I can’t believe it, but today is my birthday. Mane, I’m fifteen years old! Pops, Nyla, and Miss Mariah took me out to one of my favorite eating spots. They had a cake for me and the servers came to the table and sung happy birthday. Pops gave me a hundred bucks to do what I wanted, so when we left the restaurant I asked Pops to swing by the mall so I could buy me some fresh gear, because later tonight, I was supposed to hook up with Daisha, Juvaun, and Juvaun’s girlfriend Tasha, at the Paradiso. We’re going to continue my birthday celebration. I definitely wanted to be fresh. My swag was back!
Now that basketball season is over, I have lots more time to hang out with my friends, and with Daisha. Our team didn’t make it to State but we did have a decent season. I promised myself that I would try even harder next year because I wanted us to go all the way to State and come back with a championship.
Pops picked up Juvaun and drove the two of us to the Paradiso, and we met Daisha and Tasha. My birthday was better than I ever expected. I wonder how things are going to go from this point forward. I guess I’ll try not to think about it too much. Right now, it feels good to be fifteen because fourteen was tough.
School would be over in a few weeks and things couldn’t have been better. Pops was enjoying his new job and we were still living in the house. Pops said Coach had mentioned that he and his sister and brothers were talking about putting the house up for sale, and guess what, he told Pops if he wanted to buy it then he could. Pops said he wanted to work a little longer on his new job, get some bills paid off and get us all the way back on our feet, and then he might try to buy it. Until then Coach told Pops he could rent the house as long as he wanted.
Pops and Miss Mariah spent lots of time together, and I really really liked her. I was also glad for Nyla because to me she really needed a mom in her life, and Miss Mariah treated her like she was her little girl, even though Miss Mariah didn’t have children of her own. I was used to seeing her come over to the house now, and I loved her cooking.
∞
Time passed by real quick. We had a week left before school was out. The end of the school year Spring formal dance was this weekend. It wasn’t a prom but it was sorta like one ‘cause we had to dress in tux and girls had to dress up in gowns and stuff.
A few weeks ago, I was celebrating my birthday and now here I was getting ready to go with Daisha to the dance.
Pops rented me a tux, and he rented a limousine too! He had the limousine to pick up Daisha, Juvaun and Tasha. When we got to the dance, I felt happier than I had in a long time. I walked in with Daisha. Right away, I spotted Sierra inside the gym, all alone, except for her usual, you know it – her crew, at least the ones who, just like Sierra, didn’t have a date.
When Daisha first told me that no one had asked Sierra to the dance, I couldn’t believe it. I mean, like I said, Sierra was a beautiful girl, but Daisha said not too many boys trusted Sierra after what she did to me. She said they said if she was foul like she was toward me then she would probably do something foul to them too. I guess Momz was right when she used to say, ‘What goes around comes around.’
The dance turned out to be the best night of my life. Everything was perfect. Daisha looked smoking hot! Even better than Rihanna! I took Daisha by the hand and we walked back on the dance floor when the DJ said it was the last song. Finally, I felt like a normal guy again. What a way to end the school year.
∞
There was something that had been on my mind a lot, something I felt like I really needed to do, so the next morning, following the dance, I got up bright and early. I had already talked to Pops about my idea. I asked him if I could bring Daisha along and he said that I could. Miss Mariah came along too. We got in the truck, went and picked up Daisha, and from there we went to St. Mary’s.
I was the first one to get out of the Yukon. I helped Daisha and Nyla get out the truck and then we went inside. Only this time, we didn’t get in the long line of people who were waiting to get a meal. This time, I proudly went to the director of the food kitchen.
“Ms. Blackstone, we’re here,” I told her.
Ms. Blackstone smiled. “I was glad you called me the other day. It was good to hear from you, Nyl. I’m glad to hear that things are working out for you and your family.”
Pops walked up, with Miss Mariah standing next to him. Miss Mariah was holding Nyla’s hand.
“Thank you for everything,” Pops said and shook Ms. Blackstone’s hand. “Now, tell us where you want us.”
“You can start at the beginning of the line,” she instructed.
I put on the plastic gloves she gave me and stood behind the counter. With pride I prepared the food for all the people who came through the line. I felt better with each meal that I was able to pass out.
I think that Momz is up in heaven smiling down on me, Nyla and Pops. I believe she is proud of me and that she’s happy that Pops has someone like Miss Mariah in his life that makes him happy again. Yep, things were definitely good and everything was finally right. Maybe Momz had a talk with God up there and if so, then that was just fine by me.
My family and I have been through a lot but looking back on this past year, I finally realize that what we went through will only make me a stronger person and a better young man, and make our family stronger. Through everything I’ve been through there is one thing that I disagree with Pops about, and that’s when he says, ‘real mean don’t cry.” I think that the sign of a real man is that he can cry sometimes, because tears are a sign of strength, not weakness. That’s just my take on it.
Anyhow, you know, now when I see someone homeless, I look at them differently. I don’t laugh, or frown at them like I used to do before all of this happened to me. I understand that anyone can be homeless; anyone can fall on hard times. That doesn’t mean they’re lazy or on drugs, or that they’re a bum; it just means that sometimes we all go through something. It’s hard to explain, but I’m sure as I get older that it will become even clearer to me.
The End