Mrs. Parks rolled her eyes at Zach and at me. “I told you about hanging around with the wrong crowd,” Mrs. Parks fussed as she and Zach stood up.
She was talking about me like I was some thug or something influencing Zach to do something wrong. She didn’t know a thing about me.
Mrs. Parks and Principal Myers exchanged a few more words about the suspension and then Zach and Mrs. Parks left out the office.
Principal Myers sat upright in her chair, her big round belly touching the desk and her arms were folded across two breasts that looked like two giant boulders sitting on her chest. Her rough looking skin reminded me of an alligator and her voice sounded deeper than Pops’ baritone voice.
“You’ve been in this office all this time and you still refuse to tell Ms. Beasley how to reach your father. And these emergency contacts, their numbers are no longer in service. Young man, you better tell me something because you are in serious trouble.”
“I told you, my Pops can’t take his cell phone with him on his job. And I swear, I don’t know how to get in touch with him because he works different temp jobs.”
“Excuse me, Principal Myers.” It was Sierra. You wanted to see me?” she sounded all sweet and innocent.
What was she doing here? Dang, I remember, she works in the office during her free period. She came walking in like she was Queen Rihanna. Dang, why does she keep showing up and messing things up? She was nothing but a big mouth fake Rihanna wannabe who loved stirring up trouble and confusion.
“Yes, please, come in and have seat,” Principal Myers looked away from me and zeroed in on Sierra.
Sierra’s big smile turned into a frown. She looked really worried. I guess she knew she was in trouble too. Good for her.
“Ms. James, I have heard some disturbing news about you. I must say that I am really disappointed, because if any of it is true, you are in some big trouble. I hear you posted some nasty, cruel things on FaceGroup and Tweetgram about Mr. Person. Please, tell me that it isn’t true.”
Sierra cut her eyes at me. I could tell she was mad, but, hey, she got herself in this mess. She should have kept her big fat mouth closed.
“Principal Myers, I did, but I took it all down almost as soon as I posted it. And I’m sorry I did it.”
“That doesn’t help me. Everybody already saw it and they’re talking about me.”
“Mr. Person, please be quiet until spoken too,” Principal Myers told me.
“Principal Myers, I know for a fact that Nyl does not have a place to live. He and his father and little sister are homeless, and that’s the truth.” She sounded pitiful while talking to Principal Myers, and all the time she was giving me the evil eye look. I called her a female dog under my breath, and she acted like she heard me because then she really cranked up her story to Principal Myers. “They eat at the homeless kitchen at St. Mary’s, you know the one where me and some of the other cheerleaders volunteer every quarter. I’m just saying,” she added, then flashed a smile at Principal Myers like she was really trying to help.
If it hadn’t been for her running her mouth and posting my business on FaceGroup then I wouldn’t have fired on Zach. Thanks to Sierra, my life was going downhill fast.
“Is she telling the truth? Is your family homeless?”
Why is this lady calling me Mr. Person? I am not my father. Principal Myers always does that for whatever insane reason. I didn’t say a word in response, just sat there trying to tune her out because I could tell she believed Sierra anyway, and she believed Zach when he said he was trying to defend Sierra from me. So, hey, I felt there was nothing for me to say and there was no use telling her anything.
“Mr. Person, I asked you a question. Are you homeless? Where do you live?” Principal Myers adjusted her oversized body in her chair, cleared her throat, and then leaned forward, resting her rusty looking elbows on her desk, then placed her chin in the cup of her manly looking hands. She glared at me like I was a t-bone steak and she was ready to eat me. If I wasn’t in so much trouble, I would be rolling on the floor laughing, but I cleared my throat and then considered my next words.
“Uh, no, ma’am,” I went on and answered. Maybe she’ll let me go if I tell her what she wants to hear, I thought.
“Are you saying that Ms. James is telling a lie? Is that what you’re saying, Mr. Person?”
Dang, woman, can’t you hear? I said it was the truth. “Yes, ma’am,” I stuttered. We just moved to a new apartment.”
