“Your girl? What’s up with that?” Collin said, messing with him.
“Yeah, Perry here hooked me up with a chick. She got a few issues but I like her.”
“You’ve gotta girlfriend now?” Collin asked in a way that told us he was a little jealous.
“I guess you can call her that,” Lance said to him.
“Now I’m the only one without somebody, dang.”
“Well if Perry could find somebody for that nut, certainly we can get you hooked up. The honeys are going to be lined up at the door,” Deuce told him. “I’m sure he’s got some sorority girlfriends, all of them are always looking for somebody.”
Collin said in a depressed tone, “Yeah, but as messed up as it was for me, I was the talk of campus last semester with everything that happened with the ambulance and the hospital and me wanting to not…you know all that.”
“Whatever, man, them girls got more drama, bulimia, more operations to add to this and that to take away from that and this.”
“And then it’s rape I threw in there,” I said. Suddenly it got quiet and Lance looked at me.
“I need to see you now, NOW!!” he sort of yelled. He went to his bedroom.
Collin and Deuce looked at me like, “Man, what’s up?”
I threw up my hands like I didn’t know, and went into his room and shut the door.
“What’s up man, you want to talk to me?”
“Why you said rape? Something been going on with Anna. Every time I touch her and stuff…” He turned crazy, grabbed me by my collar and threw me at the door.
“What you do to her, man?”
“Wait, wait hold up, hold up dude, hold up!” I said, pushing him off of me.
“What’s going on in there?” Deuce asked.
“I got it y’all, I got it. Nah, I don’t know if I do have it. Why would you say rape like that Perry? You know something…”
“Yeah, I know something, but it’s not my business to tell you, alright, and no I didn’t rape the girl, but some stuff happened to me before I came here and she’s a part of it.”
“I’m confused…”
“Lance, partner, I’m not going to go into it. You need to talk to her about all that. You need to let her know you really care. I don’t know why she hasn’t shared all that stuff. It’s not my place to say, I was just bringing that up after you mentioned some other things that girls have to stress about…That’s it. For you to think I did something to her, that really offends me.”
“Alright alright, I’m sorry, it’s just I really like her and I’m trying to break through all that, and I thought about it a lot and I thought about that at the funeral, you know? I want my life to count for something, I want my life to stand for something. So many folks said so many great things about my grandmother. And it’s like her presence is with me and I want to make her proud, and part of that is settling down and caring for somebody the way she did for my grandfather. But I can’t do that if Anna won’t let me close. I don’t know…I was wrong for thinking that…I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” said Lance.
“We straight, it’s definitely evident that you care for her, to try and jump me, what…My little roommate growing up,” I said.
“Whatever,” Lance said. “I care about her and I know it. She does make me happy.”
“Then go for it, man,” I replied. “We gotta find Collin somebody.”
“You think we can?” Lance asked.
We both laughed.
It was dead week for students at Georgia and Georgia Tech, which meant there were no classes because it was time to study for exams. I couldn’t believe my first year of college was almost over. I learned so much. I was challenged so much that I had became a tougher man. I learned to care about my brothers as myself. I learned I had to stand up for what was right. And I learned it was okay to give my heart to Savoy. Things might not always go my way, but I could survive it because God is on my side and though I didn’t understand most of what He was up there doing, I certainly knew He had my back, front, sides and all. My angels, Goodness and Mercy, came to visit and the two of them didn’t say anything, but I felt them encouraging me to call my sister and do something with my dad. He was being real tough going through the whole colon cancer thing. I didn’t know a lot, and honestly didn’t really have a desire to get into the ins and outs of the treatment. But one thing I knew was that I wanted my dad to be okay. And I knew he needed to know that I cared more than I could say.
So I dialed her up. “Perry what’s going on? I was just heading to the library.”
“I don’t know sis…This is crazy, but maybe we should go home. I could be there in a couple hours.”
“Yeah I could too…You know, after I pack up some things.”
“You talk to Dad…Is there something I need to know?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. I just thought maybe we can go home, surprise him and mom and maybe make a weekend of it.”
“How much room you got left on the credit card?”
“My Visa still has $2500. You?”
“The same.”
“And they thought we would run their credit up,” Payton joked. “What you thinking?”
“I don’t know, maybe we swoop them up and go to Charleston or something for the weekend. All get massages, just be there for him. I don’t know, what you think?”
“I think he’d like that…But will he take time away from the dealership?”
“With as many people over there and with all he’s going through, we’ll make it so he won’t have a choice.”
“Alright, I’ll call Mom on the way,” she said. “You…can work it out with Dad. What are you thinking, chartering the plane?”
“You got me.”
“Sweet.”
When I got home and went by the dealership, I noticed my dad had a new secretary. She looked more homely and older than my mom. I was so glad that the young chick that he had the little thing with was gone. Just for that alone I wanted to take him out and hug him.
But as he was fussing at some salesman for not meeting their quota, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to just pull him away. It was the end of the month, a Saturday was coming, he was going to make his hustle and I’m sure the business had been keeping his mind off the physical pain.
