“You gon’ call him TODAY.”
“Ma—”
“Don’t Ma me! I ain’t raise no coward. You stand tall with your head high. Fuck them people…if they want to put you out, so fuckin’ be it. But ain’t no need to avoid the things you can’t control, Zaire. You got money on the line. Now answer that man before I fly out there and beat yo’ ass.”
He shook his head. “I hear you, Lesha.”
“You better do more than hear me.”
“I love you lady.”
“Mmhmm…I love you too.”
Before he could say anything, someone knocked firmly on the door.
“Aight, I gotta get that,” he said ready to get her off the phone. Lesha was a lot sometimes and when she got to talking like she was still a young lady, he knew it was time to end the conversation.
“Cool, but call your agent.”
He laughed. “Bye, Ma.”
“Hmph.”
He hung up just as the knocking came again.
Zaire pulled on a dry shirt and some sweats and opened the door.
Ray stood beside True and Zaire smiled. “True Bruns…a golf legend.” He reached his hand out to dap True up.
True pulled him into a brotherly hug.
“Looks like Juniper is treating you well,” he smiled.
Zaire looked over to the pile of wet clothes. “Hell yea, it is.”
“Meadow and that damn plane,” Ray snickered like he knew what happened.
“She still flies that?” True looked over at him. “I remember when she was a tiny thing in the cockpit with you.”
Beaming like the proud father he was, Ray could only nod.
“What brings you out here?” Zaire’s voice cut through their trip down memory lane.
True wasn’t much shorter than Zaire so they basically stood at eye level. His face was smooth and his eyes wide with wisdom. He wasn’t nearly as old as Ray but at forty, True was Zaire’s senior by almost ten years and had years of experience dealing with the association.
True stepped back, inviting Zaire outside without saying it. “Wanted to check and make sure everything was good.”
“Or making sure I brought my Black ass out here?” Zaire’s brows rose in question.
True laughed. “You got me, nigga.”
Eyes going wide, Zaire was surprised to hear True speak his language.
“Son, all that cuh mess you be saying, don’t tell me you ain’t never heard a Black man say nigga?” Ray clowned, coughing out a laugh.
Zaire could only laugh too. “Real talk? I ain’t expect it…the league likes to wash all that Black off you.”
“Shit, they did,” True spoke his truth. “I ain’t as bold as you because I let a lot slide just to get along. In the end, my life is great and I’m still working but I won’t lie and tell you there isn’t a lot of things I wish I would’ve done differently.”
