The Carter's

Flashback #2

Kenyanna's POV:

We were at Odell's football game. This was the game where the scouts were coming watch them. O had been talking about this all week. All he wanted to was to go to the NFL, but first he had to get this scholarship to college. Pops was getting angry in the stands because Odell was playing kind of off today. I guess it was because he was nervous. It was his senior year, his last year to prove himself and he was playing trash.

Lourie was on the sidelines filming. Pops got her attention.

"Tell your brother to look at me!" He screamed to her.

"Walter be nice to him. He's nervous." Mother said eyeing pops

"Nervous my ass! He'll never get that scholarship playing like this!" He was angry. Odell looked at him

"You better play likes its your last damn game! We ain't do all this work for nothing! Those football camps were a waste of our money if you playing like this!" Pops fussed at O. He just put his head down

"YEA I PLAY BETTER THAN THIS!" Ethan stood up. Mother pushed him back down.

"Pops you're embarrassing him" Cheryl looked at him

"I don't care."

I bit my lip and started thinking

"Ken stop that." Ethan looked at me

"Stop what?" I smirked.

"That look. I know that look from anywhere. That's the look you give when you thinking about doing something stupid. Don't do it" he said then shook his head.

"I won't" I said then left while nobody was looking.

"And what are y-" Ethan stopped when he seen me gone. "Oh boy!"

"Oh boy what?" Mother asked him.

"Oh boy.... Odell is having a bad game" he said snapping his fingers

"You damn right" pops shook his head.

I made my way down the bleachers and went to the sidelines. I made sure Lourie couldn't see me either.

"What's up baby girl!" O's friend Jamie high fived me.

"Hey! Where's my brother?"

"He's on the bench over there. Number 13" he answered.

"I know his number" I laughed then went to the bench where he was.

"That girl looks like Ken" Cheryl squinted her eyes.

"Please Ken knows not to sneak away from us like that." Pops shook his head.

"Yea huh Ken?" Mother asked. Ethan eyes got big. "Ken?" She asked again

"Oh duh mother" Ethan said in a girl voice.

I tapped Odell in the shoulder and he ignored me. I tapped him again

"Just me leave me the fu-" he stopped when he seen me

"Oooo you was about to say a naughty word!" I pointed

"No I wasn't. Why you down here? I'm telling mother and pops YOU snuck away" he said sticking his tongue out at me

"I just came to give you some words of encouragement" I nodded my head

"Encouragement?" He laughed. "What you got?"

"O you are one of the best players on this team. Stop being nervous because the scouts are watching. Whatever God has in store for you, will come to you. You've prayed about this, I've prayed about this believe it or not. No matter how much you don't like me, I still love you. I want my big brother to make it to the NFL so I can tell everybody oh that's my brother on tv. You're going to be a great wide receiver. Just think about it like how Peter had to trust God when he walked on that water. Sure he was scared, but he had faith. Have faith in yourself O"

"Oh my god! That is Ken!" Mother eyes got big

"what is she doing?" Cheryl asked standing up

"Looks like she's talking to O" pops squinted his eyes.

"And the bible also says to delight yourself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Your heart desires some big dreams O and you're a child of God. Nobody loves God like you do, we at least nobody your age. He knows you Odell, and he knows your heart. Stop being nervous and give your faith to him" I hugged Odell and he just looked at me shocked.

"Did mother tell you to say that?" He laughed a little

"No! I wanted to say that. Now let's pray" I grabbed his hands and he took a deep breathe.

"They're praying. Awwww." Cheryl grabbed her heart.

"So she went down there for that!? Really Ken!" Ethan fussed and my mother hit him.

"Stop it. She's being a good baby sister" mother said proud. Pops just nodded his head.

"Dear god. We come before you today to ask you to break Odell out of this shell of worry. We know you know Odell. We know you know all of us. He wants this more than anything. He's lived faithfully by your word and he deserves this more than anybody I know. You told us and I quote 'And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.' So that's what I'm doing for my brother. Odell you wanna add anything?" I asked looking at him. His eyes were shut tight, I think he was crying. Or he was just in the moment "you know what he's saying God. Whatever he's asking for is between you and him and I shall not interrupt. Amen and amen" Odell let my hands go and hugged me tight

"Thank you so much Ken" he kissed my cheek.

"No problem. Oh and two more things. Mother tells me that and it seems to work every time" I cleared my throat. "Everything is gonna be alright"  I nodded and rubbed his arm.

"Yes it will" he reassured me.

I walked up to his coach and tapped. Odell's eyes got so wide when he seen me do that. His coach turned around and looked at me. He squatted and rubbed his hands

"What's up baby girl?" He smiled at me

"Coach I need you to put my brother back in the game. He's ready." I looked at Odell and put my thumbs up. The coach laughed

"Oh he's ready now?" He looked at Odell. Odell put his helmet on and nodded.

"Alright little bit. You've persuaded me to let O back in. CARTER! Get back in the game!" Coach yelled at Odell and he was gone

"Who would've known Ken?" Cheryl laughed

"She has a heart like her mother" pops smiled

I made my way back to my seat and we watched the game. Odell was playing so much better. He was back to his normal self. He never dropped nor missed a ball. He even got 3 touchdowns.

"Oh my god Ken what did you tell him?" Mother asked

"Just some stuff and some scriptures." I shrugged  

"Well thank you!" Pops smiled and cheered for O.

The game was over and Odell was so happy. He talked to some of the scouts and ran back to us

"So guess who just got a card from the coach at LSU?" He said excitedly

"LSU!? Baby that's great! And close to home!" Mother hugged him

"Yes and bama!"

"CRIMSON TIDE!" Pops yelled and hugged him

He picked me up and hugged "thanks to this little girl right here" he kissed my cheek

"Only because you're a Carter" I rolled my eyes playfully. We all laughed.

"I'm really proud of you Ken. You're growing up to became a great young woman" mother kissed me

"Woman! Woah. She's still a kid" pops said and picked me up.

And this was my family