I was going to have to pull a fast one to get him to cooperate.
“Son, what are you doing here?”
I bit my tongue, knowing that I didn’t want to freak him out but hoping the stress would be worth it in the end.
“Dad, we gotta fly up to Athens.”
“Son, what’s going on with Payton, where is my phone? WHERE IS MY PHONE?” he yelled out.
“Dad, Dad, it’s all taken care of.”
“What do you mean it’s all taken care of? We gotta fly up to Athens and you’re not making any sense, boy.”
What could I say right then and there, something he could forgive me for? Something that would give him the urgency to move quickly forward.
“Payton is getting some sort of award from the school and their president has chartered something. I don’t know, Dad. All I know is I’m suppose to escort you up there.”
“For real? We have been invited by the president of the school? Your sister always had it going on, I tell you what…Where is your mom?”
“She is going to meet us at the airport.”
About an hour later, Payton and my mom came to the airport too.
“Well, if Payton is here then how are we supposed to be going to…Perry!?”
My dad couldn’t even finish his statement. He knew I was up to something.
“Where are we going?”
“Honey, the kids want to take you to relax for the evening. We’re going to Charleston.”
“And who’s paying for it?”
“Dad, we got a deal,” Payton said.
“Dad, we wanted you to get away from the hustle and bustle of everything and be with your family. You are going through a lot right now,” I t
old him as we strapped in on the plane, preparing to take off.
“Son, I appreciate this, but I got a business to get back to. I’m okay.” He starting unstrapping his seatbelt.
“No Perry Sr., you sit right there,” my mom said. “You do deserve this break. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I’m glad the children took the initiative. The kids love you, sweetie. Although they are off in their own worlds, they love their dad. And I love him too, and we need you to rest and enjoy your family so that you can heal.”
My dad leaned back in his seat as the plane lifted up toward heaven and he said, “This has been a lot. You all just don’t know. God’s given me the strength to get through it and I’m supposed to get word soon on the results from the surgery. One good thing is the doctors think they got it all. But as I think on my lesson out of all of this, I realize that my life is not about selling cars. It’s not even about my health. My true joy comes from being with you three. I’m a rich man. I’ve got a family that loves me, and it means a lot to me that you all are doing this. It’s taken me a long time, but no matter what the results say, I am going to be okay. I finally understand what it is truly like feeling real joy.”
15
Finding Our Way
I rushed in to the living room when I heard an irate man banging on our door, yelling, “Where is he? I need to see him right now! I’m looking for Collin! Open up now before I kick this door in. This is his dad and I said open up NOW!”
“Is that really his dad?” Deuce said to me. Both of us were a little confused as to why Collin’s dad was outside showing his butt at 11:30 at night! Collin was dead to the world so he certainly couldn’t tell us that his dad was coming. And even when he was in the hospital fighting for his life I don’t recall meeting his dad, so I wasn’t sure if the man outside was really related to him. In other words, I was hesitant to answer the door.
“Dang! Does somebody hear me?” The man continued to bang.
“I ain’t letting him in,” Deuce said, thinking the same thing I was. “Man, go get Collin.”
“I know you’re in there. I hear you on the other side of the door. Open up!”
“He’s gon’ break it down!” Deuce said.
“Collin! Collin, man. Get up. I think your dad’s here,” I said after I woke up our roommate.
“My dad? He’s in Alabama,” Collin said.
“Well, some man outside beating on the door is claiming he’s your father. Whoever this man is we need to find out.”
“He’s beating on the door? It probably is my dad.” Collin grabbed his jeans, threw them on, and sprang to the front door and opened it.
“Get your stuff and let’s go now,” his dad said without a word of hello. He ran into my room. “Get your stuff so we can go.”
“Sir, that’s my room,” I said as Collin collapsed on the couch with his head between his knees.
“Son, where is your room so we can get your stuff and go?”
Deuce went over to him. “Man, what’s going on? Why is he saying you have to leave?”
“Boy, you need to stay out of this!” Collin’s dad said boldly. “Show me where your room is now!” Collin still didn’t move. His dad stepped up to him, yanked him off the couch, and shoved him against the wall.
Lance was always a heavy sleeper but all this commotion woke him up. “Man, who’s fighting?” Lance joked. Deuce and I gave him a look to let him know it wasn’t funny. “Sir, you gotta let go of him.” Lance stepped between Collin and his dad.
“Get back, Lance. I got this,” Collin said as his dad grabbed Collin’s neck.
I couldn’t stand back anymore. I mean, that was his father and it seemed to be none of my business, but now it was. Why was he choking his son like this? “Sir, so I need to call the police?” I yelled out.
He let go of Collin and Collin grabbed his throat and started choking. Lance went to get Collin some water but he wouldn’t take it.
“You gotta let me live my own life. I’m not going anywhere okay,” Collin said to his dad, who had found Collin’s room and was emptying the contents of his dresser drawers.
I was so confused. “What is going on? Why is he so pissed?” I said to Collin. “Explain this to me. You tell your father you’re not leaving but yet in the middle of the night he said you have to. He said some comment about God.”
