Jones Black and White

1. Auflage 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5439-5910-9
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 310 Seiten

What happens when two high school boys from Mississippi meet and immediately have racial conflict? They don't know each other, yet they don't like each other. Unforeseen circumstances force them in to each other's lives and they are forced to walk in each other's shoes. Will they find a way to work together to overcome these obstacles, or will they let their own emotions and pride destroy each other?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jones, Rachel Anne

Leseproben

CHAPTER 6

SOLOMON

I wake up feeling groggy with a pounding headache. As soon as I open my eyes, I see a white lady and her husband and a girl sitting in the room staring at me. I pinch myself really hard to make sure I am not dreaming. I close my eyes and open them again. They are all still here. This ain’t my bedroom. I see that I’m in a hospital room or something. I look down and see that I’m wearing like a gown. Suddenly the lady is at my bedside, “Oh Rhett! Thank God you are awake. We were all so worried about you! I can’t believe you fell down a flight of stairs and hit your head. How frightening!” The man is watching me more closely. He has a skeptical look on his face. “I’m not Rhett.” I say. “Oh no, he has AMNESIA!” The woman starts to cry. I stumble out of bed, keeping my back to wall. No way these people are seeing my black ass. I quickly go in the bathroom and shut the door. I lean over the sink and splash water in my face. My hands! Oh my God, my hands are white! I cannot for the life of me figure out what’s going on. I have no memories of last night and I have no idea who these people are in my room. I stand up and look in the mirror. I see Rhett Barben’s face with a black eye and a fat lip. I barely stop my fist from punching the mirror. I quickly turn around to see why he’s in the room with me. NOOO. I’m the only person in this tiny bathroom. I turn around again. I still see Rhett’s face in the mirror. What the HELL?

I want to shout. I want to start hitting things. I’m already in the hospital though. If I do any of these things, they might try to take me to the psyche ward. I have to play it cool. I sit down on the edge of the bathtub and try to think. What happened last night? What happened last night?!! I was with Tyrell. We were walking around. Then there was music and a club. Then I was fighting with Rhett and I wanted to kill him. I knocked him out. Then I ran off. And NOW I’m Rhett, which means he must be me. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I need to find Rhett.

I open the door and come out. The lady is sobbing and her husband is patting her back. I don’t know what to do so I go and get back in the hospital bed. I look over and see that the girl has a backpack with her that has Scarlet on it. I take a chance. “Hey Scarlet.” She barely looks up from her phone. “Hey turd.” I guess Scarlet is her name. The lady stops crying. “Oh, you are already getting your memory back. Thank God!” “Yes.” I say. “I think I’m just really tired from camp and I’m not feeling like myself. I need to go home. How soon can I leave?” The man chuckles. “See? He’s a Barben. Ain’t no flight of stairs or a bump on his noggin gonna keep him down long. I’ll go see which doc I can find to get us out of here. We got cows to take care of when we get home. Bunch of nonsense this is anyways.” The lady looks at me hard. “Are you sure you feel okay, sugar? You don’t want an x-ray of your head or anything?” “No. I feel alright.” I say.

The doctor comes in and asks me my name and date of birth. I glance at the name on the screen of the monitor. “Um. Rhett Matthew Barben, 7/9/97”. What??? That’s my birthday! What are the odds that the person I hate most in this world would have the same birthday as mine? This is CRAZY TOWN. “Oh Rhett.” The lady says, “What are the chances you would end up in the same hospital you were born in?” “I don’t know.” I look down at my hands, still in disbelief that I am in someone else’s body. The doctor finally decides I can go home and he walks out the door with Rhett’s family. A tired looking nurse comes in to take my vitals one last time. I look at her hard and try to get her to see me. This is my last chance. “Excuse me, Nurse Rachel?” “Yes” she says not really looking at me because she’s distracted with recording my vital signs. “I need to talk to someone. This is important. There’s been a mix up. I’m not really Rhett. I mean I’m in Rhett’s body, but I’m not him.” She sighs and gives me a smile. “If you are not yourself, then who are you? I think you hit your head pretty hard; from what I hear. When you get home, rest and take it easy a few days. Okay Cowboy?” She gives me a friendly smile, pats my arm. Then she turns to the woman. “Betsy? Here’s a form that has signs and symptoms of a concussion so you know what to watch for. He’s not showing any signs now, but it’s best to monitor for a few days. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, please call Rhett’s doctor.” She leaves and goes out the door to see the next patient.