“Is that so?” she looked at me like she thought I was lying. Then she turned back to Sierra. “Ms. James, you are being suspended for one week. Now, please, leave.”
“But, Principal Myers, I said I’m sorry, and I took all that stuff down. I didn’t mean to do it. I promise I didn’t,” she cried while I laughed on the inside.
“I said, leave. I will be in touch with your parents. I know they are not going to be happy about this. What you did is called cyber bullying, and that, young lady, is a serious offense, almost as serious as assaulting another student,” Principal Myers said and cut her eyes back at me. “Now, please leave, and close the door behind you.”
Sierra jumped up out of her chair and ran out of Principal Myers’ office in tears. Serves her right.
“Well, Mr. Person.” She looked almost like she was feeling sorry for me or something. “There are programs in place for students who are homeless. If you had come to me, or gone to see Ms. Camel in the guidance department, I’m sure we could help you and your father. But it looks like I have no other choice. I’m going to have to report this to CPS, Child Protective Services, and since I have no way of reaching your father, I’m going to have Sgt. Daniels to take you to Juvenile Hall.
Dang, what was I going to do? Pops would have to go to the Board of Education to get the suspension cleared. I already knew he was going to be furious. Taking off work to get a suspension cleared could mess him up on the job he was trying to make permanent on. But now she was talking about sending me to juvenile like I was a criminal?
“I want you to know that regardless of whether you are homeless or not, your behavior has been unacceptable. There are better ways to resolve conflicts, Mr. Person.”
“But, it didn’t go down like what you think, Principal M─”
She cut me off before I could get the rest of my words out. “According to several of the students, and of course Ms. Glasgow and Mr. Wooten, you assaulted Zachary Parks, and you used some offensive language toward Sierra James to the point where she was in tears. And, I have to report your living situation to Juvenile Court. I cannot have any student living on the streets and eating at homeless shelters. Not under my watch.” She went into some long, drawn out, boring, and totally unnecessary spill about her career as a teacher and principal and yada yada yada.
“But, Principal Myers, if you just let me go, I promise to tell my Pops what happened when he comes to get me. And I’m telling you, Sierra is lying. We do have a place to live. Please, don’t send me to juvenile. The only reason I hit Zach was because he was talking smack and talking about me and my family. I didn’t mean to hit him; it was like a reflex. And Sierra, well ever since Sierra saw me, my little sister, and my Pops at St. Mary’s, she’s been telling everybody.”
“Were you at St. Mary’s?” Principal Myers asked me.
“Yes, ma’am, but not because we’re homeless.”
She shook her head and picked up her phone. “I cannot put my career on the line for you or anybody that’s in the wrong, Mr. Person. You have to suffer the consequences of what you did. There’s a way to handle problems without fighting. Hopefully, this will teach you that you have to learn to handle your anger in a more positive manner.”
“But, please, you can’t send me to juvenile. What is my little sister going to do? How will my Pops know where to find me?” Please, Principal Myers.”
“I have a professional obligation to report this. If I allow you to walk out of here when I know you’re homeless, I could lose my job,
Mr. Person. Plus, I wouldn’t rest tonight if I knew you and your little sister were sleeping out on the streets as cold as it is. The good Lord would never forgive me.”
I wanted to say that the ‘good Lord’ wouldn’t have a problem with it because he seems okay with us living outside so far. What’s a few more weeks?
“I’m begging you, Principal Myers.” This time I couldn’t hold them back any longer. This time they forced their way out. The tears came running down my face. Men may not cry...but boys do.
Chapter 13
I ain’t going to lie, I felt like I was going to pee on myself sitting on that cold steel seat in the back of Sgt. Daniels’ police car.
