Summa Summa Time

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“But mom!!!!! I don’t understand why you making me do this??? Why can’t you just leave me alone???”  “Jamal …I am soo sick and tired of your whining ….. Now get in this car this instance!!!!!” Jamal looked toward his father for redemption …. But none was there …. It seems this was his fate …… He silently grabbed his belongings and walked to the car ….. He just couldn’t understand why his parents would be doing this to him  ….. they really hadn’t been fussing or anything … except for the few times Jamal was caught coming after curfew …… but it didn’t warrant this action from his parents ……..

The ride was unusually quiet .. with Rev. Brown humming her favorite hymn … ‘Sweet Hour of Prayer’ …. And Dea. Brown speeding down the highway toward their destination …..  Jamal tried one last time to plea to his parents …… “Please …. Don’t make me go … I’ll be good …I promise …..I …” Rev. Brown once again cut him off ….. “Boy ….we are you parents and our decisions are final ….. don’t ever question them …..”  Jamal sat in silence ….. there was nothing he could do to sway their minds …… nothing ….. 

Sometime later the car stopped ….. Jamal looked away from the door …… “Get out …”  They both said …. Jamal grabbed his bag and opened the door ….. the parking lot was full ….. “All seniors please check-in before you board the busses ……”  The senior advisor yelled …… Jamal couldn’t believe his parents was making him go on the senior trip ……. “Boy you better pick that lip up and go and enjoy yourself …… this is a good time for you to relax …… and have safe fun …..”  his mother hugged him as his dad grabbed his bags out of the car ……..

“Ugh …. But I can have fun right here mom ….. and plus it’s my birthday weekend ….I’m not gonna be with anyone I love ……” Jamal sadly replied ……. “Now I wouldn’t say that!!”  Marcus screamed as he walked up from the bus …… “You…” Jamal instantly knew what happened … “Thanks Rev. Brown for bringing him ….” Marcus smiled as he hugged her ….. Once the doctors had cleared both him and Akeem for the trip …..they made it their business make Jamal go ….and Rev. Brown was all but too happy to help them ……

“Now I aint got time to hear anymore of your whining … you are here … you are going … and that’s it ….” Marcus said as he gently pulled Jamal away from his mom ….. “You boys have a good time … be blessed!!!!”  Rev. Brown was glad Jamal had found good friends in Marcus and Akeem …. They seemed to genuinely care about him … and she knew that he would be ok …… With all the things going on … he needed this break before he graduated and went to school ……… 

Jamal pouted all the way to his seat ….. He was frustrated … no one was listening …. He didn’t wanna go …..He wanted to stay home … he had his reasons ….. he wanted his birthday weekend to be spent with Deuce …. But even he was acting funny last night …..
They making me go man …… I just don’t understand why ……”  Jamal laid on Deuce’s chest … “well its better anyway … I’ll be way busy at the shop this weekend … and plus I was gonna go and check out Bikefest at the beach with my peeps … we spend enough time together anywayz …. So it’s all good …”  He kissed Jamal and hoped his story would fly ……. He had plans of his own ….. but they didn’t involve Jamal ……..
Jamal sat down as the bus leader started calling roll …… “Okay …. As I call your name say here …and then we’ll be on our way to Miami …….”  Jamal’s name was first ….. he answered and then turned back to Akeem and Marcus who were all smiles ….. “Don’t even look at me …” he said ……. He wasn’t that mad … but he wasn’t that happy either…….. “Boy please … the day I worry about a threat from Jamal Adante is the day …….” They all laughed …. Even Jamal …..
“I’m sorry … but yall aint have to do this …. Imma be a third wheel ….”  Jamal paused …. “When we planned this trip … it was Kevin’s idea that you come with us this time … and I know he would want you to …..”  Akeem said …… Jamal hadn’t thought about Kevin in a while …… “So ….just stop complaining … you’re never the third wheel …. More like the little squeaky one ….”  Akeem laughed again ……
Jamal smiled …. He had some good friends …. “besides … your cousin Barry told me about what happens in Miami on Memorial day weekend …..and we are gonna be right in the middle of it all!” … Marcus retold the plans of sneaking out of the hotel and going to the Sizzle events ….. Jamal rolled his eyes ….. He didn’t wanna be apart of the ‘Freak-nik’ as his cousin told him … but he had no choice …… He was going whether he wanted too or not ……
As the bus started off Jamal reached in his pocket … Deuce hadn’t texted him back …… that was strange …… He dialed the number and the phone rung … and then went to voicemail …… Jamal called back and this time it went straight to voicemail ….. Guess Deuce is busy ……. He thought ……
 meanwhile …… at Barry’s house ……
Deuce knocked on the door after silencing his phone again …… He was in his pajama pants and wife beater …… Barry came to the door ….. “Oh you must be ready for this son …”  he smiled as Deuce walked by him with his bags ….. “Yea … let’s get this over and done with … I been waiting all day …” Deuce sat down on the couch .. he couldn’t believe he actually agreed to this … but he needed this as well ….. Barry was right about that ….. and he wouldn’t give up until Deuce said yes ……. So against his better judgment …. He lied to Jamal about his plans for the weekend … and made plans for this hookup with Barry ……. Something told him not too do this … but he couldn’t say no …… It was as if Barry had this hold on him …… “Iight Deuce … lets get this party rockin …..” Deuce followed Barry out of the room ……..
*back on the bus*
Jamal sat back in the chair with his mp3 player set to his music … he was still writing and couldn’t wait to one day make it ….. He missed the Idol auditions … so that’ll have to wait until at least next year ….. Akeem took this time to make a phone call ……. “Hello ….Yea .. are you guys set???”

*on the other end*
“Yea … if we can keep the love birds off each other for a few hours …..” Barry answered as he, Deuce, Jay and Q drove down the interstate …..”Iight .. he don’t suspect anything … he is gonna be surprised to see yall … Deuce there right??”  “Yea that pussy ass nicca in here whining about how much he wanna see Jamal … I mean dayum … is anyone else going to get sum ass otha than me???? All yall married bitches ….” Barry laughed as Jay through a sock at him …..
“You just jealous fool …. Anywayz … just hit us up when you get there … you know the caravan we in is gonna be on the road for at least 16 hours ….. we’ll meet up later tomorrow for the party ….. OH shyt .. lemme go this is Jamal coming back here now ….” *click*
“Hey yall …I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting … its just ….. you kno ….”  Jamal paused ….. “After graduation … you two are set … Akeem you gonna be playing ball at UNC ….. Marcus you gonna be at Duke ….. so you gonna have each other ….. me and Deuce …. I’m prolly gonna be gone … and he’ll be here …. I won’t have anyone … like always ….”  Jamal had been avoiding the thoughts of the future … but it wasn’t like time had stood still …… It was coming ….regardless of his feelings ……
“Mal …. U talking crazy …. We gonna be boys for life …. No matter where we are …..that’s a promise …. And if this Deuce cat feel u on that level …. He’ll be there as well …. So stop the pity party for Jamal  and start thinking about the party we gonna have down in MIA …..” Marcus replied ……. And he was right …. Jamal started thinking about the year he’d been through … and he did deserve this trip …and plus …the future wasn’t set in stone ……. 
“Okay … so what’s the plan???” Marcus and Akeem replayed the plans they had made …..this was gonna be a weekend to remember ….. For everyone …especially the Preacher’s Son ….

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