Off The GridIron

Chapter 22: Nice Seeing You

Friday August 9th, 1991

10:15am

Chris

I was at my job taking orders and talking to the customers and just making casual conversation. As i was doing that i seen someone familiar out the corner of my eye, the officer. The same officer that made me smile that day after that whole altercation with my pops. I never got that officer's name but I recognize the face anywhere.

"Hey can i get a burger, fries & a shake to go... Oh hey lil' man how are you doing?"

I'm doing good officer..."

"My name is Luther, Luther Walker."

"Ooh well it's nice to meet you Mr. Walker, I mean Officer Walker, officially that is. Well we'll have that order for you in a second, it comes to $8.35." I told him as he paid and sat down. About 5 minutes later or so I brought him his order.

"Here you go officer walker."

"Thanks young'n, hey, you sure you doing alright?"

"Yeah i'm doing good, thanks for asking. Leon's been helping me with things."

"Well that's good, so you excited about school starting back?"

"Can't really say, school's tough at times but i'm smart, it's fitting in that's the troubling thing, Leon and his friends have helped me a lot since everything that happened with my father....my sperm donor and all."

"Why do you call him your sperm donor?"

"Well he wasn't much of a father now was he, anyway i have to get back to work. It was cool seeing you again, you have a good day."

"Yeah, you too." He said as he got his food and left. I went about my shift off and on, there were a few people that came in that were impatient but i gave them a smile and talked to some of them to brighten their day up. Around 5:00pm my shift was up and I decided to walk back home. As I continued walking home, I heard police sirens, oooh maybe another high speed chase. Then the car pulled over and I turned around and saw it was the same officer from earlier, he turned his sirens off and honked the horn. He waved me over, and I went up to the car.

"Hey.... Officer, what's up?"

"I'm good, just getting ready to get off my shift in a while, what about you?"

"Walking home, my shift just ended not that long ago."

"Right right, we live in the same neighborhood, so I usually pass through here on my way home."

"Oooh alright, for a second or two i thought you were stalking me, I hope you weren't." I laughed. "I know as an officer you're supposed to go above and beyond to protect and serve, but this is taking it to a whole new level."

"Well maybe it is, but hey what happened with you was wrong, no one deserves to be treated like that, i couldn't picture treating my kids like that." He said.

"True but hey that's the way that it is, it's a lot of wrongs that happen in this here world, we just got to work with the cards we've been dealt with you know. And we have to hope that nice people like yourself, or Leon, come into our lives." He smiled and looked at me.

"I don't see how after all this you can still be positive."

"Like i said when you have people in your life that cares you're always going to have a smile on your face. Anyway i gotta get home but it was nice seeing you."

"Same to you." He tipped his hat at me and drove away.

I went to the house and unlocked the door and walked into the house. I thought to myself about life, and what I've been through. I got some water and some food for lunch. After that the phone rang and I answered it.

"Yo Leon what's good?"

"No this is Chris."

"Hey Chris it's Willie. I thought Leon would be over there."

"No i just got in from work, i thought he'd be over there with you playing some football. He's probably with that woman." I said.

"Yeah you're right. Well how are you been doing?"

"I've been good, what about you?"

"Same, just been busy with life." He said. "You know you go through life thinking about how things play out. Here i am, young, getting ready to turn 18 soon, and i've seen more in my life than anyone else should see."

"Yeah i'm sure you and Leon both have seen a lot in life."

"Yeah, but we've changed our lives around, because of Sean Porter, that man was like a god sent to us, he helped us in our time of need and molded us, molded us into men, he told us life after we got out of Camp Kilpatrick, but to make the best of it, Mustangs through and through you know. Leon was tough, but he seemed like he always had a good heart, and he does, i mean i'm happy he helped you in your time of need. That's what Sean taught us, who help others when they are down." He said.

"Yeah you're right. Leon has been a tremendous help to me man, i mean after dealing with everything i went through with my father, it was rough but i pulled through and i made sure i did, with the help of Leon, You & Danyelle, even some of the people at my job, y'all showed me that all people aren't bad." I told him.

We talked for a little while longer, and the more we talked the more I could see the brotherhood that Sean Porter instilled in them. Leon is a good person, so is Willie & Danyelle and I'm glad these people came into my life, everyone needs someone to lean on.

End Of Chapter 22