My dad took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped sweat from his face before shoving it back in his pocket. I was the spitting image of my dad, same height, build, and complexion. The only difference was that he was older and had started to get grey. “I know how that can be…trust me. This Tamika girl sounds like somebody that you need to stay as far away from as you possibly can. She sounds like trouble. I don’t know any woman who would go that far to mess with a man to wait til he’s drunk and passed out and take advantage of him.” He shook his head . “Stay away from her!”
“You ain’t got to tell me. That’s exactly what I plan to do!”
“You know, when you try to do right there is always going to be something that tries and prevent you from doing that. Now I have to tell you. You have been doing good. I have noticed that you have been spending more time with your family and I am very proud o f you son. I know that you are young but trust me, there ain’t nothing out there in them streets but trouble. You have a good woman at home, don’t mess that up. I know that we all make mistakes and that’s life. If you didn’t make mistakes then that would mean that you ain’t human! Don’t let what just happened discourage you. Keep doing like you’ve been doing. Kisha won’t stay mad forever. It will all blow over soon but stay away from this Tamika because something ain’t right about her!”
We continued to talk while we finished up our game of pool. I didn’t leave until a little after eleven. As I drove home I thought about all of the things that my pops had told me. He was right I had been doing too good to let what had happened the night before discourage me. I decided that I’d just give Kisha sometime to cool off but in the meantime I’d continue to do like I’d been doing.
They both started jumping up and down! “Yay!”
“Are you going to pick us up tomorrow from school too?” Quan asked. “I want to come back and play pool!”
My mama looked at my dad, placing her hand on her wide hip. “See Gerald what you done started with that pool table.” She laughed. “Now we can’t get rid of these two munchkins!”
“Munchkins?” The boys giggled.
“Take your little butts and get in the tub like I told you to five minutes ago!” She told the boys. They left the room going to do what she’d said.
My dad stood on the other end of the table laughing. “Those little guys are a mess.”
“Yes they are.” I agreed.
“Tre, tell Kisha to have the boys backpacks ready in the morning so that I can stop by and pick them up on my way to take them to school .” My mama told me.
“Okay, I’ll tell her.”
She walked over and gave me a hug and kiss. “Well I’m glad that you came over but I am about to go and put these munchkins to bed and then go in my room and find me a good movie to watch.”
“Okay.” I hugged and kissed her back. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She left out and then me and my dad started to play a real game of pool, before we had just been messing around with the boys. While we were playing I told him about what was going on with me and Kisha. I even told him about what had happened with Tamika. “Man pops, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I honestly went over there to have a few drinks with the fellas, enjoy myself and go home. I had no intentions on getting that messed up. It just crept up on me!”
My dad took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped sweat from his face before shoving it back in his pocket. I was the spitting image of my dad, same height, build, and complexion. The only difference was that he was older and had started to get grey. “I know how that can be…trust me. This Tamika girl sounds like somebody that you need to stay as far away from as you possibly can. She sounds like trouble. I don’t know any woman who would go that far to mess with a man to wait til he’s drunk and passed out and take advantage of him.” He shook his head . “Stay away from her!”
“You ain’t got to tell me. That’s exactly what I plan to do!”
“You know, when you try to do right there is always going to be something that tries and prevent you from doing that. Now I have to tell you. You have been doing good. I have noticed that you have been spending more time with your family and I am very proud o f you son. I know that you are young but trust me, there ain’t nothing out there in them streets but trouble. You have a good woman at home, don’t mess that up. I know that we all make mistakes and that’s life. If you didn’t make mistakes then that would mean that you ain’t human! Don’t let what just happened discourage you. Keep doing like you’ve been doing. Kisha won’t stay mad forever. It will all blow over soon but stay away from this Tamika because something ain’t right about her!”
We continued to talk while we finished up our game of pool. I didn’t leave until a little after eleven. As I drove home I thought about all of the things that my pops had told me. He was right I had been doing too good to let what had happened the night before discourage me. I decided that I’d just give Kisha sometime to cool off but in the meantime I’d continue to do like I’d been doing.
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