Free Prime Choice by Stephanie Perry Moore Page A

places with me for a day. Then he’d be grateful for what he’s got. But in a few more months, I’ll be gone and I’ll never have to worry about his stupid rules ever again.
    â€œYou know what, boy? Just go to bed,” he said as I walked back over. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow and I’m taking your keys.”
    We never said good night to each other. We never apologized. We just sauntered to our own rooms and stood our own ground. I wasn’t a lil’ boy anymore. My dad’s voice couldn’t shake me anymore.
    Â 
    My parents’ room wasn’t right down the hall, it was downstairs. So I couldn’t believe it when I was awakened to the two of them arguing early Saturday morning. Dragging myself downstairs, I had to get down there to see what was going on. I knew my folks’ relationship hadn’t been all good lately, but arguing in the house was something I had never heard them do. I figured if I let them see me, then they would cease screaming.
    However, I was frozen in my tracks when I heard my mother say, “You act like I don’t know what’s best for our son.”
    â€œI’m not saying you don’t know what’s best for him, you just keep babying the boy!” my dad said loudly.
    Aww, snap! They were arguing about me, I realized. Truly, I didn’t want to be the cause of tension between them.
    â€œJunior needs to be looking at a school that’s gon’ challenge his mind, like Duke or Georgia Tech. Those were my top choices,” my mom said.
    My dad said, “If that boy is going to school for football, then he’s going to have to go somewhere where he doesn’t have to pray to get out. Yeah, he’s smart but if he takes that knowledge to a school where academics isn’t so overbearing, then he’s gonna come out great. It’s like you trying to make the boy fail.”
    â€œWell, honey, he’s not going to school to major in football. What if he gets hurt? I mean, let’s be realistic here. Most of those boys who are recruited in high school do not go on to maintain professional careers in their sport. I want our son to have something else to fall back on. Actually, not something to fall back on, but something that is his top priority. And he needs to make this decision. You chose where you wanted to go to school.”
    â€œThat boy don’t know what he’s doing. He definitely needs his father in this process. And it’s clear to me that his mama don’t need to have nothing to do with it,” my father boasted. “He doesn’t need to go to a school where they don’t even have business as a major. You know I want him to take over the dealership one day.”
    That was news to me. Payton always wanted that job. And my dad made her feel like it was hers. Now he was saying he wanted me to take up the family buisness. Wonder when he was going to ask me?
    He continued, “You’re not even acknowledging that he’s a great football player. The top player in the state right now, Patricia. He needs to ride the football thing until the ride ends. You’re trying to make him get off of it before it stops. Believe in your son.”
    My mom put her hand up in front of my dad. I guess she wanted him to hush up. He grabbed her arm harshly. It was something about the way he grabbed it that made me snap. I dashed inside the kitchen area and pushed my father back with hard force. I’d never used that on him before. It was like defending a free safety or something.
    â€œBoy, have you lost your mind?” my dad yelled as he turned and grabbed me by the collar. “I wasn’t gon’ hurt your mama. We’re just in here talking.”
    His lil’ grip wasn’t bothering me at all. I just didn’t want my dad to think that I was scared of him. I know what I saw, and I know what I heard. And my mom’s reaction showed she was very