CHAPTER 35: IT’S MORE THAN A GAME
I wake up with the evening sun beaming through my window. I can hear Eric’s loud voice shouting about something in the distance. I follow his voice out of my bedroom, down the steps, and into the living room. I see Jason and Eric sitting on the couch watching television.
I then begin to cough from the potent marijuana smell coming from the living area of the house.
“What are you two doing?” I ask them while coughing.
“Hey, Iva,” Jason says with a charming smirk.
“Aren’t you guys tired?” I ask with a yawn.
“Not tired enough to miss this game,” Eric says and then takes a puff of his weed.
“You should say no to drugs,” I inform Eric.
“I shoulda, woulda, coulda, but didn’t,” he replies.
“Yeah, I can see that,” I reply.
Eric grips his messy hair as if he wants to rip it out.
“Give me a break brah. Another foul-ball?” Eric asks the television.
"What are you guys watching?"
I look at the screen and notice they’re watching some kind of sports game.”
"Baseball,” Jason responds with his eyes refusing to turn away from the screen.
I chuckle.
"Do you guys ever go home?”
"No,” they reply at the same time.
"You met my mom. I don’t know why you even asked that.” Eric replies.
I chuckle again.
"Okay, you have a good excuse not to go home. But what about you?"
"Me?" Jason asks.
"Yeah, you,” I reply.
He shakes his head and fight over his words.
"Iva, it’s a long story,” he replies.
"I have time.”
He pauses for a second, but before he’s able to speak, Eric interrupts.
"His parents are overly protective. If he goes back, he'll never see us again,” Eric blurts out.
Jason stares at Eric with a blank expression.
"Thanks for summarizing that up for me.”
Eric smiles brightly and replies...
"You’re welcome.”
I hear a knocking sound coming from the television, followed by an uproar of cheers from the audience. Eric and Jason both gasp. I watch their eyes widen with excitement as the crowd on TV starts to cheer wildly.
"What a hit boy!" Eric shouts in a groggy voice.
They both rise to their feet with their jaws dangling.
"Come on, come on,” Jason says with erupting excitement. “Home run baby!” he says with his arms shooting into the air.
"Wooooooooooo!" Eric shouts joyfully. “That’s what I’m talkin bout.”
Eric starts to applaud as he lowers back into the couch. Then, just like that, they're quiet again. The game on TV has them completely vexed.
"Man that was a good hit,” Eric states.
"We could've caught that ball from here,” Jason adds.
"The guy is a monster. He can't be stopped. Best rookie player ever,” Eric gives his opinion.
"What’s so interesting about watching sports?"
They both look at me with confusion.
"It’s more than just a game. This is baseball,” Jason says enthusiastically.
“I just can’t get into sports, at all,” I respond.
"Everyone has different taste,” Jason explains. “What I'd like to do, is different from what you like to do. For instance, what do you like to do?"
I think for a moment and realize I don't really care for anything except for reading and writing. I look at them, looking back at me, waiting patiently for an answer. I stare down at the floor, thinking way too hard about a simple, harmless, question. Then an answer finally comes to my mind. I look up at them with a warm smile and reply...
"I like hanging out with my friends.”
They smile back at me.
"I like hangin out with you too,” Eric replies. “Although you’re five-O.”
"Me too,” Jason includes subtlety.
“Seriously though,” Eric says while putting out his blunt in the ashtray. “You asked me why I don’t go home. I can’t. My parents won't allow me to come back.”
“Why so?”
“I’m an eagle. That’s a big thing. We are supposed to be the leaders of the flock. I never accomplished nothing in my life, unlike Raven. Raven always been their favorite.”
“That’s the weed talking bro,” Jason adds.
“It’s true. She never been in trouble with the law and although we have our sibling rivalries, she's respectful to them. I’m always into shit. There’s a reason why I know your uncle so well. I was even about to get kicked out of college. I can’t even keep good grades. To be honest with you and myself, I’ve never done anything significant. I don't blame them. I’m the fuck-up of the family, the black sheep.”
“You shouldn’t be so harsh on yourself,” I reply. “You’re good in my eyes.”
“Mine too bro,” Jason adds.
Jason then shifts his eyes back at the TV as he speaks…
"We all should savor these moments together, the good and the bad. Soon, we won’t be able to do these things together anymore,” Jason says in a low voice. “So, let’s not dwell on negative shit.”
Eric nods in agreement and lowers his face.
“Enjoy it while we can,” Eric adds to Jason’s statement.
I walk over and sit down between them to break their gloomy moods. I glance left at Eric and then right at Jason. We all give each other a soothing smile.
"Do you understand now?" Jason says in a soft voice. "It’s more than a game to us. We'll always remember these moments, no matter what. No matter what we go through in life, we will still have each other. Even if our lives are taken, that’s one thing our enemies will never take from us. These memories of each other will get us through hardship.”
I let his words marinate in my mind. I’ve been contemplated dying so much recently that I forgot about the subtle things in life. I now realize that simply because death is evident, that should never stop you from enjoying life. I switch my eyes to the television screen to break the gloomy environment.
"So, who's winning?" I ask, bringing new life into our conversation.
Just like that, their joy comes back. They begin to rant about the game and their favorite rookie player, James Wellington. And you know what? I’m actually enjoying watching baseball with them...