“Are we gonna do something after we find out where the school is?”
“We’ve got to get some things from the grocery store so we can get through the week and maybe we’ll go to Eileen’s…she invited us to her families Labor Day Bar-B-Que.”
“I’d rather stay around here…besides how are we gonna get to Eileen’s?”
“She said her husband would pick us up and take us out to their house…so watcha think?”
“Can I decide later?...it’s still pretty early.”
“That’s fine, but we need to call Eileen before noon to let her know what’s going on.”
“Why are you suddenly friends with her anyway? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“She was my friend in college and she helped me get a job at her husband’s company.”
“Well that makes sense…do you think you’re gonna like it?”
“I don’t know Jack…I know it’s going to pay me a lot more than what I was getting paid in Parsons…Now we better hurry and get going if we want to get this stuff done before lunch time.”
Jack watched his mom gather up her purse and wallet. Jack never really thought about his mom until his dad left. He now knew the reality of all his mom did. She paid the bills, cooked dinner, did laundry, cleaned the house, and helped Jack with homework or anything else he was struggling with. The last two years helped Jack see the true beauty in his mom. He also loved her dark brown hair, olive skin, and deep brown eyes. Her face was soft and her cheeks round just like Jack’s, but her body was petite. Jack loved everything about his mom, especially that she didn’t put up with his pushy attitude.
The apartment complex was silent as they left to find Jack’s school and go to the grocery store. It was almost as if the fun filled ambience of the night before had dissipated with the rising of the sun.
The school was about three blocks away from the apartment and Jack was excited to see that the school had about six basketball courts on the playground. A few people who were out walking their dogs made their way around the track at the school and a couple of boys were out throwing the football around on the football field in the middle of the track.
When Jack’s mom was satisfied that Jack knew how to get to the school they started to walk back towards their apartment. Jack knew there was a grocery store caddy corner from the apartment complex and assumed that his mom would be headed there.
Despite the apartment complex being on a busy street and the school being three blocks away, there were some neighborhoods with houses in between the two. While Jack followed his mom he heard the sound of someone dribbling the basketball. A tall boy with a thick frame was standing in an alley shooting hoops at a lone rim affixed to the back of a detached garage. Jack paused for a moment while his mom kept walking. The boy in the alley looked at Jack.
“You wanna play me boy?”
Jack was speechless; he didn’t expect anyone to talk to him. He thought about going down the alley, but he remembered his mom.
“I gotta go to the store…what’s your name?”
“You come play me…I tell you my name.”
The tall boy picked up right where he left off and started shooting hoops again. Jack couldn’t decide if he looked any good or not, but he was excited by the idea of being able to find someone to shoot hoops with.
“Hey mom!...Can I catch up with you after you go shopping?”
“What are you doing Jack? Get over here now!”
“This boy wants me to play basketball with him…can I go?”
“I don’t know Jack…you know what Eileen said.”
“It’s fine mom…it’s not dark out and I’ll be back at the apartment in an hour…I promise.”
Jack’s mom looked down at the sidewalk and shook her head. Jack knew she had the look of uncertainty and that she could go either way with her choice.
“Go ahead…but you better be back in an hour!”
“I will mom, I’ll be back.”
Jack hurried off down the alley. As he got closer to the boy he could tell the boy was taller than he originally thought. The boy had at least ten inches on Jack. After jumping up and snatching a missed shot off of the rim, the tall boy smiled at Jack. He was thick with muscles and had a hair line mustache growing across his upper lip. His hair was tightly curled and growing out, but not quite ready for corn rows or braids. The boy wore black gym shorts and a white muscle shirt. Jack did not recognize what kind of shoes the boy was wearing, but Jack was definitely intimidated.
“So you wanna play me boy.”
“I guess so…are you like in high school?”
The tall boy chuckled and then gave Jack a strong stare.
“I don’t go to school…but if I did I’d be in eight grade.”
