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“Okay, then,” I quickly stated.“Since you won't give me a name, I'll have to make one up for you.”That comment stopped him in his tracks but he did not turn around.“Let's see.How about Ted or Carl.Wait, maybe Zou.”
I was silent for the dramatic effect.His right foot picked up and he took another step towards our building.
Quickly throwing my trash into the dumpster, I closed it and said, “Wait.”
The tall man did not wait, but he did say, “If you don't want to be out here alone, I suggest you get going back inside.”
I did the very thing that always got me in trouble as a teenager; I erupted in laughter.
This stopped him again and he turned around with his eyebrows raised and his lips slightly parted.
I kept laughing because according to his expression, he thought I was bat shit crazy too.
My feet started moving towards him as I tried to gain my composure.He was still staring at me like I had two heads, but he waited until I passed him before he started moving.
“Whew, I needed that.You're funny.I think I'll make you my new friend.”
I kept chattering as we made our way back to the apartment building.“You gotta have laughter in your life.You know?”
The man remained silent, but that did not stop me.
“Well, Zou, I'll see you tomorrow.I hear you don't get out much, so pack your gloves.”
“What?”he asked as he held the front door open for me.
This time one eyebrow was raised and his thin top lip was curled upward with confusion.
Before I could help myself, I started to laugh uncontrollably again.
“God, Zou.Do you ever stop?”I managed to say as I climbed the stairs.“You're hilarious.”
When I turned back around, he was shaking his head.More laughter threatened to escape me but it was three in the morning and I didn't want to wake Ollie, since the lady next door was probably not home.
The man was funny!We'd get along swimmingly.
To keep reading Extractions,please clickhere.
Across the Tracks: Chapter 1
PROLOGUE: Leave it on the Court
15 years ago:
Ouch!
Danny tackled Lisa near the grass, running her over like a freight train.She probably should not have been playing tackle football, but tackling her that hard was simply uncalled for.Josh, Lisa’s brother, told him to knock it off on many occasions.It was the end of August in the city of Philadelphia and they were all playing in the Richard Allen Projects or as the broken sign on the sidewalk used to read, The Housing Development.It was normal for them to be playing sports in the middle of the patches of brown grass and the hard black concrete.Lisa’s dad forbade them to play anywhere else because there was so much broken glass and used needles laying around the development.Nothing was ever cleaned and even if it were, within the week, the streets would be filled with more trash and the results of a broken community.
The sun was high, causing Lisa to be temporarily blinded as she attempted to run the football through the mob of boys, she failed to see Danny coming for her again as he tackled her on the hard concrete.There was no patch of grass for her to land and like always, Danny seemed dead set on bringing her pain.Even though she was a skinny girl, who had not yet developed into the full physical stage of womanhood.The other guys, including her brother, got mad at Danny for hitting her so hard.After some minor pushing and trash talking, they cooled it since they were all neighbors, it would be squashed by dinner time.They always let her play because she was fast, she was a girl and nobody really wanted to tackle her except Danny.
Lisa hopped right back up and yelled, “I’m alright.”
Danny waved his arm in her direction and said, “See, she’s fine.Quit bitching.”
“Lisa?”Josh was asking without asking.
She nodded her head while the other guys scowled at Danny.He was always rough with her.He didn’t care whether she was a girl or not, Lisa was his enemy if she was not on his team.As it usually happened, she was never on his team and he made sure of that.
Lisa’s father and brother were so overprotective when it came to her.She was surprised that they let her play any sports at all.Their father, Aaron Johnson, was fine with almost anything, but she had to be with Josh.He conditioned his son to always take care of his baby sister, so that meant she was with him at all times.This resulted in Lisa being referred to as a tom-boy, but the Johnson’s did not care.She was safe, staying busy and Aaron did not quite care what other people thought of how he raised his kids.Josh and Lisa’s mother passed away only a year after Lisa was born.Their father said she died from an aneurysm.This was unexpected and tragic, but Aaron raised those kids the best way he knew how and if Lisa played tackle football and basketball, yet stayed out of trouble, this was fine with him.She was actually quite good at both sports since she was so fast.Then basketball became more than a sport for her, but a game that she loved to compete.
