Letter 2 - Samuel Law

This is the second story of the book.

   Inspired by the 2006 film John Tucker Must Die


My name is Samuel Law. I am a nineteen-year-old African American boy from urban Midtown at the Loring Heights area in Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up there with both of my parents and two older sisters and younger brother. My father, Henry Law, worked as an accountant at a bank in Downtown while my mother Maria worked as a manager for a supermarket at Ponce DeLeon Avenue. Dad would always tell us to excel in every part of our lives. Every time I heard that from Dad, I would live it out not only by achieving good grades at the Tinton High School on English Avenue, but scoring as many as thirty points whenever I played a basketball game for my high school team.
            Because of my success being the captain of the basketball team, whenever I walked the halls girls from both sides of the hallway would swoon over me. Even some boys would be envious of me. I would always take those moments as being treated and respected like a person of royalty even though I’m from the streets. That lead me to smile brightly. Every day as I opened my locker, it would be full of love letters. Each time I see the letters, I take the time to read them. Out of respect, I would go to meet each girl at Piedmont Park but turn them all down secretly because I believed that I should focus on education as well as my basketball team.
           One day at home, my oldest sister Lindsay announced to the family about her engagement with her boyfriend. “I am happy for you Lindsay. It's so awesome.” I spoke. “Thank you, little brother. I am sure you will find that person for yourself with all those love letters you get.” Lindsay said. “Well older sister I don't have time for girls right now. I need to focus on my education.” I spoke. “Nice younger brother. You keep holding onto your dream.” Lindsay said. “I sure will.” I spoke.
           At the boys’ locker room in school, my teammates talked about what they should do for recuperation after winning our most recent basketball game. “Say guys how about we have a very big bash and invite all the cheerleaders too.” said Justin Smith, the co-captain of the team. “Yeah, let's do that. We have been playing very hard this season and it has shown. We need to rest once and a while.” said another player of the team. All the other team players agreed too. “Okay it's decided. So, we will have a party for all those of the team.” said the Caucasian coach, James Michaels.
            So on a Friday night in the middle of March, my teammates and I had our party at Coach Michaels well-built house in Virginia Highland. Since it was still cold as it got closer to spring, I wore lighter winter clothes consisting of a long sleeve black shirt along with dark black jeans. Everyone enjoyed their time there by eating all kinds of food and playing a variety of games together. As I was enjoying the fun, African American Jeffrey Hines, my closest friend on the team, called me over. “Hey Samuel, come on. One of the cheerleaders wants you to holler at her.” Jeffrey said. Because I didn't want to displease my friend, I walked over to Jeffrey and allowed him to direct me to where the young Caucasian girl was sitting by herself. The young girl wore a light blue sweater and a light pair of blue jeans. She had long black hair that touched the legs of her jeans and touched her hands as they were holding onto her cup of soda. “Um hello there.” I spoke. The girl turned her head over, noticed Samuel, smiled at me, and said, “Oh hi there. I'm so glad you came over to talk to me.” “Sure, it's my pleasure and we are at a party. We should enjoy our time while we can. Any way what's your name?” I spoke. “My name is Sarah Escobar, and we should enjoy our time. Say can we go somewhere private and talk?” Sarah said, winking one of her eyes at me while smiling. “Um of course.” I spoke. So, Sarah took me over to an empty room in Coach Michaels' house. For the next hour, we took the time to ask each other questions about what we would like to do with their future lives. As we were enjoying our time getting to know each other, Coach Michaels came into the room. “Hey important rule. No wild interactions in my house.” said Coach Michaels. “Okay.” said Sarah as she handed me a piece of paper with her phone number on it.
           For the next two months, I had been seeing Sarah. I would always smile knowing that I got to spend time with her. We would always do good to separate the time that we have being on the school's basketball team. Whenever there was a game, we wouldn't talk to each other till it was over. Through all our success, we managed to get to the playoffs. On the weekend we would see each other every Saturday and do a good job making sure we got home before curfew.
           As the days came by for me, I began to believe that I could attain the heart of any girl at school. I allowed that to cloud my judgment, and it corrupted my choices. One day, I noticed that my team got a brand-new cheerleader, an African American girl named Katy Andrade. Unlike Sarah, Katy had long brown hair that she always tied up whenever cheering at a game. Out of lust, I walked right over to Katy and chatted with her for a good fifteen minutes. I said words that made it seem convincing to Katy to agree to go out with me. I smiled knowing believing that I managed to attain the heart of the girl.