Jack was completely shocked that the boy in front of him was only a year older than he was and somehow looked at least five years his senior.
“I’m supposed to start seventh grade tomorrow over at the school.”
“Coulda fool’d me boy…I thoughts you was a four grader.”
“Well do you wanna play? I’ve been dying to play since I got in town.”
“Where you from boy?”
“My name’s Jack…and I’m from Parsons Kansas…my mom and I just moved into town.”
“You another country boy think he can play ball…come on Jack…let me show you how we does it in the hood.”
The tall boy started dribbling the basketball in between his legs and then stopped and took a shot that went straight through the net-less hoop on the garage.
“Dat’s one point for me…zero for you Jack…you get the ball, but it’s make it take after three and then we only play to seven”
Jack sized up the tall boy as he gave the lopsided orange basketball a caress through his hands. Just as Jack put the ball on the ground for his first dribble, the tall boy stole the ball and laid it in the hoop for his second point.
“I tells you it’s make it take it after three…ready?”
The tall boy handed Jack the ball again. This time Jack dribbled the ball walking backwards. The tall boy didn’t move from where he was. When Jack was about twenty feet away he shot the ball. The ball bounced off the back of the iron and through the hoop for a point.
“Dat’s good country Jack…now I know to D up on you when you take it outside.”
The tall boy now had the ball and Jack was convinced he would need to play defense if we was going to have another shot at scoring more points. The tall boy took a giant step right at Jack and leapt in the air. Jack instinctively moved out of the way. The tall boy laid the ball in for point number three.
“Now it’s make it take it. Ready to see seven?”
The tall boy continued to drive toward the basket again and again. Jack did not know how to stop the onslaught. He moved every time the tall boy drove in for a lay-up. It didn’t take long for the tall boy to win the game.
“Thanks for playing Jack…maybe next time you score two points on me.”
“Do you mind if I shoot around with you for a few? My mom’s at the store and I don’t have to meet her for another forty minutes?”
“You is country boy…this is da hood Jack. Hoops in da hood ain’t about shoot around…it’s all about the competition. Come back when you ready to compete.”
“Nobody told me about that before…you don’t have anyone else to play with you anyway.”
“What’s with you Jack…I’m giving you a way out man…my homies be coming soon…they don’t like country boys.”
“Can we play one more game to three…no make it take it?”
“Fine boy… let’s go!”
The tall boy started with the ball and instead of driving on Jack he pulled up for a short jumper which he made. Jack took the ball and started dribbling away from the hoop again. This time the tall boy stuck to him like glue. Jack couldn’t shake him off and finally the tall boy stole the
ball and drove in for an easy lay-up. Jack was down to one more possession before he would need to leave. This time the tall boy let Jack back up as far as he wanted. He waited under the hoop for the rebound. Jack knew he could easily make the shot he did in the first game again, but he wanted to show off what he could do. Jack took it back another five feet from where he made the first shot.
“Dat’s too far Jacky boy…you is in NBA range now.”
Jack took a look at the hoop and squared his shoulders with the rim. He pushed with his legs into in the air and let out a beautifully arced shot. The ball went straight through the hoop and then bounced and spun right into the tall boy’s hands.
“You do that all the time Jack?”
“Most of the time if I’m open.”
“Dat ain’t no easy shot.”
“My dad used to shoot hoops with me every night after school…I’ve been shooting around by myself for the past couple of years…I’d like to find someone to shoot around with.”
“I told you Jack…my homies don’t like no country boys…you start playing at the school yard after school, you do good in those games…they play every day after school…now get lost fore’ my homies get here.”
“I didn’t catch your name.”
“My homies call me Ox…see you round country Jack.”
Jack waved to Ox. He looked down at his watch and saw that he still had another thirty minutes before he was supposed to meet his mom. He decided he’d walk slowly back and see if anybody was out and about around the apartment. More than likely this would be the last chance to do what he wanted for the rest of the day, he knew his mom would now make him go to Eileen’s later that afternoon.