My Only Son - Danee Riggs (top 10 ebook reader TXT) 📗

the voice of his worst fears. Who was he kidding? Even if DJ did wake from his coma, he probably wouldn’t have the strength to speak in a voice that would carry through the house, let alone the strength to walk down the stairs. Big Derek could feel his own legs grow weak like he might fall. Instead, he leaned hard against the doorpost. Hope was just too damned heavy. “Babe, is everything ok? I heard you get up and then it sounded like you were gonna come through the ceiling,” Lynn said, coming quickly up the stairs. He wiped his eyes on his bare forearm before turning to her. “Yes babe, everything is fine. DJ is just...” He couldn’t form his lips to repeat the word fine. “There’s been no change.” The sun filtered through the window in the rear of the hallway and rested on her face. Though her cheeks were gaunt, her eyes softened as she looked at him the way she hadn’t in what seemed like forever. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “I heard voices downstairs and...” He didn’t have to finish his sentence. She knew what he must have thought and grabbed his hand. “C’mon down for a bit. Tania will come up and sit with Derek." Big Derek smiled. She was the only one that still called him by his full first name. “Ok, but there’s something that I have to do first.” He was suddenly struck by the notion that they hadn’t opened the curtains in DJ’s room since he’d been home. He would definitely want the curtains opened and the sunlight streaming in. He was just that kinda kid. Lynn watched him curiously while he went in and pulled the curtains back. He lifted the window just a bit to let the fresh air in. “There you go, son.” He said under his breath. She heard him anyway. “Ok, let’s go down,” he said. “Babe, I think there is something else you need to do first." He followed her gaze down and realized that he didn’t have on enough clothes for a visit. He looked back up and they laughed. It was the first time that he heard a laugh in the house in so long that it sounded foreign. But it was welcomed. “I’ll be down in a minute.” He turned away but then turned back and gave his wife a quick kiss. Turning back toward the room, he almost missed the smile that the sun made brilliant across her face. He was glad that he caught it.

Fully dressed, he started down the steps just as Tania was coming up. He gave her a hug and watched as she went in DJ’s room. This time she sat in the chair next to his bed. She pulled out an old book and began reading; “May 1,1977. Dear Diary, this boy is driving me nuts…” Big Derek continued down the stairs.

He walked in the kitchen and discovered the source of the male voice. Shawn was sitting on the stool at the end of the island counter. He got up when he saw Big Derek come in. “I hope we didn’t wake you,” he said, holding out his right hand. Big Derek reached out with his. Before even he knew what was happening, he pulled Shawn in for a quick hug. “It’s cool, man, it’s alright.” He and Shawn both knew that he was talking about more than just the waking. “Hey Deb, how’re you doing?” Big Derek went around the counter to where Deb was sitting, cutting up onions. Even when she stood, he had to reach way down to hug her. She was always a little thing but now she wasn’t much more than a whisper of a woman. Could she have possibly lost that much weight since he’d last seen her? Despite the bags under her eyes she seemed more relaxed and in a much better way than she was the night before. “I’m,” she hesitated “I’m ok. How are you?” He saw such sadness in her eyes that he had to look away. “I’m hanging in there, you know?” She patted his hand, then picked up the cutting board and took it over to where Lynn was standing at the stove. “Lynn tells me that you have been eating her famous homefries so much that they are coming out of your ears so she’s making you pancakes this morning. I’m sorry that Shawn and I haven’t been over to help you guys,” there was another pause, “eat some of this delicious food.” Lynn slipped her arm around Deb’s tiny waist and said, “You’re here now.” Deb turned and dumped fresh cut onions into a frying pan. Big Derek could tell she was trying hard to keep herself composed and he wondered if she was going to breakdown. He stood at the ready. After a few moments though, she took a deep breath, dabbed at her eyes with a napkin and said, “gosh darned onions." There was a slight but audible sigh of relief from Shawn. The women begin to move around the kitchen in total sync with each other, in a flow that only years of friendship could create. Big Derek and Shawn watched them for a few moments before Shawn, taking a cue from their wives and correctly assuming that Big Derek had no idea, stood and said, “So, Jordan scored fifty points for the second play-off game in a row last night. I’m telling you, this kid is gonna be the man.” The look on Big Derek’s face was of awe but he tried to hide it with a smirk. “Fifty points huh? That’s all fine and well but I’m gonna tell you like I tell DJ all the time…” The entire kitchen seemed to freeze at the mention of DJ’s name. Big Derek could feel the tug in his chest trying to immobilize him but he was determined that he wouldn’t let that happen in front of his wife and his friends. He continued, “Until he wins a championship and learns to play some defense like Wilt the Stilt…” Shawn laughed. “Oh boy here we go. Blocking shots does not constitute playing real defense. You’ve gotta see this kid in action. I’m sure they’re playing some highlights on T.V. Maybe you’ll see what DJ and I see.” The two men headed for the living room. Big Derek hadn’t seen any of the NBA playoff games. He was grateful for the distraction. And Maybe Tania had the right idea. Maybe he’d share some of what he saw with DJ later.

