AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s because… brown,” I blurted out as soon as it was in sight. “And it has a teardrop-shaped stained glass in the center of it.”
I sat on the stairs silently catching my breath.
“Okay. Tell Cali I said hi.”
“What?”
I looked down the stairs toward the kitchen and spotted Cali texting on his phone. He looked up at me.
“Claude says hello,” I told him.
“Thanks.”
“Is that who you’re texting with?” I asked Cali.
“Have been all morning,” Cali pointed out. “Breakfast?” He asked, returning to the kitchen.
“I was awake,” I told Claude.
“Yes. You were the one who called me. I was very impressed. There was a time when you struggled to get up by 11.”
“Well, I have a job now,” I clarified.
“You had a job then.”
“Coach understood. He was fine with it.”
“Was he?”
Claude was right. My father never was.
“Just be on time, okay,” I told him.
“If you’re on time, you’re late,” he told me, having successfully frustrated my morning.
“Bye, Claude.”
Ending the call, I continued to sit on the stairs. I couldn’t help but smile. It felt like old times. I had missed this so much. How would it feel when we both returned to our lives?
As much as my father wanted Claude back, Claude hadn’t been wrong about things. As sharp as Claude had been yesterday, he wasn’t at an NFL level. That didn’t mean he couldn’t get there. But he looked a step slow.
Papa wanted to see him as quickly as I could get him there. Papa said that he would know if he was still the same man if he could see him on the field. What neither of us had expected was that he wouldn’t pick up a football in two years. That’s a long time to be away from a sport that rewards daily improvements.
Putting this out of my mind, I got up and headed to the kitchen. Along with Cali, I found a selection of cereals, fruits, and pastries.
“We have pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausages. Any interest?” Cali asked.
“It all sounds good,” I admitted.
“Then give me a few minutes.”
“Got it.” I was about to head back up to my room to get ready when I paused. “Did you know Claude in high school?”
“He was a few years ahead of me, but yea, I knew him by sight. He was the only black kid in our school.”
“Do you know if he had a hard time growing up?”
Cali shook his head unsure. “As far as I know, everyone liked him. Why?”