           For the next three weeks, I have been seeing both Sarah and Katy at the same time. To hide my tracks of the two-timing, I led both of my girlfriends to be best friends. I smiled again, believing that the two of them were going to be very good friends and my secret would remain hidden forever.
           As the days came by, I decided to date two more girls who were cheerleaders on the basketball team. Their names were a thin short red-haired girl named Morgiana Hastings and an average-weighted blond-haired girl named Cher Crabtree, and they were both Caucasian. Aside from being cheerleaders on the basketball team, Morgiana was also a leading member of the school's Judo club while Cher was a leading member of the science club. Aside from living my deceptive ways, I managed to continue being a star player for the team and attained good grades in all my classes. I never took the time to understand that sooner or later that what I was doing would affect me in the long run. Now at seventeen years old, I began to have sexual activities with all four of my girlfriends. Sarah and Katy both revealed to me that they were pregnant. Morgiana and Cher weren't.
          One warm Saturday in the middle of Spring I was having lunch at a restaurant on Peach tree Street with Sarah. That day, Sarah was wearing a light blue colored spring dress while I was wearing a short sleeved striped shirt with dark blue jeans. “Hey Sam. Can we go somewhere to be alone? I like to do something special just for you.” Sarah said. “For me? Oh, Sarah, I love you so much. Every day with you is a great day for me. Sometimes I don't even want to sleep because my reality with you is better than my dreams.” I spoke.          
           Sarah then took me outside of the restaurant, reached into her brown purse and handed me a long black blindfold. “Okay Samuel can you put this on please?” Sarah said. “Sure babe. I will do as you ask.” I said as I put the blindfold on. “So where are we going babe?” I spoke. “Don't worry it's a surprise.” Sarah. And with that, we got to the building. Sarah tied me up to a chair to make sure I couldn’t leave. Because I believed it was just a game, I didn’t resist at all. Sarah then finally took off my blindfold. “Okay babe. So now what?” I said with a smile on my face. “This!!!” Sarah said as she slapped me across my face as hard as she could. “What the hell was that for?!!!” I spoke. “Don't play dumb. Did you really think I wouldn't find out what you really been doing? You pig!!” Sarah said. “I really have no idea what you are talking about Sarah.” I spoke. “You don't know what I am talking about?!! You don't know what I am talking about?!!!” Sarah said as she took my phone and showed me the text messages to all four of the girls I had been sleeping with. Sarah then read some of the messages to me out loud with an effort to refresh my memory. I began to sweat profusely trying to think up something to say to try to manipulate Sarah. “Um those text messages weren't my doing. I let my friends use my phone.” I spoke. “Your friends were messaging me? Don't expect someone to believe that bold face lie.” Katy said as she appeared in front of me and stood next to Sarah. Like Sarah, Katy was also wearing a light spring dress. “Katy?!! What are you doing here?!!” I spoke. “I am taking a stand for my child and for my dignity. You are an evil liar, Samuel.” Katy said before she slapped me as hard as she could. “I don't know what you are talking about either Katy.” I spoke. “You are the one who is lying. I brought you here to just confess to what you did and take responsibility for these babies.” Sarah said. For the next thirty minutes of the interrogation Sarah and Katy continuously slapped me across the face every time I told a lie. Like a chain reaction, Cher and Morgiana came into the scene and slapped me too. Morgiana was wearing her white Judo practice outfit while Cher was wearing a long white coat that covered her blue shirt and dark black pants. When they all got tired, they stopped hitting and kicking me. “Okay all of you w****s are crazy.” I said as I desperately tried to catch my breath and recover from the beating I took. The girls just smiled and laughed at me seeing all the bruises on my face and legs. “Samuel why can't you just admit what you did and take responsibility for these babies?!! That is all what these two girls here want from you. You truly are disgusting and hateful.” said Morgiana as she punched me in my face, making me fall to the floor tied up to the chair. The punch from Morgiana was so hard it knocked me out unconscious.
