Brother's Keeper✔️

20. Two for the Win

Jordan POV

Manny's parents were interesting. Nothing like him at all. Sure, his father asked him if he was Baptized, and when he said no, he asked if could he baptize him. The last time he was in church was around age eleven or twelve when his mother couldn't force him anymore and he decided not to go.

He believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and  Black Baby Jesus, but organized religion was not his thing. Going to church every Sunday, to hear the choir jam, the preacher yell, give away all your money, and have a monthly fish fry had nothing to do with God blessing him. He read the bible... at least most of it, and he knew right from wrong. That was enough for him.

Did he want to get Baptized? No.

He would stay unholy or a heathen. He knew many people that were baptized, didn't mean they were a better person because of it. They drank, smoked, lied, stole, and every other sin. Mr. Thomas spent an hour while they were in their room lecturing them about what God wanted for him.

"I feel you're blessed, son."

"Okay, sure." How was he blessed when he was poor as hell, struggling to afford to stay in college, and had nothing to go home to if he did drop out of college. That was not the plan, he was going to earn his degree no matter what.

"Don't block your blessing son, it's coming for you."

His blessing. Maybe he meant they were going to win the Talent Show. The grand prize was fifteen hundred dollars and split in half that was seven hundred and fifty dollars that he needed. That would get him straight the rest of the semester if he spent it wisely. Or invest in his plan to become a social media influencer. He needed to buy lighting and other equipment to make better quality videos.

Right now there was no traffic coming through the big three accounts: Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Facebook too, but he was not focused on that right now.

"You can see the future?" he asked the old man. They were way older than his mother who had him at eighteen. They were old enough to be his grandparents. "Can you see if me and Manny gonna win this talent show?"

Manny quickly elbowed him in the side while they were standing there in the middle of church.

"Dude!" He pushed him away. "Are we going to win?"

"Excuse me, what is this talent show thing?" Mrs. Thomas asked.

"Manny didn't tell you? We're performing in this big talent show tonight. In fact," he stopped to check his phone. "We should go grab a bite to eat or something before we have to get ready for tonight."

"A talent show." Mr. Thomas looked at Manny. "For the Gospel Choir?"

"No Dad, it's just a regular talent show we're doing, nothing big."

"Nothing big?" he started. "It's huge! All the old heads come back and watch the show. A good portion of the campus was there last year, it was jam-packed. My girl and Manny's girlfriend will be there."

"Girlfriend?" his mother asked.

He could see Manny told his parents nothing. His bad for saying too much, but it was what it was. He wasn't doing anything wrong or illegal. Hell, he told his mother when he was slanging and all she said was don't get caught. Manny went to Riverview, which was basically the hood, so to make it out and be in college with parents that gave him whatever he wanted, that meant they were doing something right. They had to trust him and let him make decisions about his own life.

"You know what? How about we take you two to dinner and Manny can tell us all about this talent show...and the girlfriend, invite her."

"I want to meet her," Mrs. Thomas said.