3 days ago:
"You know son, it's uhhh...it's not a bad place right? I mean...look at that old lady's front porch...lots of flowers and her cats are everywhere. She even looks nice."
I look at where Dad described the 'nice' scene was and yeah, he's not lying, she does look nice and not like some old white racist that'll call the cops on me when I come home from school thinking I'm bringing bags of weed in my backpack. And for once when it came to moving, that made me feel relief.
'Wonder how her grand kids will react to see me?'
"Hmm" was all my response every time Dad showed me things that caught his attention.
The afternoon drive was a good one: nice blue sky with large white lumps overshadowing some parts of town and the cool afternoon breeze that came through the windows of the car made you want to dream of dreams that are untouchable for the human hand. My train of thought abruptly stopped when Dad was in front of a red light.
I slumped more into my seat when I saw a bunch of high school kids about my age walking together. They must've finished classes by now if they're out with their skateboards and cigarettes and busy talking about god knows what teenagers would talk about.
"Hey, look at them, I think you'll see them more in school."
"What makes you-"
"One of them is wearing the school's football team jacket, it has the logo of the school on it."
True. Dad pointed exactly at the one that had the team jacket on - and he stared directly at us.
I eyed my kicks immediately and made sure not to make any eye contact with them; I got enough on my plate to handle already when it came to people and their odd expressions when they see me.
Of course, their confusion just adds more when they see me with my dad: a white man in his late 40s, skin freckled with gold dust all over his face but ends at his collarbone. A scar over his right cheek after 'the accident' 6 years ago topped with worn out green eyes that too many times were blood shot red whenever they pull all nighters to hand in worksheets and meet deadlines at the crack of dawn. Although, his hair now has streaks of silver embedded in amber brown seems to suit my dad a lot more, it just too early for him to look like he's hitting the 55 age benchmark all too soon; especially for my liking.
The group's meddling voices soon quite down after they skated away with their burnt smell of toxins and when only I was sure they were gone, I sat back up properly and unintentionally took in a deep breath of relieved. Dad gave me a worry glance just before the light turned green.
"It's green Dad, wouldn't want to get honked at like the last time." I smirked because we both know too well what happened the last time we got honked at for not moving when the the light turned green. Dad chuckled when he put the gear in. "Yup, don't want that to happen again."
We took the third left turn on Wisteria Street then headed straight until the second turn on the right and kept going from there. "What was the house lot number again?" Dad asked as he slowed the car down and looking at each house on both sides while I fidgeted with my phone and looked for the note I saved of our new house address.
"264", and just next to the bright orange Jeep and green Kawasaki as our neighbours, 264 was a dead house desolate of any life. Even the grass on the lawn was dead, deprived of water and nutrients.
"Yikes." as both our faces turned sour when Dad parked in front of our new gates. "You can say that again, kid." Dad stopped the engine and took a good look see at the gloomy house. He sighed and I looked at him with a questioning brow; Dad just gave me one of his 'here we go again, kiddo' smiles.
We unbuckled and step foot out but not one minute and I'm greeted with a sour candy 5 year old kid looking directly at me as he held his baseball glove. Last thing I saw was a blue bird on the dead tree then a loud, "Hey, look out!"
..........
Everything turned black for a while as I heard a heavy thud hit the ground.
'Oh, wait. That's me hitting the ground, what the fuck?'
Then, I heard Dad and another alien voice calling out to me. "Son? Kid? Hey, kid, wake up" Dad kept trying to tug on me but I groaned, I didn't want to wake up actually. Dad kept calling out to me as if I was actually dead.
'Excellent!'
"I am so sorry sir, I really didn't see your ...uh... colleague getting out of the car just now. We didn't expe-"
'Wow, never been called that before.'
"Colleague?! He's my son! You threw a baseball at my SON! Do you have any idea how much damage you could've done to someone if you threw a freakin' baseball at someone's head? MAJOR DAMAGE OK!" and I know Dad was giving this guy an even harder time by showing his scowl, like mannn can Dad make a scowl at someone when he's angry.
"Robert, the hell you doin' over there boy?" and then small heavy steps were coming closer to the three of us.
'Well, show's over I guess.'
I opened my eyes slowly getting them adjusted to the afternoon sun. I groaned a little, then Dad and a guy with braces and an army haircut looked to my direction on the ground. "Damie, you ok?" Dad asked as he and the other guy helped me on my feet. My head felt dizzy as Dad helped dust off any dirt stuck to my tee while I straighten it.
A hand landed on my right arm and I turned to a worried scrawny boy, probably about 13 to 15 years old.
"Are you ok sir? I am so sorry about hitting your head with a baseball just now. I really didn't mean to, I just didn't see you coming out of the car because my brother's Je-"
"Woah woah woah woah woahhh, hold on kid. Sir? How old you think I am? 89? This is the real man who you should be calling sir, he's like old old" as I pointed to Dad. Dad just rolled his eyes at me because I keep telling everyone exactly that, the reference was getting old.
'Hehe'
I gave the kid a small smile and he returned the gesture too. He still look worried about me but a little less I guess. "I'm fine kid, really. If you threw a lil harder, you might've-"
"-got him in the hospital. You ougtta know where ya aimin' Robert, if not we could all get into trouble." A big man with an old jumper and mud covered crocs finished my sentence as he finally came closer to the three of us.
"Is this your son sir?" Dad demanded while eyeing the poor frantic boy in front of us. Dad held onto my shoulder, defending me as always.
