The Art of the Hustle 2 (Complete)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Deon's visits to Dr. Chang were a routine occurrence. Trevor made it part of their deal. Deon was carrying around a lot of emotional baggage that was stunting his growth as a person and Trevor felt Deon would feel more comfortable discussing his personal life with a trained professional rather than him. The added benefit was that Dr. Chang was a trained psychologist and so her advice would have more of an impact than his.

"Tell me about your childhood," she asked.

Deon took a deep breath and adjusted in his seat. Reading his body language, Dr. Chang assured him that he didn't have to talk about anything he didn't feel comfortable talking about.

"What do you want to know?" Deon responded.

"Let's start with where you were born."

"Surrey."

"Where did you grow up?"

"Mostly Surrey. Also, East Van."

"So which city did you prefer, Surrey or East Van?"

"East Van."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Deon paused to think. "I guess 'cause it's closer to downtown."

"Why is being close to downtown important to you?"

Deon looked at Dr. Chang as if it were a trick question, but then he looked down to think about his answer. He was shy around people he didn't know, especially really educated professionals like Dr. Chang.

"I don't know," he said.

"Can you tell me about your family?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"I had a brother. He died."

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

"How old you were you when he passed?"

Deon paused before he spoke. "It was about two years ago."

"May I ask how he died?"

"Overdose."

"That must have been really hard on you?"

Deon looked as though he was fighting back tears. His sombreness quickly turned into anger.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Deon. But part of the reason why we're here is to talk about this kind of stuff. I'm happy to move on, but I would eventually like to come back to it. Would you like to move on or talk about it later?"

"Later."

"Very well then. Tell me about your parents? Are they still together?"

Still noticeably upset, Deon just shook his head.

"Do you still talk to them?"

"No."

"When was the last time you spoke with them?"

"I have no memories of my dad. And my mother passed away when I was young."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Deon," Dr. Chang said remorsefully. She placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "You've had a hard life. Harder than most. But the good news is, you've lived through it. It has made you strong and confident. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah."

"Often when a person goes through difficult situations in their life, they gain a clearer perspective of what's really important to them. It can also teach you great lessons about life that may not be available to those who haven't gone through similar experiences. So while it's a difficult past with a lot of painful memories, there is still a lot of benefit to be gained, even though it may not seem like it to you right now."

"I feel blessed," Deon said sarcastically.

"I know you're being sarcastic, but surely there are things in your life that you're thankful for."

"My daughter."

"Oh, I wasn't aware that you even have a daughter. That's wonderful. What's her name?"

"Chanel. She's three."

"Do you have photos, I'd love to see her?"