Jack walked home from school ecstatic by whom he had just met. He wasn’t thinking of the homework he was assigned or of the fact that he knew he needed to get in shape over the next two weeks. For the first time in quite a while he had a genuine smile on his face. He felt like running and it didn’t take long for him to start jogging and then lengthening his stride. Pretty soon he could feel the air from his lungs start to disappear. After quickly slowing his pace he rested his hands on his knees as his bent over. In his mind he knew that he would need to start running if he was going to make the basketball team. Jack closed his eyes for a few seconds and took in four deep breathes and then he heard what he had been dreading.
“Where you running off to boy?!”
Jack looked up and saw the two boys from the lunch room dressed in full football pads with four other boys looking on who were also dressed like they were ready to go to football practice.
“Just trying to get home…I’ll get going.”
“You ain’t going nowhere boy…you bout to learn respect for the football team.”
The smaller of the boys grabbed Jack by the shirt and threw him up against the chain link fence bordering the nearby house from the sidewalk.
“I’m not looking for trouble.”
“Well trouble is bout to find you boy!”
The boy looked more serious than anyone Jack had ever seen. Instinctively, Jack knew he was about to get beat up by six football players wearing cleats and pads.
“If you want to fight me why don’t you take off your pads so it’s a fair fight?”
“You funny boy!...Ain’t notin’ fair in the hood.”
The boy hit Jack in the stomach and let Jack drop to the sidewalk.
“Now what boy?!...You gonna come to our table again?!”
Jack looked up and shook his head. The boy took a step back and then kicked Jack in the side with his cleat. Jack grimaced in pain while the other boys hollered something. Jack retreated into the fetal position and then he heard a familiar voice.
“What you fools doin’ to da country boy?”
“You know this fool Ox?”
“He da one who score on me.”
“Ain’t no difference, he got lucky…when you gonna play ball wit us?”
“I’s got to make money fools…get to practice or yo coach be mad.”
“Aight Ox! Be cool.”
Jack watched as the football players left and ran off to practice. Pretty soon Ox bent down and looked at him square in the face. Jack somehow felt comforted by the overgrown Ox being there. He looked at Ox closely and noticed he was starting to grow some facial hair on his lower chin and down his side burns. His eyes were soft, but his face looked like it had been battered by the sun, rain, snow, and wind. Ox reached out his hand to Jack. Jack took it and lifted himself up.
“Thanks Ox…I think you saved me?”
“Ain’t notin country boy…dem fools is always looking to jump kids who new to da hood.”
“What do you mean by hood?”
“Ya know…da hood?...you is a country boy!”
“How come they want you to play ball?”
“You is full of questions country boy…dem think I’s an athlete.”
“Well you are Ox…you’re the best basketball player I’ve ever seen. Hoops is easy…dem want me to put on pads and play knucklehead football.”
“I don’t like football much either.”
“Dat’s why I’s like you country boy…you ain’t afraid of me…dem boys is afraid, but you speak yo mind.”
“Wanna go shoot around again?”
“You wanna get schooled?”
Jack and Ox went back to the same alley and hoop they played at the day before. Ox proved his dominance once again, but Jack made several fantastic shots that left Ox scratching his head. After they played for about an hour Ox invited Jack into the garage where the hoop hung from, for something to drink.
Ox turned the old metal handle and lifted the garage door up. The garage was full of old boxes and even older garden tools except for an old gold and olive green couch sitting next to a stack of sports drinks and sodas. The garage looked dark and damp even though it was lit up from the afternoon soon it felt cool inside. Ox plopped down on the couch and opened a sports drink and threw one to Jack.
“Is this your garage?”
“Naw…I do work for the grandma that live in da house…she pay good and let me sleep in da garage when I want.”
Jack scanned the garage again and noticed that one of the boxes had a blanket and pillow sticking out of it and then noticed a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of work boots lined up right next to one another under some hanging garden tools.
“It’s nice in here Ox…thanks for the drink.”
“Ain’t no problem…dem fools at the grocery store give me all the expired soda’s and drinks I’s want and pay me to clean out da meat shop…is cool.”
“So you really do work for a living…what all do you do?”
“I’s do yard work…cleaning…anything fools don’t wanna do.”
Jack became very aware that Ox was probably living out of the garage and that he did what he could to get by from day to day. Before Jack could think of it any longer his thoughts came out in words.
“Do you like sleeping here?”
“Is cool country boy…dem boys playin football think I still live with my ma…dis be my own place and I do what I wants.”
“I think I’m gonna try out for the basketball team…do you think I’ll make the team?”
“You gonna play for that crazy coach? Ha!”
“Mr. Roderick used to play ball for the Jayhawks.”
“I’s don’t care where dat fool play ball…he crazy!”
“Why do you think he’s crazy?”
“Last year when I’s living with my ma and playing ball for Mr. Crazy…I goes to school and dem football fools put a shank in my bag without me knowing it…Mr. Crazy be watching me anyway so I’s drop my bag on accident and da shank fall out. He think I’s gonna shank some fool at school and treat me like some psycho killa…He go Mr. Crazy and kick me outta school.”
“Why didn’t you tell him the other boys put the knife in your bag?”
“Dat fool never believe me anyway…he Mr. Crazy!”
“Well I believe you…I guess that’s a pretty good reason not to go back to school, but how come you live here now?”
“You like to ask questions country boy…My ma’s is living off dat crack and I’s not letting that get close to me…sides, old grandma here is good to Ox.”
“Do you ever get lonely?”
“I’s workin lots and play hoops when I’s got energy…it’s a good life country boy.”
“Well if you want a good meal sometime…let me know and I’ll take you to my apartment…my mom is a pretty good cook.”
“Course she good cook…she country girl like you country boy…Ha!”
Jack looked at Ox who had a huge smile on his face. Ox’s black gums and white teeth were lighting up the garage and Jack broke into a laugh too. The two of them kept chatting about basketball and how Ox’s dream was to go to a Denver Dynamite pro basketball game. His favorite player was some guy named Tony Riley who was supposed to be the best player for Denver. Jack had never heard of him, but admitted to only watching college basketball. After chugging three sports drink and a soda Jack finally decided he better head home. Ox didn’t have any work to do that night, but the two agreed to meet again on Thursday for some more hoops. In the meantime Ox told Jack that Mr. Crazy liked to run his basketball players so he better start running. With a great start to his night Jack headed home in a rhythmic run.