Ball Is Life

Chapter 5.1

Malik

After India left I decided to leave too. I needed to think and shit. Being around my friends weren't going to help shit at all. All they were going to do was joke around about the whole thing and I didn't think shit was funny. I didn't think any of it was funny.

I decided to go home and chill; I moved back out here a few months ago and just been on my own since. I mean my sister stays here but I was still on my own. I got into my car and pulled off. I was driving for at least thirty minutes before I actually got home. I live so far away from where I use to live. The only reason I drove out there is because of India. I heard she was playing and shit and I wanted to go see her.

My plan was to get her to talk to me and shit and it worked out perfectly. I didn't want to find out the things I found out though.

I still have a daughter out in the world that had no idea who her real father was. She was with people who didn't have their blood running through her veins. My blood was running all through her. I wanted to see her. I wanted her to know who I was. I was her daddy. Not the motherfuckers that had her.

By the time I pulled into my drive way I had a thread with over two hundred pictures attached to them. They were all of Eliza, a few with India. That shit made my heart smile. I sat in my car looking at all of the photos. I saved them to my phone and finally got out my car.

When I got into my house I went straight to my home phone dialing my mom's number. I sat on the couch and waiting until she answered.

"Hello?" Her voice rang through my phone.

"Ma, I got some stuff to tell you man."

"What is it Honey? What's wrong?"

"Remember India?" I asked.

"Yes, the little basketball player. I loved her."

I sighed and swallowed. My mom always liked India. I never told her what I did to India. Do you know what the fuck she would do to me if she found out what the fuck I did to India? I couldn't do that shit to my mom. As far as my mom knows India and I broke up because she was going through stuff at home and she couldn't do basketball, her family drama and a boyfriend at the same time.

"Yeah, I know mom. I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Three years ago, India and I were sexually involved."

"Yeah..."

"Three years ago she had a baby girl by the name Eliza."

The line was silent and I could only hear my mom's light breathing. I sighed before putting my hand on my head waiting for her to say something.

"Mom." I said into the phone. "I have a daughter."

My mom started crying into the phone and I shook my head. When I tell her that I would never see her she is really going to be crying.

"But mom, that's not it." I said.

"What else is it?"

"I will never get the chance to hold her and or see her."

"Why? Is she trying to keep her from you? We can take her to court son. We will not let her keep a child from you. Your child at that. That's not even an option."

"Mom, she gave Eliza up for adoption. The people who adopted her would send her pictures and updates on Eliza but they haven't sent anything for a year so far."

"Why would she give her up? We could have helped." My mom sighed. "We could have helped!"

Two things my mom was against were abortions and giving up your children. If you can lay there and have sex, you can stand up and be a man or women and take care of your children.