Page 49 of Out of Bounds
“Whaddup, bih!”Deuce called out after he entered the locker room. “Don’t tell me you sitting in here sulking. We just won the fucking game! What reason you got to be sad?” Sliding in front of his locker, he tossed his helmet to the side and leaned back.
“Nawl…” I shook my head. “I’m happy as hell with the win.”
“Then why you sitting here with ya face all frowned up and shit?”
“I didn’t get to see my kids after the game.” Folding my arms across my chest, I extended my legs in front of me and leaned back into my locker.
“Oh, okay. Sis wasn’t tryna stick around?”
“Masai ain’t come. She sent them with her mama.”
Tonight, we had a Monday night game. My mother-in-law brought the kids to see me play, but before the end of the game, they had dipped. The minute I finished my post-game interview, I had planned to go see them in the suite, so I was pissed. She shot me a text letting me know that Masai wanted them home early so they could get in bed since it was a school night.
“Awww, man. I’m sorry, bruh. I know how much it means to you for them to be here. When’s the next time you’re getting them?”
“Aurora’s birthday party is this weekend, so they staying at the crib with me when it’s over.”
“That’s what’s up. So, what you got going for the rest of the night? A few of us planning on hitting Cheetah.”
“Not shit. Was gone head to the crib and chill.”
“You should slide out with us,” Deuce offered. “Yo’ ass ain’t been doing a bunch of nothing anyway. If the kids ain’t with you, yo’ ass be locked up in the house. Come kick it with ya boy.”
I chuckled. “Kicking it with my boy is the reason I’m in this mess.”
“Nawl, fuck nigga, ’cause I left that night. Yo’ ass the one tryna kick it with them young cats.”
“I’m fucking with you.”
“I’m already knowing. But, on the real, I know the divorce hurt. Shit, you lost yo’ lifeline. But sitting up in the crib sulking ain’t doing shit but making you relive every fucking thing. Step out with ya patna tonight, and let me treat you to a drink.”
I thought about what Deuce was saying. Life without my wife had been real fucking mundane. I know one night out wouldn’t solve all of my problems, but shit, it couldn’t hurt either. “Aight. I’ll rock out with y’all for a lil’ minute,” I finally agreed.
“Bet. I’mma tell Jrue’s ass you gon’ slide through. Want me to come scoop you?” he asked before saying, “Nawl, I’mma come get ya. If I let yo’ ass leave here, you gon’ somehow change ya mind.”
I laughed because he was probably right. “Yeah, man… you can come grab me.”
“Bet. I’ll hit you when I’m on the way.”
“Say less.” After talking with him for a few more minutes, I shed my game gear and changed into some throwaway clothes.Before I left the facility, Deuce made me promise one last time that I wasn’t going to flake. I did, and even though I wanted nothing more than to go sit in the darkness of my house, I promised myself that I would be ready when he showed.
After getting home and showering, I scoured my closet for something to put on. The kids ended up FaceTiming me before they went to bed, so my mood gone down from there. I was getting ready to change my mind and renege when Jrue hit me up. His ass must’ve known I was getting ready to cancel. I understood what they were aiming for, but the last thing I wanted was to be in the fucking strip club around a bunch of hard legs and some thirsty-ass hoes. That’s the reason my ass was sitting here, divorced now.
“What you ordering, Dolla?” Jrue asked, snapping me out of my daydream.
“Oh, shit. Let me get a Whiskey neat, a bottle of 1942, and put whatever they ordering on my tab.” I fished my wallet out of my back pocket and attempted to pass it to the waitress when Deuce told me it was on him tonight. I wasn’t about to argue with his ass, so I put my shit back in place.
“We got you tonight,” Jrue added.
I eyed them suspiciously. “Fuck you niggas got going on?”
“Nothing, nigga. The fuck.” Deuce frowned. “Niggas tryna show you that you loved over this way. We want you to know that we got ya back. Whatever you need, we here for you. Lean on yo’ bro’s, dog. You ain’t gotta go through this shit alone.”
It took me a few seconds to respond, but when I did, I smiled. “’Preciate that shit, dog.”
“We know life right now may be gloomy, and you feeling like the world against you, but it’s not. Dog… you made a mistake, and it’s cost you a lot, but we yo’ niggas. We gon’ rock out with ya regardless,” Jrue added.
“I know, man. I been beating myself up ’bout the shit ’cause I really lost my soulmate. Like, I’m taking it on the chin. It’s just taking a minute to process.”
