A Picture Prompt Story 

by Nicole C. 

 

As I drove back home to where I was raised as a little boy in West Baltimore, Maryland, the visit brought back memories of my childhood life. I looked through my rear view mirror as I drove through my old neighborhood. People were standing on the corner like I expected them to be, near stores were I used to go to buy candy for five cents and get my favorite bubble gum. I can still see me running off the school bus and Mr. Smith stopping me,

"Come here boy! Where you running off to now?"

I stopped and gasped holding my basketball tightly in my hand. "To the candy store sir."

Mr. Smith always had something to say like, "Jesse save your money, keep your head up, stay in school, and use that darn ball as your meal ticket out of this ghetto." I had to smile because it was funny; he was right about what he was saying.

I pulled up to the house where I grew up. Surprisingly it's still in the same condition it was in twelve years ago--ashy windows, porch still ready to fall apart any day now. The roof never got fixed, paint chippings are still peeling off the siding, and more surprising the flag my father put up still remains.

As I walked into the house my mind was getting foggy. I walked up the stairs. I could hear my mother's voice saying, "Jesse Pathon Mathews if I have to call you again to get up for school one more time boy." I walked into my room where my little brother Donell and I would sleep. Donell was only 8 months younger than me. He was always the one who would ask when our father was coming home from rehab. No one ever had an answer, not even our mother. 

I would tell my brother,” Soon one day we’ll get out of this old run down house and won't have to worry about nothing.” I sat down on the cold hard floor with my back against the wall taking deep breaths as I felt the room turn dark as a train tunnel. 

A light flashes in my face; It's Donell asking, "Why you sitting on the floor?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the things that went on in this old house."

"Well you need to hurry up. This place gives me the creeps just being here now, and anyway Mama and Daddy are outside waiting on you in their new Porsche.  They’re all happy."

" All right I’m coming." I answer back.

As I was leaving and stepped back to take another look at this house, Mama said, "There's no need to look back any more. We're starting a new life. We’re all doing fine; you finally made it big like you said you would."

"Yeah your right, but it's we who finally made it."

“Donell, you have a game tonight right?" Daddy asks.

"Yes sir I do, and I can't wait. Them bulls are gonna wish they never ran into the wolves."

 

 

SMARTSPARKS
CLASS LINKS