Right before Sgt. Daniels pulled off, Coach came up. I guess somebody told him what had gone down. Kids were standing outside and I saw some of them peering through the windows from inside the school building. I crouched down on the seat as low as I could. I couldn’t hear what was being said between Coach Byrd and Principal Myers. I did see Ms. Glasgow and Mr. Wooten come outside and all of them started talking about me and what I did and what the other kids said I did, and about me being homeless. What about me? Did anyone care that I had been bullied and made to feel ashamed of my circumstances? How was it my fault that I was homeless? I listened to them talking outside of the squad car. Coach Byrd, well I’m just going to tell you that I will forever respect that man. He argued and talked and then talked some more, pleading my case.
“I’ll be responsible for him until we can get hold of his father,” I heard him say. “You all know if that boy takes a ride downtown it’s all over. He’s going to be put in the system and probably placed in foster care if he really is homeless. There are no programs that protect single fathers with kids. It’s sad, but unfortunately, it’s true. The system will remove Nyl and his little sister instantly from Mr. Person.
As far as fighting, it’s not like one of my boys to start a fight. I know Nyl, and he’s a good kid. Never gives me any trouble and you know how valuable he is to the team, Principal Myers.”
“Yes, I understand how you feel about this young man, Coach, but I’m telling you, I will not be responsible for him leaving this property and going to the streets and to God knows where. You know how much trouble I can get in if I let this pass? I can’t let Nyl off the hook because I feel sorry for him.”
Coach Byrd kept trying to convince her to let him help me out. “All I’m asking for is one day,” Coach told Principal Myers. “Let me get in touch with his father. Let me find out for sure if what Sierra James said is true. I’ll stay here after practice, as late as I have to until his father comes and then I’ll talk to him. Man to man. Just give me one night, Principal Myers.
Please let her say yes, please, please God, I prayed as I continued listening. God must have stopped and listened because next thing I know the back door was opening and Sgt. Daniels told me to get out of his police car.
Principal Myers explained that I was to go with Coach Byrd until my father came. Man, was I glad that Coach had stood up for me.
Coach didn’t say a word while he escorted me to his classroom. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I decided I would just remain quiet until he said something first. That way I wouldn’t put my foot in my mouth.
“Son, you’re one of us, a Fairley Bulldog. You’re one of my best players. How many times have I told you guys that we’re family? And if we’re family that means we stick together. You should have told me about your situation. We all go through rough patches in life, son. I wish you had come to me. I hope you know that I’m on your side. You hear me?”
“Yes, sir.” Coach was probably right. I should have told him and maybe he could have helped. And even if he couldn’t help, at least he would know why there were some games when I didn’t perform well on the court, all because either I was hungry, or hadn’t slept and all of that stuff.
“Now why didn’t you tell me that you were homeless?” Coach asked.
What did Coach mean? Did he think I was going to walk up to him and say, ‘Oh, Coach, did I tell you that my Pops got fired from his job, he drinks way too much, we spend most nights sleeping in our Yukon, we eat at a soup kitchen and most of the time I’m starving?’ No way could I tell him my story, so I shrugged my shoulders instead of answering him.
“Nyl, I asked you a question? Why didn’t you tell me what was going on with your family situation?”
“Coach, I’m not homeless. Really, I’m not. That’s the truth,” I continued to lie.
“Look, son, you’re an important member of the team. There is nothing you shouldn’t be able to come and talk to me about. Now, tell me. Where is your father?”
“At work. He’ll be here around five. But I need to go and pick up my sister from school. When I don’t have practice, we go to the library and wait until he comes.
I watched as Coach fiddled around with the lid on his cap and shook his head like he was maybe wierded out over what I had told him. “I’ll take you to get your sister and then we’ll come back and wait here, at the school, for your father. We’ll get this thing sorted out. I promise you that.”
I had mixed emotions about Coach Byrd’s offer to get things sorted out, as he put it. Knowing my Pops, there was no way he was going to trust Coach Byrd or anyone else at the school with his problems. He was a private person and hated when his business got out. But then on the other hand, maybe Coach could help Pops get a permanent job or maybe he knew somewhere we could stay. No, that was too farfetched. What was wrong with me? What was I thinking? Nothing was going to change for us anytime soon, not at the rate my Pops was moving. But anything was better than being arrested, locked up in juvenile, and separated from my family.
