Talking and Thangs…
Eld. Franklin was still laughing when we got to the car. We talked while we drove to the house.Here’s how it went…
Eld. Franklin: She is mad at you.
Me: Yea. I didn’t tell her I was in town. Women are hard to understand.
Eld. Franklin: Yea, and it doesn’t get any easier. I’m 40 and I haven’t figured them out yet.
Me: I only have one in my life and she works my nerves something crazy.
Eld. Franklin: I read about that. I don’t know what to say. Does your mother know that your brother is a criminal?
Me: Yea, she has bailed him out of jail like 500 times. She said that he brings money into the house. More than the pennies that I bring in. I can’t believe she did me like that. I sat up with her when she was sick and trying to get sober. I wiped the vomit from her mouth when she came home drunk. I never judged her or said anything bad about her. She ain’t right.
Eld. Franklin: It’s hard sometimes. You just have to put your brother and your mother in God’s hands and pray for them.
Me: I don’t want to pray for neither of them. If I did pray for them, I would probably pray the wrong prayer.
Eld. Franklin: You can’t be like that.
Me: I know, but that’s how I feel. I got a jacked up family. The only person that ever acted like she loved me was my grandmother. And she is my father’s mother. That nigga won’t even claim me.
Eld. Franklin: We all have jacked up lives in some way. Every last one of us. Even the people who you think have it all together. It’s up to us to put the past behind us and make a better future tomorrow. Bishop Adkins had to counsel me for the longest when I first got to Greater Buelahland. My mother use to beat my sisters and me. I had issues with women for a long time. I had to go back to a lot of girls from my past and apologize to them for how crazy I had treated them. Parents don’t realize how their actions will affect their children. I am trying hard with my son. I don’t want to transfer any of the trash from me past to him. I pray about that everyday.
Me: I ain’t having no kids. That way, I know I won’t give my kids any of my trash. I got plenty of it, too.
Eld. Franklin: When did you get saved?
Me: One of my homeboys from school witnessed to me. He would always ask me to play for him when he sung at church. He always talked to me about God. He was cool peops.
Eld. Franklin: That’s good. Does anyone else in your family play?
Me: My grandmother played. I heard that her father was like a great musician. He used to play at the area juke joint. My grandmother told me that I as good as my great-grandfather. She said that I had the music in my heart, hands, and soul. She always made me feel good. I miss her a lot.
Eld. Franklin: That’s cool. Do you play any other instruments?
Me: The drums, guitar, and piano.
Eld. Franklin: Even if you don’t come down here and play for me, you can always call me and talk to me.
Me: Thanks. How long is Sis. Franklin gonna be mad at me?
Eld. Franklin: I have no idea. She is very protective of me. You might not want to eat or drink anything she hands you for awhile.
That was pretty much it. Things are cool between us now.
M.B.Vick
posted by Me @ 11:46 PM