           Two hours later that day, I woke up bandaged from my injuries. I knew deep down in my heart that what I did was wrong, but I kept the guilt and shame hidden. I finally got out of bed and walked into the living room hearing the voices of Sarah, Katy, and mom. “Hi mom.” I spoke. “Oh Samuel. I was hoping you would wake up. Could you sit down please?” Mom said. “Yes mom.” I said as I sat down on the couch across from Sarah and Katy. “Now Samuel these girls came here, and they told me that they're both pregnant with your children. Is this true?” Mom said. “Mom I am going to tell you on the air that I breathe. These girls are lying to you. They're not my babies.” I spoke. “Samuel Law, your father and I raised you to be a better man than this. I expect you to be entirely honest with me. Now I am going to ask you again. Did you impregnate these girls?” Mom said with a more serious expression. I looked mom in the eye, sighed, and said, “Yes I did.” “Didn't your father always tell you to excel? It appears there is one part of your life that you didn't do that in and that is with relationships. Now you put yourself in this position and it's up to you to fix it if you are living in this house.” Mom said. “Yes, mom I will fix it. Sarah. Katy. I am sorry. I want to be there for these children. I want to raise them.” I spoke. “Don't you understand that you called the both of us liars when we announced that we were pregnant by you? We don't believe your apology until you show it to us and mean it like a man and not a boy.” Katy said. “And don’t even think I will be pressing charges against these girls for that beating. You deserved that.” Mom said. I got to my knees, repeated what I said and made it look like I meant it. Sarah and Katy both smiled at me and said, “Okay we believe you. You can be in the child's life if you provide for it.” I smiled as well knowing that I’m going to be a father. “Now Samuel this is going to be very difficult for you, but you can do it. Remember if you slip up and neglect to provide for this child. I will be sure you won't be seeing him or her ever again.” Sarah said. “Yes, same here. It will be the same rule with my baby too.” Katy said. “I understand.” I said nodding my head in agreement.
             A year has passed and both Sarah and Katy had great deliveries of their babies. Sarah gave birth to a boy and named him Kent. Katy gave birth to a girl and named her Rebecca. Even though I agreed to be present in the children's lives, Sarah and Katy broke up with me. Morgiana and Cher both used Sarah and Katy's pregnancies as a wake-up call and broke up with me as well. Now at eighteen years old with two children, I realized that it was going to be very difficult raising them, but I vowed that I would do it. Because of my high-grade point average and my skills on the basketball team, I managed to get enrolled at a state university with a full scholarship. During the summer, I worked two minimum wage jobs to earn money to buy what my children needed. One job I worked as a cashier at my mother's supermarket and the other job flipping burgers at a fast-food restaurant. During those summer months, Sarah and Katy both smiled seeing the change of how intentional I was with my seriousness in being involved with my kids. Whenever I would visit my son and daughter, I would play with them for hours until it was time for me to leave and go back home. Sarah and Katy both kept in touch with my parents to keep them posted on me being true to my word.
           One day in the beginning of August, at work while I was keeping his focus doing inventory of the items, an African American girl named Sharon McGrath approached me. “Hey there Samuel.” Sharon said. I tilted my head around and said, “Oh. Hi Sharon.” “Say Samuel, I was wondering if maybe after work we can go snag a soda or something after wards.” Sharon said. The moment I heard Sharon ask me out I thought about Sarah. Everything I did with her flashed before me in my mind like a movie. I felt guilt and shame and allowed that to control my decision and said, “I'm sorry Sharon but I am not the guy for you. You should ask someone else to hang out with.” “What do you mean you are not the guy for me? I just want to hang out with you.” Sharon said. “No, I shouldn't do this. I can't even be friends with you. Now please leave me be.” I spoke. After hearing me decline my request for a date, Sharon began to act like someone who doesn't take no for an answer. “Why? Please tell me why I can't hang around you.” Sharon said. I told Sharon about my past relationships. Sharon listened to what I said, and it made her drop her jaw. “I guess you feel disgusted with me. Now you can't do anything with me. You have a good day, Sharon.” I said as I he resumed working. Sharon walked away from me and headed over to the other male employees.         
             Days continued to pass for me. I worked hard at both of my jobs and continued to be attentive to the lives of my children. One night as I celebrated the eve of beginning my life of being a college student at Sarah's apartment by drinking some sparkling apple cider, we decided to have a private conversation in the bedroom. “So, what is it you like to talk about Sarah?” I spoke. “Samuel, I just wanted to say that I am proud of all the changes that you made for yourself. I am glad that you made quite the turn around.” Sarah said. “Thank you, Sarah. Mom was right. I totally deserved that beating. That really helped me learn my lesson.” I said while laughing about it. “Yeah, it sure did.” Sarah said while laughing with me. For the next few minutes, we remained silent. After that feeling in the mood, Sarah kissed me. “You want to take me back?” I spoke. “Yes, I do. If you ever cheat on me again that beating will be a lot worse.” Sarah said. I restarted my relationship with Sarah and moved in with her as I began to attend college.