Raising them right
“Watch me catch that ball,” said 10 year old Ty, to his 13 year old brother Kayden.
“I bet you can’t.”
He then threw the ball to Ty. Instead of catching the ball, it went over his head and hit a stranger on the arm. Ty and Kayden ran towards their house with the stranger in pursuit. Instead of going into their house, they split up. Ty went down an alley and Kayden went inside of a crowded store.
When he peeked from behind a store shelf, he saw the stranger run pass the store. Then Kayden sneaked out of the store to see where the stranger was headed. He then spotted the stranger looking around at the corner of the block. The stranger then looked towards the store and saw Kayden. The stranger ran towards him and Kayden froze and said a silent prayer.
The woman grabbed him by his shirt.
“Why did you hit me?”
“I was throwing it to my brother. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
“Why did you run then?”
Kayden didn’t want to ask any more questions. He just wanted this huge lady to let him go.
While she was still holding him, one of the customers told her to let him go and she told him to mind his business.
Then Kayden’s Aunt came into the store.
“Can you please take your hands off of my nephew?”
“Oh hi Lexy,” said the huge woman with a smile as she was releasing her grips on Kayden.
She told Lexy what happened. His Aunt then told Kayden to say he was sorry.
“Sorry? But I said I didn’t mean it,” said Kayden.
“I didn’t ask you to say all that smart mouth. Go home now before I tell your mother that you don’t know how to throw a straight ball and you’re hitting strangers.”
Kayden left the store to go look for Ty. He walked from block to block calling him and after a while thought that he had went home.
When he got home his mother told him that she wanted him to go to the store for her. As she was getting the money out of her pocket book she asked him where Ty was.
“I’m looking for him mom.”
“Looking? He’s supposed to be with you. Go and get your brother then go to the store.”
Kayden rushed back downstairs to find Ty coming upstairs.
“Ty where were you? I was about to look for you again.”
“I was hiding from that big woman, did she find you?”
“Everything is cool. I’m going to the store for mom. She wants to see you, so go inside the house,” said Kayden running down the steps.
Ty went inside and his mother was so happy to see him.
“Come here boy and sit down.”
Ty sat on a chair in the kitchen and looked straight in his mother’s face.
“Why did you get lost? You know the streets aren’t safe.”
“But Jesus is watching me mom and He’s always protecting us.”
“Don’t temp the Lord Ty. Stay close to your brother and don’t wander off again.”
“I didn’t. Some big woman was chasing us, because Kayden hit her with the ball when we were playing. It was a mistake.”
“A big woman?”
His mother began to worry.
She knew how bad the streets were to her children, but they couldn’t stay cooped up inside of the house. If only her husband was around, she thought.
While putting on her sweater, she told Ty to come with her to point this woman out.
“You don’t want to mess with her momma, she’s huge.”
“Remember, God is protecting us. We’ll be alright.”
His mother was getting ready to go out the house when she heard Kayden come through the door.
“Praise the Lord. What happened?”
“Ty told me about some lady chasing you and him.”
“Everything is ok ma…that was Aunt Lexy’s friend. She stopped the woman from pounding on me because they knew each other.”
“Aunt Lexy huh”
Aunt Lexy was her ex-husband’s sister that hung around in the streets. So his mother had a good idea on what the woman looked like.
“You guys are in for today. Tomorrow is a new day.”
The next day the boys were playing in the park again and since it was Saturday, they couldn’t stay out late, because they had to go to church.
While they were playing, a much older boy came to them and asked them if he could play. Kayden and Ty didn’t like the looks of the boy and told him no. The boy then took the ball and walked away. Kayden looked at Ty and then seen his Aunt’s friend walking past.
“Ask her,” said Ty.
Kayden then waved to her and she came towards them.
“What’s up little man?”
“That boy just took my ball.”
Looking around Aunt Lexy’s friend spotted the young man.
“Who Damien, my son?”
“Yeah” said Kayden and Ty in unison.
The women called to her son and gestured him to come to her. When he got closer she told him to give the boys back their ball while slapping him upside his head.
“Don’t bother them again. Now get on out of here.”
Damien walked away rubbing his head.
“Thank you mamme,” said Kayden.
“Mamme? Don’t call me that, call me Dre.”
“Dre?” That’s a boys’ name said Ty”
“And…”
Ty was confused but Kayden wasn’t. He tapped Ty on the arm and told him to let it go.
“Thanks Dre’,” said Kayden.
She walked away telling him if he sees his Aunt to let her know, because she’ll be around the block for a while.
The boys went home early and their mother helped them get their Sunday suits ready. At bed time, the boys said their prayers and went fast asleep.
In the morning after their mother finished cooking breakfast, she went to their rooms.
“Get up boys; it’s time to get up.”
They heard their mother say those words 6 days a week, except on Saturday. Ty bounced out of bed, while Kayden dragged and oozed his body down to the floor.
“Get up Kayden, don’t you smell those pancakes,” said Ty.
Kayden bounced up and headed out the bedroom.
At the breakfast table their mother cooked pancakes, eggs and grits.
“These are good mom,” said Kayden.
“Well you and Ty deserve the best. You’re good boys that make me proud to be a mother. I also made the pancakes special today, because I want to hear you sing in the choir, instead of me hearing everyone else, you hear me.”
“Yes Mamme,” said Kayden.
On their way to church with their mother, the boys saw Damien standing on the corner bouncing a ball.
“Hey man, you want to come with us?” said Kayden.
“Yeah”
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“Of course, I wasn’t born yesterday. I go to church when I can.”
Damien looked at his clothes and then at Kayden and Ty’s mother.
“You look fine the way you are. If you come with us more, I’ll buy you a suit,” said their mother.”
“For Sure,” said Damien excitedly.
She smiled and nodded
Damien was overjoyed and more than happy to go to church now.
After service, Damien told Kayden and Ty’s mother that he will come again. Damien kept his promise and got his suit.
His mother Dre’ saw his suit one day and asked him who gave it to him. He told her Kayden and Ty’s mother bought it for him.
“So she’s dressing you now?”
“It’s only for church mom, stop tripping.”
“That’s fine, but don’t come in here telling me I’m wrong. I do me and you do you, understand.”
“Yes mom.”
Damien was 18 years old and had one more year of high school when he had met the boys. Now he had graduated and was away at college. His church instilled values in him that he never received at home. He was now a child of the King.
Damien always prayed for his family and kept in touch with Kayden and Ty’s mother, who he often called mom.
He became a role model for Kayden and Ty and they told people that he was their older brother.
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