*Four months later*
Jamal sat in class watching the clock ….. The school year started and pretty much all the family issues from the summer were not an issue ….. Dea. Brown moved back in the house …. And while he and his mother hadn’t patched everything up …. They got along …… and that itself was a miracle ….. “Damn … Will this day ever end?” Jamal said to one of classmates at school …… The speaker rang indicating the afternoon announcements and the end of the say ….
“Afternoon students …. Just want to inform you that voting for homecoming court will begin tomorrow morning. Based upon the nominations here are your candidates starting with Mr. Freshmen …..” Jamal rolled his eyes at the long list of names about to be called … He was ready to get home ….why??? No particular reason ….. He didn’t see his friends from the gay group during the week ....... not to mention Dudley was pretty much ghosting these days …… Jamal thought about things not paying attention to the names being called … he’d vote for sumone …. Didn’t matter …. “And your final candidate for Homecoming King …. Jamal Adante-Mike’l Brown …. Please if your name was called please stop by the office to pick up your information packet …. And Have a great Presidential Day from Wilson High …”
Jamal looked around as everyone was congratulating him …… He was shocked …… “Congrats Mal ….” One of the girls from his chemistry class said as he walked out the class …… “Uh …thanks ….” But how??? He didn’t nominate himself … … HE knew just where to go ….. Locker 112 …… “I suppose I have you to thank for this????” Jamal looked at Alex and Brandy …. Two members from his church ….. “What u talking bout Mal ???” They looked around trying not to smile …. “How could u do this??? I’m just trying to have a low key senior year and get the hell outta Portsmouth …..” Jamal fell back on the lockers …… “Damn why can’t u just be happy for once??? U had a rough summer I kno … but damn Mal …. U deserves to be happy … and besides …everyone tired of Travis King winning every year ….. U need to take this” Brandy snapped her fingers ……
He had to admit …t he sound of his name being called for King had a nice ring to it …. “But girls … u kno I’m not that popular ….” “Don’t worry …. U leave that to us …” Brandy and Alex were the social directors …. Everyone knew them even if they didn’t knoe everyone ….. Jamal shook his head …… So much for that quiet senior year ……..
Jamal walked in the house ….. “Good afternoon Rev. Brown ….” HE walked passed the den hoping that she wouldn’t call him back ……. “Jamal? Come here please …..” she spoke never looking up from her bible ….. “Damn” Jamal said under his breath …. “Yes ma’am?” He walked in carrying his books …. “How’s school going? I hear you are making quite the impression on the teachers …..” She still looked down at her books ….. Jamal was shocked … she didn’t talk to him much without his dad around … and now she was asking about school …….. “Um … Well I’m doin my best you know?” Jamal stood by the door ….. She looked up …. “Why don’t you have a seat?” She moved her books out of the chair across from her …..pulled her glasses above her head …… and sat back in the chair …….. “So …..Allot has changed since the summer Jamal …. What do you think is going to come of all of this??” “What do you mean??” Jamal was confused ……
“I mean ….. we are all adjusting …. Your father and I are still in counseling …. You are continuing counseling …… but the fact remains …. We are a family and our views will not change because you have changed ……” Rev. Brown chose her words wisely …. She did not want to set off her husband … but some of the church members were starting to talk ….. How could she lead to the congregation with her homosexual son right in the front?? But her heart was softened by remembering how much she loved her son …….. so this was the chance for him to make it right ……
Jamal thought long and hard about this …. For once it seemed as if she was acknowledging his presence ….. all he had to do was just say what she wanted to hear ….. she didn’t have to know how he really felt ……. “Ma …. I … I may have been a little confused .. I’m just you know …. Young ….. Maybe I made a mistake …..” Jamal hated how he felt …. But if it got his family back ….. that was something he had to do …. “Oh Mal …. I knew .. that if I prayed to the Lord hard enough …t hat you would see the error of your ways … Thank God son …..” Rev. Brown clapped her hands and waved them toward the sky …… She came and then hugged Jamal …. Why wasn’t Jamal feeling the same way ……..
His stomach turned flips as he walked upstairs … not only had he lied to himself … but he lied to his mother …… He thought …..’I can do this ….only a few more months then I’m off to Howard ……’ His thoughts trailed off until his phone rang …….. “Hello?” “Hey Mal …. This is Kevin ….Kevin Edwards” Now Kevin was the most popular kid at his school … He looked exactly like Taye Diggs …. With a body to match …… Why was he calling Jamal wondered ….. “Uh … wassup man??” “Nothin much … just wanted to congratulate u on getting the nom for Homecoming King ….” “Yea .. uh thanks ……. I dun think Imma win tho …… but its all good …” Jamal lay on his bed ….. Kevin had a nice phone voice … you kno the kind that make u get hard with every word ………. “ Naw ..that’s why I’m callin u …… U need to win and Imma make sure that happens … What u doin after school tomorra? A few of the fellas and I are gonna hit the mall and figured that’d be a good time to get u fitted for ur tux and to make sum rounds ……”
Jamal hesitated … he had told the group kids that he’d be hangin with them later that week ….. but then again ….. he had this fine person on the phone …… “Uh … I’ll have to check with my mom … U kno I’m the preacher’s son …..” They both laughed …. “That’s allright boo …. I’ll be on the square tomorra ……Holla” *click*
‘Wait’ Jamal though … Did he just call me boo?’ Jamal hoped that he hadn’t heard that part …… He was just getting over Dudley …. And he sure as hell didn’t need any more reasons for Rev. Brown to get Holier Than Thou ……
YOU ARE READING
The Preachas Son
RomanceJamal is your typical pk. always doing church work following all of the rules until one weekend his entire world is shifted and he goes from being the golden child to public enemy number one. will he be able to balance life as he once knew???? or...
