Читать книгу Promise Kept - Stephanie Perry Moore - Страница 8

The mood in the locker room was somber at best; some young men were crying, and rightfully so. For the seniors they’d never get another chance for that ring.

Coach Red said, “Men, we only lost two games all year, we have to take our hats off to the Trojans. I know you’re mad at me about the decisions that I made and maybe you’re equally upset at some of your teammates for not thinking on this bowl trip. But guys, we have to put this behind us. We had a heck of a season. Nobody gave us anything. We were always ranked in the ugliest spots. Most games we were favored to lose. You guys are champions in my book. Every single one of you is a winner. You may cause me a lot of pain, but one thing for sure, we came together as a team. You need to know wherever you go in life you’re someone special.”

A few guys cheered, even more clapped. His speech was moving, but it didn’t move me. I said to myself I was never going to be depressed again. I wanted to keep my self-esteem intact. However, even with two of the longest catches of my football career, a 97-yarder and a 98-yarder, maybe if I had been in the game sooner I could have done more. I sat down on the bench, placed my head between my knees and let the tears mix in with my sweat.

Then I heard Calvin’s voice yell out, “OFFENSE, man, y’all were terrible out there. Y’all didn’t block nobody!” I looked up and he was in the face of two of our linemen.

“You need to get out of my face,” our center said to him. “That’s the problem with you now, Calvin, you can’t keep your emotions in check; starting some fight at the bar, getting some of our players suspended because they’re trying to support your stupid ways.”

“Oh, you calling me stupid?” Calvin said to him as he pushed him into another guy.

Bilboa jumped into the scene and pushed Calvin into another corner. “Naw, he’s trying to blame me for him playing poorly.” I heard more arguing but I put my head back down.

“You can’t blame yourself for this,” Deuce came over and said to me.

“Nice try, buddy, but that one don’t fly.”

“I’m serious man; I choked up in the beginning. You told me it was going to be my time to shine and all I had to do was hold it down until you got in the game, and I choked. You saw more in me than I saw in myself and then when you did come in you put us in a position to almost win it. My yards were the worst of all this year—twenty-two. Now come on, I know your folks want to say something to you. Let’s shower and then go enjoy the night. We don’t have to fly back until tomorrow.”

“I know you didn’t just say enjoy the night.”

“Perry, what you gon’ do, wallow in it, man? Learning some lessons? No mistake about it, we got to the big dance because we were good. We’re just freshmen and nobody going to think we can get back here next year. But we can, if we take tonight, shake it off, and get ready for this time next year.”

“Alright man, I hear you,” I agreed, so he would leave me the heck alone. When I went out into our crowd, my parents had a look of pity in their eyes. It took my mom all she had inside of her to say something positive, which wasn’t her style because she used to shoot straight at me.

She said to me, “Son, you did so good.”

“Yeah, son, you really did,” my dad agreed. Man, both of them were crazy. How could I have done such a great job if I was out of the game because of foolishness? I just wasn’t trying to be around them or anybody else. People were saying stuff to me, asking me for my autograph as I meandered my way through the crowd, not stopping until Savoy stepped in front of me. The way we left things a week ago, I didn’t know where we stood. With everything going on, she actually hadn’t been on my mind.

I appreciated it when she said, “I know you got to be hurting, I’m sorry it went down like that. Let’s just go out tonight, take your mind off of some of it.” She kissed me on the cheek, nibbled on my ear a bit, and I sort of pushed her away.

“Naw, I’m just going to go back to the hotel.” I knew she and her parents had come all this way to support the team, but I just couldn’t handle any company right now.

“Me and some of the other track girls are going out. I thought you would have missed me this week, but you’re still going and putting everything in your life first. Cool, fine. Go back to the hotel and relax then.”

I did not feel like putting up with her crap. I had just lost a National Championship game. How dare she try to brush it under the rug. Did she think that her little peck was going to make me forget what had just slipped away?

“Hey, I didn’t think we were together no way, from what you said last week,” I retorted in anger.

“Oh, dumb me. You’re right!” She turned around, flung her hair in my face and walked away. I tried to grab her but more fans stepped between us. I towered over most of them and could see that as she walked away she wasn’t even looking back. I’m done with it; maybe she was right. Maybe it shouldn’t have been all about me. But if Deuce couldn’t understand it, my parents couldn’t understand it, and Savoy couldn’t understand it—then maybe God would just let me wallow.

On the bus to the hotel I sat in my seat and prayed, Lord, this is a lot to deal with. Help me to not get into a funk, although I am already in one. Help me to not stay that way! I don’t know what I’m saying, Lord, I’m just a frustrated man and really upset. I’m upset at me. The more and more I try to do the right thing, the more negative comes my way. I know You’re up there—could you light up my path a little bit? I’m a football player playing in the dark—give me some lights, Lord. Shine some, Lord, dang.