"Dad, come on. I'm ok, a little dizzy, yeah, but no damage done. I haven't lost my memory or blood or any of my five sense, so it's all good." I looked at Dad as I gave him the look of 'you're going overboard again'. Dad was Dad and still looked at them with stern and demand.
The big man and his sons stood on either of his sides. He inspected us closely but eyeing me more than Dad.
'Typical neighbours.'
"Yeah, these my sons. Robert and baby Jamie here. I also got my boy Zack but he's busying playing videos games right now."
Both dads were on a stare down that felt like forever until the wife came out.
"Richard! What are you and my boys doin' out at the lawn right now?"and you could practically see a red head wearing a pink apron with yellow gloves on. She was at first angry knowing that her husband was suddenly out I guess but quickly jumped at me and Dad.
"Oh! You two must be our new neighbours, right? We've been expecting for you two for so damn long!" she said all this as she walked towards us with giddy and joy then practically standing in the middle of the two men while staring at both me and Dad.
"I'm Franchisea and this is my husband Richard. But I see you've met him and my sons already. Did ya boys just got here? The gates aren't even unlocked yet. Just lookin' around the area, huh? Yeah, we all get that these parts of town isn't much like Wisteria Street, but Goldilocks Street is the safest after all. Are you boys thirsty? Would ya like some fresh lemonade? I just made some, ya could have a few before unloa-"
And Dad gave the 'no thanks' hand and smile because apparently she talks too much. "Oh, a bit on a tight schedule are ya, huh?" ask Franchisea while showing her fake straight teeth at us. Geez, neighbours.
"One of your boys just threw a baseball at my son while he was playing, just so you know." Dad was persistent and it gets annoying in times like these, but hey, that's how he got Mom in the first place after all. It has its perks I guess. "Dad-"
"Oh my! Really? Are ya ok? Do ya need to see a doctor or... or... I don't know but as in... do you need any medical help?" Franchisea asked as she held my head to take a closer inspection where I got hit. "Really ma'am, I'm fine. Just need a nap from all the moving and I'll be fine." I gave her a weak smile just so that she'll get it that I am weak at the moment.
"Oh dear, alright then, I hope you'll be okay. Robert, was it you again?"the mother looked sternly at her son with hands on her hips. Hands up defending himself yet again from such a small crime, Robert still felt guilty, "I said I was sorry Maa!"
Dad sighed with tiredness and pinched his nose bridge.
'Uh-oh, that's not good.'
"It's ok Robert, just... be careful next time ok?" Dad gave a last look at Robert while the boy shook like a leaf. "Well, it was nice meeting all of you."
"It was nice meeting you two, too. Now, c'mon boys, I got ya cold lemonade for this afternoon heat." Franchisea said as she dragged her two sons back inside.
Richard however didn't say a single word in the conversation and just watched silently, really odd when he seemed sceptical in the beginning. And while me and Dad brought bags and boxes in one by one, Richard just stared at us while sipping on a beer and sitting in his beach chair on his lawn. You'd think neighbours would help you in times of less hands like these, but not ours I guessed, since it was for obvious reasons.
I was different. Real different.
.........
I stopped for a while before getting my backpack in the car, resting my arms after carrying almost 20 boxes filled with our stuff. And while resting, I knew he was still looking at us in the same place. So, I looked at him for a second and he narrowed his eyes at me even more. I just kept looking at him as a challenge to see how long he'll keep watching us work without even helping out.
"What's wrong son?" Dad asked after sending in his last box filled with his work clothes and shoes. I didn't answer and he looked where I was looking. "Oh."
"Yeah Dad, oh. Big oh" without even blinking at our new racist. We always have new racist neighbours everytime we move and they're all the same. They just can't stand my skin colour and they hate us even more because my dad married one to get a child like me. It gets worst since grandma has pure golden locks and I inherited them.
Yes, I stand at 6'5, I got gold and light brown short curls, 'coffee latte' eyes like how Mom puts it and light brown skin that has freckles everywhere on my body like Dad's. Mom had a bit more darker complexion than mine but hey, I'm still considered black and people like Richard hate me and I don't really know exactly why.
Maybe they don't actually know the reason themselves too, who knows right?
We just kept staring at Richard that he eventually felt uncomfortable and moved inside. And that was when we had an even bigger treat, Richard's eldest son, Zack. I didn't even realized Zack was leaning on the door till Richard got there.
"Well, shit. Aren't I doomed yet again father?" I whispered to Dad with more sarcasm than I normally do whenever we move in the first day with the neighbours already judging us. Dad just chuckled and went inside, "I'm ordering from Zhu's this time, any special request?" as Dad slowly retreated from the bullshit and calling it a day.
"Yeah, um could I uh order another black man to run as president of the States so you know... he could terminate the bullshit of ours and other black lives too? Pretty please? Thank you!" I smiled widely with sarcasm to Dad as he shook his head in disbelief.
"Did Momma taught you that? I hope not, you know that kid?"
"You know she's the funny and sarcastic one in the family Dad, no doubt about it." I said with a smile as I locked the doors to the car and got in. "Yeah, no doubt kid, no doubt." And Dad went into the kitchen to make the call. And just before I got in, I swear that Zack mouthed 'faggot' at me when he went in then slammed the door shut.
'God give us all strength.' I prayed quietly in my heart before closing the doors . But hopefully this time, we get extra than we usually ask for.
..........