“There it is. You hit it right on the head. I told you my dad is an atheist. My mom probably told him that I’m a Christian. I knew when he found out it wasn’t going to be pretty.”
“Alright, son, let’s go. Let’s go,” he said carrying a ton of clothes wrapped in Collin’s sheets. “You’re all done here. We can get the rest of your stuff later.”
“Dad, I’m not going anywhere. You can beat me, push me, choke me, hit me, do whatever. You can try to get me to say I don’t love God but I do, Dad. I’ve looked at it your way all my life, as if the Lord doesn’t exist. I’ve seen Him work miracles. I’ve seen Him change my heart.”
“It’s these guys, Collin. If I can get you away from these guys you’ll be fine.”
“It’s not the guys that I’m serving, Dad. If I’m not around them, I’m still going to love God and know that there is a Jesus that died on the cross for our sins. I’m still going to know that the Holy Spirit is going to give me the power to stand up to a dad that bullied and beat me all my life. I can’t even say I love you for the way you treated me for most of my upbringing. But I can say I forgive you for the way you treated me and Mom.”
“Collin, if you don’t come with me now, don’t you ever come back to Alabama. Unless you get this foolishness out of your system I won’t claim you as my son.”
Collin walked over to the front door and held it open. His father walked through it, dropping the bundle of Collin’s clothing. The four of us just stood there, shaken by the whole scene. We knew sometimes following Christ could cost us everything. I was glad I didn’t have to make a choice to forget my family because of it, but Collin did and I admired him wholeheartedly. There was a God in Heaven and as I knew now, I was going to have to be Collin’s family. I could only pray that his dad would come around, and even if he didn’t Collin had found his way. Heaven was pleased. Heaven was pleased.
The next day I woke up at five in the morning. I heard someone scrambling around in the kitchen. After the night we’d just had I couldn’t ignore it. Maybe Collin’s dad had come back. Maybe someone couldn’t sleep. I just didn’t know. I got up and found Collin fixing coffee.
“Hey, man. Are you okay? I know you’re not as hard a sleeper as Lance but five in the morning? Talk to me. I know what happened. The confrontation with your dad threw you off, I know. We can talk about anything.”
“No, Perry. I’m really okay. I’m just trying to have some quiet time with the Lord. I’m not stressed. I’m not falling apart. I’m not upset. I’m following Him now. He’s making it okay now.”
“The thing with your dad is over. We’re boys; we can talk.”
“Yeah, I know we are. I’m not trying to act tough. I just turn that over to God so it can work out. I can’t fix everybody in the world. I can’t even fix my pops. He hurt me so much in growing up, and he can’t hurt me anymore so I’m rejoicing now, so I can get even stronger, you know. Don’t think I’m cruel or that I’ve written my dad off like he said he wrote me off, but God wants us to be equally yoked. How can I stay on the straight and narrow if I allow my dad’s negativity toward Him to be in my way? You know what I’m saying? I’m falling in love with Jesus.”
I sat there and listened to him. And I went over to the cupboard to get myself a mug. I needed to have myself some quiet time too. I needed to know more about Collin’s faith so I could fall more in love with Him myself. Collin had just accepted the Lord weeks before this, but yet he was excited and had a passion that was contagious. Not even his dad wrapping his bare hands around his neck, choking him, could set him back. I needed to be set on fire like that! So we sat down, opened up God’s word
together, prayed, drank our coffee, and felt renewed. I was determined to have more days start like that. God had given me so much. I wasn’t going to be able to save the world. I wasn’t going to be able to fix everybody. I was certainly excited that He could fix me. How good it felt to rejoice.
I had to head down to Augusta to sit with my folks as we awaited the results of my dad’s cancer treatment. And as I drove up there I had more time to think about my relationship with God. I prayed, Lord, I know I let You down so many times before and I ask for so much. Sometimes You say no and sometimes You say yes. Help me to be excited about Your plan for my life. Help me to see that path You have set for me. I’m not naïve, Lord. As a young black man I now see it’s hard as a college athlete, trying to live up to expectations. As a guy in love it’s not going to be easy doing the right things, so I just need You in my life to help me stay strong.
I listened to a CD and it helped me to praise God. It wasn’t about me wanting something from Him. It wasn’t even about thanking Him. It was simply about praising Him. God was bigger than all my problems. He even knew how many hairs were on my head. I wanted to eventually dwell with Him and in order for that to happen I had to live right here. It wasn’t a question anymore about could I. Daggone it! I was.
Arriving in just enough time to meet my folks and my sister at the hospital, I knocked on the door and said, “Alright. We’re ready for the good news.”
My dad bit his lip and nodded his head in agreement. I mean it was good news. If he wasn’t going to be with us any longer, he would be with God. And was that bad? If God decided to take him, He’d make us strong enough to be okay with it.
“Well, young man,” the doctor said, “you must have been reading my notes and doing some heavy praying ’cause your dad’s going to be just fine. He’s going to have to take it easy and get more treatments for a while longer but everything looks good. We see no traces of any new tumors.”
Promise Kept (Perry Skky Jr.) Page 14