It was such an emotional, draining day I couldn’t wait for my head to hit the pillow and crash. The National Championship game had slipped through my fingers and I wanted that day to be over. However, I heard a bunch of noise at the door when Deuce came in with Saxon and a few other players. I was frustrated that I had not locked the door when they burst in.

“Get up, get up, get up!” Saxon said, messing with my legs.

“Ouch, boy, I’m sore,” I told him.

“Aw Perry, come on, man, we’re just trying to have a little fun. Get up out the bed, it’s not even eleven-thirty. You crashing early like you some little momma’s boy or something.”

“Sax, you know me well enough to know that little snide comments like that do not bother me. I’m tired, man,” I said, putting the pillow over my head. That was stupid because the next thing I knew Deuce and Saxon were pushing me and hitting me and shoving me.

“Alright, alright,” I said as I sat up. “What do y’all want?”

Deuce said, “Come on, we are going to hang out for a little bit. We’re going to this little club that the track girls are going to.”

“Forget them, I hear some of the local girls are fine too—I hear the place is jumping. Let’s go,” Saxon said.

“Y’all go mess with the honeys,” I told them.

“Well, you know my sister is going to be mad that you’re not there,” Saxon said as he gave me some evil eye, like I wasn’t taking care of my business.

“I don’t think me and Savoy are going to work out,” I said, regretting that I gave her brother more information than he needed.

“Boy, I can tell in your face that you want my sister. And no matter how much I try and fight it—your little having-no-sex behind is the perfect one I want for her. What y’all done had, one time in two years?” I gritted my teeth at his insinuation that I was less of a guy or something because I wasn’t trying to screw her brains out. I had integrity and character and I respected her. And more than that, I wanted to respect the word of the Lord, who said that satisfying my flesh had given me too many issues. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Savoy’s feelings. Maybe I would surprise her and go to the little club, get our groove on and let her take my mind off the game.

So when I got out of the bed Saxon said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about, boy. Yeah, let’s go.”

Half an hour later we pulled into a club called Heat. None of us were over twenty-one, but flashing our Georgia Tech badges we were able to get in. I checked out my environment—folks were in groups laughing and enjoying each other. There wasn’t too much alcohol out, just a few cans and some cigarettes, and people on the dance floor were getting their groove on.

I did not see Savoy, but Deuce said to me, “Oh, there are our girls.”

I looked in the direction he was pointing and then our jaws dropped when we saw the Tech girls hanging out with some older local guys.

“I don’t understand what’s up with this, Kendall knew I was coming. That dude needs to take his hands off her butt. You coming?”

“Naw, man, Savoy looks like she having a good time. She don’t need me. I’ma chill over here.”

Deuce walked a couple of steps farther and waved his hand at Kendall. She looked up and saw him and met him halfway. I watched as his tongue slid down her throat. I don’t know if he was trying to prove a point to the guys that she had just walked away from, that she was his, or if he really was excited about seeing her. Either way, they were cool and went off into a corner somewhere. Savoy, though, tried to play me. She saw me and I smiled. She didn’t smile back, just turned around and started rubbing on some guy’s chest. It had to be to make me angry, because he wasn’t hot. The guy looked like a thug, with one gold tooth in his mouth and a bandana around his head. Yet when I saw him pull out a roll and hand it to his boy for drinks, I realized that he was probably the leader of the crew that she was with. Did she even know what she was doing? It could be dangerous for her to act like she wanted to be with this guy. Accepting a drink from him could get her into even more trouble. The dude could spike her drink or he could take that as a sign that she was his for the rest of the evening. I had to be real and understand what I had done to push her toward this situation in the first place. She was a big girl. She wasn’t a baby. But I did sort of hurt her feelings—twice—telling her that I wanted to do something without her. But there was no denying that I cared for her deeply. I felt my blood boiling as I saw the guy run his hand up the back of her shirt.

Saxon came off the dance floor and said to me, “Man, what’s up with my sister?”

I couldn’t even speak, I just pointed over at her. He saw what I saw. It looked like she was getting herself into a situation that was more than she could handle.

“Man, I think them dudes are in a gang. Now my sister trying to put on a show for you. Y’all so dumb. Y’all like each other. Now she’s with this guy in a gang.”

“You sure he’s in a gang?” I asked. Saxon and I stood up when we saw the guy yank her hand and pull her close to him.

“Ouch!” she screamed out, “let me go. Let me go!” He raised his hand and smacked her. I was about to head on over there when Saxon pushed me down.

