happens for a reason, fellas!” were the last words I heard before we walked back in to the gym floor.
When we got out to the gym, I saw Cash talking to BJ at the other end of the court. Manny, Crack, Fatz, and Twan were standing off to the side of the bleachers. I looked around, but I didn’t see Black. The crew all showed love. Cash hugged BJ, and then he ran over to me, dapped me, and gave me a hug.
“Where Black at?” I asked immediately.
“He aight. We found him. I’ll tell you everything after the game,” said Cash.
“Bruh, he hit?” I yelled.
“He got roughed up a li’l. He good tho. We gonna handle that! Yea! You focus on this game right now. That’s all you need to focus on. Black is good now,” Cash said.
“Darren, I need you off the court!” yelled Coach Lewis.
“It’s your show now, li’l bruh. Make it count!” Cash said with his arms spread out. Then he headed off the court. Cash telling me that Black is alive gave me such a relief. I sat on the bench and drank some water and gathered myself together to take this game over.
Immediately, from the first inbound, we continued playing them tough, and they kept fighting us just as tough.
“This that type shit I like,” said one of my teammates in the huddle during a time-out. We came back out with 3:20 left in the fourth quarter. We were still down 68–71, and BJ was shooting the lights out with thirty-five points so far. I had only twenty-one, but I was definitely playing my game out there.
They brought the ball up the court. When they crossed half-court, I caught their shooting guard Reese dribbling the ball with no regard to the defense as he waited to hear his coach’s directions, so I plucked him and took off down the court with the ball. I got to the rim and cocked my arm to the side, dunking the ball like LeBron James. The crowd lost it after that!
70–71. Let’s go!
Both of us struggled to score for a bit after that up until Phil got a tough and one bucket with forty-two seconds left on the clock. He made the next free throws, putting us up two points. BJ grunted with this being the first time we had the lead since the first quarter. BJ came back down the court and got fouled. He made both of his free throws, tying the score at 73 with 0:34 seconds left.
Coach Lewis called a time-out. He told us to run Milwaukee to me. Milwaukee is a swing play that almost always leaves me open for a jumper on the wing. I set up on the right so that I can get the ball on the left side of the court, right in my sweet spot. Tonio dribbled the ball for a little bit to run some time off the clock then he set up and called the play. I got the ball, kicked it back to Tonio, and took off to get around the pick. JB picked off Reese hard, making him fall flat on his back. I got the ball on the three-point line with nobody around me and pulled the shot.
“Whooooop!” the crowd went.
Swop! All net!
The crowd went off again. I held my fist up like a gun aiming it at the rim and squeezed the trigger at the rim before I headed back down the court. Forestville called another time-out. I looked at the scoreboard to see that we were up 76–73 with 0:18 seconds left in the game. We walked back out to the court. The tension in the air was so thick it was almost surreal. BJ quickly brought the ball up the court and tried to make a play, but ended up turning the ball over. I scooped it up and took off down court. They tried to foul me, but they couldn’t catch me until I got to the bucket to get the and one. I threw my fist to beat my chest after the bucket.
“It’s a wrap!” I yelled out.
I shot the free throw and made it, making the score 79–73 and only 0:03 seconds left. BJ made a half-court hail to make the score 79–76 at the buzzer, but it didn’t matter.
We all celebrated under the rim!
BJ walked up and showed me love.
“Good game, cuzzo!” he said.
“Keep that shit up!” I said as I pounded his chest. He then walked off to the locker room.
“I love this shit!” Phil yelled out, throwing his half sleeve in the air. I hopped over toward my teammates still celebrating. After that, I walked into the locker room to get dressed.
When I came back out onto the gym floor, Mom, Camille, Cash, and everybody else came up to me to show me love.
“Good game, baby boy,” said Mom.
“Yes, good game,” Camille said, snuggling under my arm. She held onto me tightly as Cash approached me next.
“That’s what I’m talking ’bout, shorty. That’s how you work,” said Cash.
“Uh-huh,” everyone else said. Everyone’s words made me feel good.
“Hi, Darren,” Mom said with a sour face, “or do I got to call you Cash too?”
“Hello to you, too, Mom. How have you been?” said Cash.
“I’ve been just fine. Thank you. Now leave me to talk to my son, please,” said Mom.
“Why! Mom, why you gotta tell the man to leave!” I said.
“I love you, too, Mom. Good game, shorty,” said Cash.
Then he turned and left out with Manny and all the rest of the crew. I felt bad for Cash as I watched him walk away. The conversation he just had with Mom made me realize what he was saying to me earlier that day. I looked over at Mom.
“Mom, why’d you have to say that?” I asked with my hands up.
“Look, Darren or Cash ain’t nobody you need to be around. He’s going to get you in trouble,” she said.
“Mom, that’s my brother, and he’s still your son,” I said.
“Rick, I won’t let you do this. You not gonna turn out like him,” she said.
I stared at my mother as she shook her head and then gave me a double take.
“Okay, I love you son,” she said as she reached and held me under my chin.
Virgin Territory
After the game, I dropped everything off at my house and headed straight for Cash’s house. My mind raced as the possibilities of this night grew closer.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cash opened the door. I stepped inside and turned around, facing Cash as he closed the door.
“What’s the word, bruh?” I asked.
“Look, bruh. I ain’t want to tell you too much at the game but got robbed. He’s in the hospital now!” said Cash.
I let out a hard breath of frustration, almost tearing up.
“Duffy, right? He a fucking mark!” I yelled out.
“His
