Chapter 4

"That moment was so special to me but unfortunately things only went downhill from there." *flashback* I was waiting for my mom to pick me up and I got bored so I wandered around the school. Nothing was interesting so I was going to return to the front of the school but then something happened that changed my life entirely. "Geez there is nothing exciting. Might as well head back." The younger me caught something in the corner of my eye. I was so dumbfounded that I just stood there.

The coordination, teamwork, and skill displayed by our basketball team were so incredible that I couldn't help to adore them. I kept watching them until they eventually left the court. I then thought to myself, "I have never been this amazed by a sport." After that, I couldn't get the image of seeing them play out of my head. I knew that from then I wanted to become a basketball player instead of a scholar. "So you have been here all of this time."

I looked back to see my mom with a worried look on her face. "I was looking all over the school for you. Were you not supposed to stay at the front of the school while waiting for me Kenny?" my mom asked. "Mom!" The act of raising my voice at her hushed her up and allowed me to gain her attention. "I think I know what I wanna do when I grow up." "Oh, and what would that be?" "I want to be a basketball player. I know both you and father want me to be a scholar and get an office job but I really want to be a basketball player mom."

She was stunned and soon walked towards me. "Sorry for disappointing you Mom." I began crying my heart out. "There there," she went on her knees and hugged me. "You have not disappointed me at all. Also, it doesn't matter to me what you want to be. Once you are happy and successful I will be by your side no matter what. So stop crying." I wiped my tears and then hugged her. "I promise you I will be the best basketball player and I will make you proud Mom." "I am already proud of you my son and trust me your dad will say the same too," she pulled away from the hug and then looked at me with a big smile on her face. "It's time to go home." *flashback ends*

"You said it would go downhill from there but so far it's been a happy story." "Yeah but when I finally got home and waited to break the news to my father. That night he didn't make it home so the next day my mother called him but no answer. We both worried so my mother drove to his office. When she got there she heard the news that my father went abroad abruptly for a business trip and that if it goes well he would be working abroad from now on. We had to wait until he got off his plane for him to talk to us.

I could tell that my mother was upset even though she concealed it pretty well. We drove back home and my mom told me that she would get me into basketball training. I nodded and thanked her and then headed to my room. I just stared at the ceiling until it got dark. I was about to drift away in slumber but then I heard a noise from the living room. I silently investigated it and found out the origin of it. It was my mom. She was talking to a man on the phone who would be revealed to be my dad" *flashback*

"How could you leave for another country without telling me or your child?" "First off, do not question my business decisions, Kimberly. Second, it was an abrupt decision. Thirdly, it is an opportunity to make more money so I could save up for our son's tertiary education." "About that, he does not want to be a scholar anymore. He wants to be a basketball player." There was radio silence across both ends. Then my father hung up the phone on my mom which made her even more upset. I swiftly but silently returned to my room and began thinking about what just happened.

The next day, while we were preparing for dinner, we heard knocking at the door. I went to answer the door. Before I could open the door properly, I was pushed into the table and hurt my back. Subsequently, I gazed upwards and saw my dad with a furious look on his face. "Why would you do that to me, Dad?" "How dare you waste all of the efforts that I have put into you. You are a disappointment, Kennedy." The commotion was heard from the kitchen so my mom rushed to see me on the ground and my dad towering above me.

"What happened here?" "Dad pushed me." "Did you push my son into the ground Nathaniel?" "I am not done talking. How could you agree with the stupid goal our son has? He brings home straight A's all the time and you were going to let him waste all of that so he could throw balls into hoops." "You did not answer my question. Nathaniel did you or did you not put your hands on my son?" "What would you do about it?" She was so engulfed in rage that she went to slap him but before she could hit him her hand was caught by my father and then she was forced to the ground.

"Who do you think you are huh? First, you can't show our son that he is making a big mistake then you want to put your hands on me. Do you not remember what happened when you did the same thing years ago?" "Let her go!" I rushed at him but then he punched me so hard that I hit the table once again." "Kenny!" My mother struggled to get him off her but each time she did so he would hit her until she finally gave up and then he got off of her. *flashback ends*