I have no choice but to get up and get dressed and leave with Rhett’s family. I pick up the pile of clothes lying on the chair and go back in the bathroom. I put on his tighty whities. Ugh. My boys can’t breathe in these things. I wear boxers. Then I pull on his jeans which feel like a second skin. They are so restricting. Next, I pull on his tight tee shirt. I feel naked standing here - and yet I’m fully clothed. I go to lean over and put on the socks and feel my balls try to go up into my belly button. I pick up a boot and about fall on my ass tryin’ to put the thing on my foot. I sit down on the edge of the tub and try again. I manage to get both boots on my feet. I really don’t like western wear. As soon as I get outta here, I’m finding a pair of athletic shorts. I guess I’m ready to go. I hear a buzzing sound. I start looking around. It’s coming from the jacket. I reach in the pocket and pull out a cell phone with a Confederate flag cover and answer it.

“Hello?” I say. “Solomon?” It’s strange. I hear my own voice through the telephone. “When did you get a cell phone?” I ask. “Um. I didn’t. I had to go down to the gas station and I’m on the pay phone which is a pain in the ass.” “Sorry. I say. We ghetto boys don’t get cell phones. We have to eat you know.” ‘Yeah. Well anyway. I only have like ten minutes, so I’ll make this short. We need to meet, like pronto. I don’t know what the hell happened but we gotta figger this thing out quick. I got state rodeo in two weeks. I finally made the championship bull riding round and I ain’t missin’ it.”I sigh. “Yeah. OK. Let’s meet at Hey Joe’s and I’ll buy you a burger. Now that I’m you I bet I have money.” “No. No. I go there all the time. We can’t go there. What about Country Platter. My dad wouldn’t be caught dead in there. We should go there.”

I don’t ask because I don’t want to know. Now is not the time to argue about why Rhett cannot be seen with a brother in public. So I say “Ok. What’s a good time to get away from your family?” “Huh? Oh. My dad don’t care where I am all day. I just have to be home in time for supper or pick up the phone whenever he calls about our cows.” “SO. What time do you eat supper?” “Oh. We eat together every night at 8. If supper is late my old man ain’t happy. And hey, I got a bag in the back of my closet that I need. It’s got Bayou Christian written on it with last year’s date. Bring that too would ya?” We agree to meet at Country Platter at 6PM because it should not be as busy.

The lady knocks on the door. “Rhett? How you doin’ Hon?” Ugh. I don’t know how much sugar and hon I can take for the next two weeks. And I hate being called Rhett. I turn the knob and walk out. We leave the hospital and go out to the parking lot and I start looking around. Then I see a big jacked up Ford F150 King Cab and I just have this feeling about it. I see the bumper sticker “My Child is a Bayou Christian Honor Student” and “Ride Rank Make Bank” on the back and I know that I’m right. We get to the truck and I go to get in the back and I get this funny look from Rhett’s dad. “No, Son. Ladies ride in the back; we men sit up front. Ain’t that right, Sugar?” Rhett’s mom just rolls her eyes and she and Scarlet climb in the back. I sit up front and wish I had some headphones as we drive down the high way listening to country music playing at a very loud level. Instinctively I reach for the radio dial but I see Rhett’s dad’s jaw clinch and I stop and scratch my knee. “Quit your fidgetin’. You’re more nervous than a cat on a hot tin roof.” It takes all I’ve got not to say something back to this man. I just turn my face away and look out the window.

“So, how was football camp? Did you dominate on the field, Carry on the Old Barben Tradition? Did you make me proud, son?” “It was fine.” I say. I’m not sure how to answer this man. “Just fine? Ain’t you got more to say? It’s your senior year, Son! You’re supposed to go to camp, make memories with your boys, talk to the coaches, get yourself noticed. You’re a Barben but that name will only carry you so far in Mississippi. You gotta make your own way too, ya know.” “Yeah, okay.” I say. I decide to test the waters. “So, you know. There was this black kid there from the all Black High School, number 42. He was pretty good. He’s crazy fast. We played him in junior high. Do you remember? He like blew past all of us and we couldn’t stop him? Well he was at football camp this year.” I look at Rhett’s dad. He’s staring straight ahead at the road. His face is unreadable. “No. No son, I don’t remember that. But he plays for an all black no-name ghetto land high school, so who cares. You just keep on doin’ what you are doin’ and push yourself. Hard work pays off in the long run.”

Rhett’s mom leans forward. “Are you ready for The Big Rodeo in three weeks? I got you a new belt and new boots!” The dad answers. “Shit Betsy!!! How much did you spend this time? I’m still...