“The same way I did with the group home. I find places who really give a damn but is just lacking in funding. They don’t care about my fame, just the help I can provide. Now, can you stop asking all these questions like you don’t already know howI move? We still gotta stop by twin house.” I have an away game tomorrow, so I needed to stop by and make sure she was good. He nodded, so we headed inside.
Even though I’ve been doing this for a while, and it never got out, I still wore my hat low on my face with a pair of shades. I tried my best to keep it about the people and not me. That’s exactly what would happen if the media got hold of what I was doing. Walking over to the snack cart, I began grabbing stuff and passing it out. I’ve pretty much figured out what most of them liked, so it never took me long. Seeing Ms. Elliot struggling to get off the couch, I yelled over to Landon.
“Hey, go help granny to her room. She trying to take a nap.” He looked confused as he walked over.
“This your granny?”
“Naw.”
“Then why you call her that?”
“Nigga! I call her that because she’s somebody damn granny. The fuck! You gone let her fall or keep standing here worrying about why I call her that?” Landon pushed past me before heading over, and I continued to do my normal chores. Once I was done, I played a quick game of deuces with Mr. Hank, and then a dance off with Ms. Lena.
“Aight, let me get out of here. I’m going to beat you next time.” She gave me a big smile before pulling me into a hug.
“You know I used to work that pole back in the day. I still got it.” She gave another swirl before patting me on the arm. “Use some of those moves I taught you on the court tomorrow and those jits won’t be able to touch you.”
“I got you Ms. Lena. I’ll be back in a couple of days with some new moves.” Giving her another hug, I made my way to the reception desk. Getting up, she allowed me to sit in her chair and log in. Going to the billing section, I calculated all the unpaidbalances and the price for meds. Pulling my black card out of my wallet, I paid it when Landon finally walked out.
“Did you know Ms. Elliot hasn’t seen her family in eight years?”
“Yeah,” I responded while I logged out of the system. “That’s why we do what we do.”
“I’m going to come visit her and talk to her.” I smiled on the inside as we walked out the door. He really was a good kid who had a rough start. When we got in the car, Landon kept looking at me as if he wanted to ask me something.
“What, lil nigga?”
“I know you’re a good person, but what made you start doing stuff like this?”
“The group home was all you. It was the only way I could think to help you since you wouldn’t let me do anything else. I’m not going to lie; it never crossed my mind before then. The nursing homes was something I vowed to do since I was a kid. My granny had dementia, and she became violent since she didn’t recognize us, so my mother put her in a home. The shit was so bad, she pulled her out and had to figure it out until she passed. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever seen my mother go through, and it was traumatizing to me as a kid. Sometimes, the only option is a home, but it should be where your loved ones are being cared for. Not treated like animals.” I could feel myself tearing up, so I stopped there.
The shit we saw when we went to visit my granny was disgustingly devastating. I never understood how people could go into a field that they portrayed to love, only to treat people like that. I’ll never forget all the bruises we saw on her wilting body. Landon reached out and turned on the radio. He knew I needed a moment, and I appreciated it. He had boxing to release emotions, and I had basketball. When we pulled up to my OG’s house, I got out with my emotions all over the place.
“When we leave, you wanna go hit a few bags or shoot around for a lil bit?”
“Yeah.” That was all I needed to say. He understood what I needed, and that’s why he was my lil nigga. Walking inside the house, we headed upstairs to her room. She was sitting up in the bed watching ESPN and I couldn’t do shit but shake my head. My OG was worse than me when it came to sports. She was the reason I even picked up a ball. Her ass used to be in the driveway teaching me how to shoot. It was the reason I was drawn to Blaise. She reminded me of my moms.
“How did therapy go today?”
“Pretty good. I can get around with a walker on my own. I’m getting there slowly, but surely. I don’t think I’ll make the rest of the season, but next year, I’m in there like booty hair.”
“Coach gone be pissed. I know he didn’t want you to have a stroke, but I’m sure he’s grateful all the same.” We both laughed because she knew I was right. Her ass used to walk the courts like her ass was on the team. She cursed his ass out every chance she got.
“Fuck his incompetent ass. Anywayssssss!!! Son, you like being the string bean?”
“What you talking about now?”
“She calling you the side jit,” Landon responded before giving her a hug and climbing in the bed with her.
“You know I don’t play second to nobody. I’m giving her time to come to terms.” Grabbing her phone, she pulled up an article on The Shaderoom before passing it to me.
“They calling them the face of sports news. Cute picture ain’t it, Jr.” Normally, I loved when she called Landon that because she was implying he was my son, but I knew they was about to ride me out, so I was annoyed today.
“That nigga name is Landon.” He knew what I was feeling, so he threw his hand on his chest.
“Nana, he been in his feelings all day. Must be that time of the month.”
“Or he tired of being the mistress.” They dapped and I got annoyed.