“Man, please, I got this.”

I said I’d go off to find Deuce so we would be there for back-up if need be. I was so mad at Savoy and mad at myself too. She and I didn’t know how to communicate with each other. We had to handle this mess.

“It’s a fight, man, it’s a fight!” some dude said, running in the direction of the commotion Saxon created. A swarm of people ran past in an effort to see a brawl. I couldn’t believe I was the only one with sense, going away from all the fuss. Unfortunately I needed to find Deuce and take my tail back into the midst of the chaos to bail Saxon out. Problem was, I couldn’t find Deuce and Kendall anywhere. The noise behind me grew louder and people were yelling, clapping, and cheering. Somebody was getting clobbered, and because my guy wasn’t a hometown boy I had a strange feeling Sax was really in trouble.

I jetted up the stairs to the V.I.P. lounge and it was completely empty. I couldn’t imagine Deuce talking his way into the V.I.P. section, but I had to check. Even the bouncer that manned the section was downstairs watching the fight. My boy was in trouble. When I saw blood, I reached into my pocket and got my cell out and immediately called 9-1-1. I had been part of the scene only days before, and I knew how this town worked. Whoever they caught would be looking at a rap sheet, whoever called it in would be considered a crime fighter.

“Thanks for your call,” the policeman told me, “but the bar owner already called it in and we’ve got officers headed to the scene. If it’s the gang you’re describing, I’d recommend you stay clear of them. They’re usually armed and more than dangerous.”

My breathing intensified tenfold when I hung up the phone. I tried to dial Deuce’s phone number three times, in such a state of panic that I misdialed. Finally I got through, only to receive his voicemail. After looking everywhere, I thought about the one place I hadn’t looked—the women’s bathroom. As soon as the door creaked I heard sounds of passion. Kendall and Deuce were in there making out, trying to get laid up, whatever he wanted to call it. Now just wasn’t the time for all that.

“Deuce?”

“Man, what? Not now.”

“Saxon’s in a fight.”

Deuce busted out of the handicap stall with his pants down. I turned around and said, “Come on, we got to get out there and help him.”

“That boy can’t keep himself out of trouble for five minutes,” Deuce said. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Kendall did me the courtesy of not coming out of the stall so I wouldn’t see her in any compromising ways. I replayed everything to Deuce as we dashed through the crowd.

“Oh, he’s getting creamed,” some guy in the crowd yelled. Normally I could see over crowds, but people were standing on folks’ necks trying to see this fight—you would have thought it was a World Championship bout or something. However, when the police raided the joint, bodies blocking our way moved quickly toward all exits. In the mass of confusion I saw a bloody silver knife in the hands of the gang leader. Savoy dropped to her knees and my heart stopped. I couldn’t even recognize her brother’s face, and knew from the bloodstain on the left side of his belly that the thug’s knife had pierced Saxon’s stomach. I was so torn I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to let thug dude get away with it. I wanted to go after him, fight a fair fight and kill his behind. He had waited until his boys tore Saxon up and then he took him out—it just wasn’t right.

But as soon as I turned, Savoy called out, “Perry, help me! Help me, please. You’ve got to help me stop the bleeding. My brother, I don’t know if he’s going to be okay. Please, I’m scared, help me!”

“I’m going to go get the police,” Deuce said.

Part of me was wishing I hadn’t been such a knucklehead in the beginning—in terms of Savoy—and all of this could have been prevented. But it was facing me now. When I touched Saxon’s body he wouldn’t even move, scream out in pain, or cry for help. My body started shaking as if I was in an ice cold freezer. It was déjà vu. I remember the paramedics trying to save Collin Cox, our other suitemate. Though his prospects had been bleak, he pulled through. Seeing Saxon’s frail body in front of me, I just didn’t think that he would be so lucky.

“We’re going to lose him,” Savoy said, reading my mind.

Instinctively, I said, “No, no. He’s going to get through this! He’s going to get through this,” as I rocked her in my arms.

I was so sick of hospital waiting rooms that if I had stock for every time I had been in one over the past couple of years I’d be rich. It was a good thing we were here for the bowl game, because Savoy’s parents were still in Miami and met us at the hospital. I didn’t know how to console her. She stayed in the arms of her mom, as her dad and I paced in opposite directions so we would stay clear of one another. I knew deep down it was useless to hold out much hope. Saxon was in real bad shape and if this was the end for him I didn’t even know if he was saved, and that killed me. I cried out, Lord, give me another chance! Help me make sure that my friends know You. You want me to be a fisherman of men, alright. I’ll put down my shoulder pads. I’m here. I’m available. Save my friend. Dang, I know we can’t do it without You. This is a lot—dealing with trouble.