“Hi sweetheart,” she sounded tired.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, me and your father watched your game. He’s passed out now.”
Jim Kline’s soft snores could be heard as my mother started to talk.
“Mama, you sound extremely sleepy,” I told her.
“Well, I just wanted to check in. How’s…”
“You can ask about the baby, mama,” I replied.
My mother knew that it was a sore spot for me. I wasn’t exactly ready to be a father, in fact I hadn’t planned on it happening anytime soon but I was going to step up regardless.
“Well….”
“We find out what it is really soon.”
My mom went on babbling some more about my cousin getting himself in trouble with the law. Her sister was planning a baking contest at the church and my mama aimed to win the whole damn thing, and my brother had gotten a job withSafaryan Contracting.
“Are you guys planning to come out here for Thanksgiving?” I steered the conversation as I made a right heading towards downtown Sacramento.
“I want to honey,” she sighed. “You know your father is terrified of planes.”
“Mom…I really want you guys to come see me play here. And this house I bought…it’s big enough for everyone to be comfortable.”
She gave a chuckle. “I’m so damn proud of you Kelton. I’m going to work on your daddy. He’s stubborn, you know that.”
Rolling by Noir, trying to find a parking spot, I saw a line was already forming around the block. Music was thumping and making my windows rattle.
“Boy, where are you at? What’s all that commotion?”
“Neighbors are being loud, mama,” I lied, she hated that I went clubbing and would have preferred I be home reading the Bible or studying playbooks.
“Well, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to tell you that, you and the team looked good. Your dad will call tomorrow to say the same.”
“Love you, mama,” I replied.
“Love you, sweetheart. Get some rest and don’t stay out to long.”
I chuckled and ended the call. My mama always knew when I was lying, it was some hidden gift of her’s that she had. Even as a child I’d never been able to completely lie and get away with it. The day she’d been called up to Eureka Elementary about me yanking Silver’s stolen ribbon out of her hair, my mother had instantly demanded I give it back.
Begrudgingly, I had returned it to the girl who hated my guts.
My mind traveled back to my mother dragging me out of the principal’s office, and onto the school sidewalk. I could still feel the Texas sun dragging its hot rays across my skin.
“Kelton, why did you take her ribbon?” The swish of my mother’s green belted dress flashed in my mind’s eye as she starred down on me.
“I don’t know, mama,” my shoulders had gone up past my ears, shrugging.
A quiet sigh had escaped her lips as she bent down. “You know it was wrong to take something that didn’t belong to you, right?”
“Yes, mama.”
“But there had to have been a reason behind it,” she’d offered me a frown wanting an answer.
I could feel a blush creeping up my back, and it slid onto my neck before settling on my cheek.
