Page 59 of Whatever It Takes
I was tired of pretending I cared that Seven was dead. Every tear I shed was a tear of joy. It felt good not to fear for my life anymore. During the funeral, Seven’s secret family showed up. I had to beg Messiah not to react. I pretended to be embarrassed and used it as an excuse to skip the repass. I allowed Sage’s paternal grandmother to keep her while I left to tie up a loose end.
I pulled down the same dirt road from a few weeks ago and hopped out of the car, carrying the duffel bag full of money. “It’s all there plus a little on top as a thank you,” I said, passing the bag to Rell.
He looked terrible, like he hadn’t slept in days. “Look, I’m going to have to up the price. Messiah put a fucking bounty on my head.” I could tell he was pissed.
“Rell, come on. That has nothing to do with me. You said you could do it without revealing your identity. How the fuck does Messiah know it was you?”
He huffed, taking a seat on the hood of his car before burying his face in his hands. “I wasn’t expecting Messiah to be at the location. Messiah is never at the dope houses. I pulled up with no ski mask. I was bare as hell. Seven was sitting on the porch smoking when I walked up. I pulled my gun out and sprayed him. When I was running back to my car, Messiah was coming out of the house. I thought he wouldn’t be able to identify me because he had only seen my back, but there were cameras on the porch. So, I need more fucking money, Blessing. This isn’t enough to disappear and start a new life somewhereelse. Double it. Then I’m gone. You will never see me again. Please.” He pleaded with me.
“I need two weeks. Lay low until you hear from me.” I said, patting his shoulder. I walked away knowing he would never see another penny from me. His mistake wasn’t my problem. He’d figure it out. If not, that would be on him. Shit, he was the only one who knew I set Seven up. Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.
I’d been playingfootball for over ten years. There was no reason for me to be this fucking nervous, but I couldn’t shake this shit. I sat on the bench, running my hands across my face. My anxiety was getting the best of me. As excited as I was to get back on the field, the thought of injuring myself again scared the shit out of me.
“You good, Simmons?” Coach asked as he walked over to me.
“Just anxious, Coach,” I responded, looking up at him.
“I would be concerned if you weren’t. Don’t sweat it. This shit is in your blood; you were made for this. You worked hard to get to where you are. Get out there and play like it’s your last time.” I nodded, taking in his words. My phone buzzed in my locker as I opened it to grab my gloves. I smiled, seeing it was Blessing.
“Oh, baby, I’m glad I caught you before the game started. I just wanted to wish you luck and let you know that we love you. I wish we were there, but we’re all here watching.” She pulledthe phone back, showing all our friends and family sitting in my living room wearing jerseys with my number on them.
“I love y’all too. Thank you, baby. I needed that. I gotta go. I’ll be home to you soon, gorgeous. This shit for you.” I blew her a kiss before ending the call. All the anxiety I had vanished from my body, and I was ready to wreck shit.
The game was tied—only a minute left on the clock. Neither team had any timeouts left. Shit was intense. As soon as the ball snapped, I knew the play was cooked. The pocket folded, and bodies crashed into each other. Jason was running for his fucking life. There was no structure or rhythm.
For a moment, I drifted. I don’t know why. Maybe it was God. All I heard was a voice in my head telling me to stay put. So, I stayed right where I was standing in the back of the end zone. Reality hit me. There was nobody on me. Not a single fucking soul.
Jason looked like he was about to get folded. Without thinking, He threw the ball. It felt like time slowed as the ball floated towards me. It knew where it was supposed to go. My heart beat quickened as the ball came closer to me. Before I knew it, the ball was in my palms.
A fuckingtouchdown.
The crowd went wild. I couldn’t believe this shit. My teammates rushed me, screaming and slapping my helmet. My first time back on the field after a career-threatening injury, and I catch a receiving touchdown—the first one in my career. Icouldn’t stop the tears that flooded my face. Coach Charles was right. I was made for this shit.
The locker room was a celebration.
“Good shit, Moo,” Rome said, slapping hands with me. We had changed out of our uniforms and were now in our team jogging sets.
“Man, I was not expecting a touchdown. The family has been blowing my phone up.” I chuckled. We were about to do post-game interviews. I’d return every call once we were finished.
“Simmons, you played great out there. You got the first touchdown of your career. How does it feel to be back on the field after your injury?” The interviewer asked.
“Man, it feels great. I can’t front, I was nervous as hell before I got out on the field, but Coach spoke life into me, and my lady called, and all the doubt disappeared.” I responded, looking directly at the camera.
“It’s good to have you back. It was a close game tonight. What was going through your head when you saw the ball coming towards you?”
“I didn’t know what to think. My first instinct was to catch it. I don’t even know what made me stay in the end zone. The only logical explanation is God. I thank him every day for how far he’s brought me.”
“Are you doing anything to celebrate tonight?”
“Of course. The team is going to dinner, then I’m turning in for the night.”
“Aight, Bless baby. I love you. Give my daughter a kiss from me. I can’t wait to come home to y’all tomorrow.” I said as I walked into my hotel room.
“I love you too, Papa. See you soon. Goodnight.” She blew me a kiss before ending the call. I threw my phone on the bed and stripped out of my clothes. I paused on my way to the bathroom. The energy in the room felt off. Shaking off the weird feeling, I proceeded to the bathroom.
My muscles relaxed as the hot water sprayed over me. I closed my eyes and fell against the wall. The events of the day played in my mind. I couldn’t help but smile. I really scored a fucking touchdown. Nothing could bring me down from this high. I just wish my family were here to enjoy this with me.
The sound of something falling caused my eyes to shoot open. I slid the shower door open and peeked out of it. “What the fuck was that?” I mumbled. Maybe I was tripping. I continued my shower before getting out to brush my teeth and handle my skincare. By the time I was finished, exhaustion was taking over. As soon as my body hit the bed, I was out like a light.