Big Derek wished DJ could see Michael Jordan in this game. Even though his tongue sticking out of his mouth every time he went to the hole annoyed Big Derek like nothing, he had to admit that the kid had game. I’ll definitely have to tell DJ but I’ll never admit it to Shawn, he thought and smiled. “Uh huh, I see you over there smiling. Admit it, this kid is great,” Shawn said as if reading his mind.” Before Big Derek could eat a piece of the humble pie being served with every Jordan inspired fast break, the door bell rang. Shawn must have known that they hadn’t had any visitors because he looked over at Big Derek with the same question on his face that he could imagine was on his. “I’ll get it babe,” he said loud enough for Lynn to hear in the kitchen. He pulled back the door to see Nate standing in front of him with his head down. His hands were in his pockets but as soon as he looked up at Big Derek, he quickly pulled them out. The young man is learning, Big Derek thought. He remembered telling Nate, “Men never walk around with their hands in their pockets. It gives the impression that you have something to hide. As a young black man in America, you have every opportunity for greatness, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. You have absolutely nothing to hide.” He only said this to Nate once and had never seen his hands in his pockets again, until today. It seemed that now Nate just didn’t know what to do with them. He balled them into fists and banged them together like two fighters ready to come out swinging. “Big D, I uh..” His face was turning bright red. Big Derek wasn’t going to leave him out on a limb. “Lynn and Deb are in the kitchen making food. There’s going to be plenty and I know you can eat.” Nate flashed a bright, grateful smile. “C’mon, Shawn and I are watching the highlights,” Big Derek said. “Oh and Tania is upstairs with DJ.” Nate’s entire disposition changed. He stood up to his full height, only four inches shorter than Big Derek (and one inch taller than DJ. Lynn referred to the three of them and Shawn as the “stair-steps.") From the expression that took over his face at the mention of her name, it was clear that he was definitely in love. As he passed the staircase on the way to the kitchen, he hesitated before ducking under the kitchen doorway. “Hello Momma Harris, Mrs. Johnson.” Big Derek could hear Lynn say, “It’s really good to see you Nate. How are your mom and sister?” “They’re fine, Momma Harris.” Nate’s voice became heavy. Big Derek was glad that he couldn’t see him. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around in awhile.” Lynn stopped him. “It’s ok Nate. Still got an appetite twice your size?" Big Derek could hear the smile in Lynn's voice. “Yes, ma’am,” Nate answered. He sounded as if he wanted to say more but he didn’t. “I’m glad to hear it. Would you take Shawn’s plate into the living room with you and let Big Derek know that his is ready also?" “Yes ma’am,” Nate answered again. He ducked back out of the kitchen. “Hello Mr. Johnson,” Nate greeted Shawn, handing him a heaping plate of food. Shawn’s was a one word acknowledgement, “Nate." Nate moved to the chair furthest away from Shawn and sat down. “Big D, Ma says that your plate is ready.” Nate could have easily carried three plates of food into the living room but if Big Derek knew Lynn, he knew that she had Shawn’s delivered purposely. It didn’t take him long to figure what Lynn already knew; somewhere along the line Shawn and Deb realized that Tania had feelings for Nate. And apparently, Shawn wasn’t happy about it. Big Derek joked to lighten the mood. “Oh, so Shawn gets preferential treatment now? Thanks for the delivery, Nate. No tip for you.” With his head down, Nate smiled into his food.

Leaving the room, Big Derek thought that he couldn’t really blame Shawn for not being excited about the idea of Nate and Tania. Nate wasn’t a bad kid but from early on, he caught a bad break. DJ came home from school one day when he was in the sixth grade going on and on about this boy who had taken on the school bully. “You know how some kids kinda tease me because I’m friends with Tania? Well today, Jack the Jerk is all up in my face but he’s not touching me so I ignore him like you said. Tania is, you know, being Tania and comes over and tells him to leave me alone. He pushed her to the ground.” Immediately Big Derek thought that he’d have to pay a visit to “Jack the Jerk’s” parents if Shawn hadn’t already. “Dad, are you listening?” He tuned back into his son. “I’m telling you, before I got a chance to slug him, this new boy Nate came outta nowhere and whacked Jack something terrible! He had a black eye and everything!” It was clear that his son was very impressed with