Coach Byrd took me to pick up Nyla from school. “Are you guys hungry?” he asked.
I was about to tell him “No” although I was so hungry I could eat ten horses, but Nyla opened her big mouth and told him, ‘Yes.’
“Okay, we’ll go up on Elvis Presley and y’all let me know where you want to stop.”
Elvis Presley Boulevard had a whole bunch of fast food spots. Pops would be mad again if he found out that Coach took us to get something to eat, all because Nyla told him she was hungry. We may have been homeless, we may have eaten many days at one of the soup kitchens, or not at all, but Pops didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for us.
We went to Burger King, got out, and went inside.
“Order whatever you want, Coach said to me and Nyla.
“Uh, you sure?”
“I said, get what you want.”
I didn’t want to be greedy but hey, it is what it is and I was already up to my eyeballs in trouble, so I thought I might as well take advantage of the offer. I couldn’t help myself. I ordered a Double Whopper combo with an extra order of fries, and a Whopper Jr. Combo with onion rings. Coach made small talk with Nyla, asking her about her school day, and what she liked to do.
I gave her the evil eye, but she ignored me and told Coach all about Momz dying, daddy drinking, and how she hated living in our Yukon.
Coach Byrd stared at me, and then at Nyla. That’s when I saw that look in his eyes. The look Pops hated. The look of pity. So you lied. You are homeless.” Coach looked mad on top of sounding like he felt sorry for us.
“That’s enough, Nyla. Shut up,” I finally spoke up and warned her. She looked down at her food and started picking at it. I didn’t care how she felt, she should know by now that family business is private business. I had let her talk way too much. She had to learn like I did that people weren’t always understanding about people being homeless. Today I sort of understood that people like Sierra would probably never understand the misfortune of others. If I wasn’t in the situation myself, I would probably be like Sierra, Zach, and the rest of the kids too, laughing and making fun of someone else’s suffering, which wasn’t cool. I could see that now. Coach spoke up and pulled me from my thoughts.
“Don’t be so tough on your sister,” Coach told me and gave me
a stern look of his own. “Since you don’t want to open up to me, I’ll talk to your dad, but, Nyl, son, you have nothing to be ashamed or worried about. I’m here to help you.”
I finished eating without saying another word.
∞
As soon as we turned on to Fairley Road, I saw Pops in the parking lot standing next to the Yukon.
“There’s Daddy,” Nyla pointed and screamed like she hadn’t seen him in ages. Dang, girls can be so emotional at times. It’s sickening. Coach drove in the direction Nyla had pointed in. He pulled up a couple of car lengths away from Pops. I saw Pops watching me and Nyla as we got out of Coach Byrd’s car. I swallowed hard as I walked toward him, trying to prepare myself for the questions that were sure to come, like what we were doing getting out of Coach’s car, where had we been, and what was going on. But things weren’t as bad as I expected. Coach walked up to Pops, spoke, shook Pops’ hand, and proceeded to tell him about everything that had happened before Pops had a chance to go off on me.
Pops looked at me like I was crazy. I don’t know what was going through his mind, but rather than go off, he ended up thanking Coach for saving me from taking a trip downtown, which could have turned out really, really bad.
“Let’s talk over here,” Coach said to Pops. They went to the side of the Yukon out of me and Nyla’s hearing range. Nyla wasn’t paying attention to what the two men were discussing anyway, but I sure was, which is why I guess he wanted to talk to him privately. For at least fifteen or twenty minutes, they talked. I strained to hear what they were saying, but one time Pops looked over at me and must have realized I was trying to eavesdrop because he ordered me and Nyla to go get in the Yukon. When was he going to stop treating me like a little kid?
When Pops finished talking to Coach, he came and got in the Yukon. I was waiting for him to tell me what he and Coach had talked about, but Pops said nothing. I couldn’t hold back any longer, especially after he started up the Yukon and drove off the school lot.
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