BLACK & WHITE

31 - Basketball

Carter

"So where do you want to go?" I asked Zeal who was seating beside me in my car.

"Nike Store." He answered.

"You really love basketball?" I asked him

"Yes I want to play it professionally." He grinned.

I smiled at how happy he looks just talking about the sport. "I wish I could relate to this discussion but I don't know anything about sport." I laughed.

"At all?" He asked shocked.

"At all."

"But you look so fit you must have played one sport at least." He said.

"None. I was homeschooled for a long time before I was enrolled into a real school and by then I already found something else that took my attention and time so sport was just not my thing." I told him.

"Ohh so what all that gym equipment in your room for?" He asked.

"Training."

"So you can fight, that's so cool can you please train ZeeZee?"

"I am planning to." I laughed.

"Thanks he really needs it, he is an awesome person but he can be really slow sometimes." He mumbled.

"He's doing better now." I told him.

"Really?"

"Yes he is defending himself and learning to talk back."

"Thanks for coming into his life C I can see how happy he is now than when we were in Atlanta." He muttered.

"What was he like in Atlanta?" I asked.

"He was always bullied either in school or on the street, he comes home with different bruises. One day he was beaten so bad he fell into a short coma for two weeks I had to take care of him myself I was just thirteen at that time, his boss where he use to work sorted the bills because of how honest and hardworking Zee was, he couldn't watch him suffer, Jay sent some money to us also so I could get him good food, it was so bad. I was scared I will loose him then the doctor tried to make us report to the police but I was young not stupid I know it will only make things worse I don't think I've ever been more happy than the day Zee woke up in my life." He narrated wiping tears from his eyes.

"Where was your mom?" I asked confused because I don't understand how all this happened and she was not present.

"Out as usual." He shrugged.

"Zion told me she's barely home but how long does she stay out?" I asked.

"It depends, sometimes a month or less but the most she has been out is a month." He answered.

"When last has she been home?"

"About five days ago, she left her boyfriend with us and took off again."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this." I told him.

"I thought I'm used to it already it but it hurt more now." He said.

"Why?" I asked taking the last turn before we get to the Nike store.

"I thought since she brought her man home to us she will stay this time even though I hate the thought of that man living with us, I was happy that my mom will finally stay at home but I guess I was wrong and I know ZeeZee is also hurting." He muttered.

"That's what he wanted to talk to me about."

"What?" Zeal asked.

"Nothing, let's go in." I smiled at him