Page 72 of Love U Down II

“What’s going on with you, man?” I cut straight to the chase. “When you said you were feeling funny, what did you mean by that and why you ain’t telling people you’re in pain?”

“What?”

“Don’t act like I’m tripping when I know I’m not.”

“Whatever I tell you won’t change what we’re told tomorrow.” He leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Hendrix, don’t fucking play with me,” I warned.

“You gon’ call your mom?”

“Not tonight if you don’t want me to but I’m going to tell her whatever she needs to know tomorrow.”

“Alright.” He turned his head on the pillow and looked at me. “I, uh, I took a nap, and when I woke up, my body… It, uh, it felt like I was being zapped.”

“Being zapped?” I repeated.

“You know how your foot or hand or something will fall asleep and it tingles?”

“Yeah.”

“My entire right side felt that way and I waited and waited and moved my arms to get the blood flow going and the feeling never left.”

“What about now?” I asked carefully. He shook his head and I leaned forward and took a deep breath. “So what the fuck does that mean?”

“You’ll find out when I find out.”

“Did you explain it to mom like that?”

“Nah.”

“Okay. Well besides that, how are you feeling? I mean, you can still move your arms and shit, right?”

“Yeah.” He lifted one arm then the other. “I can still move the same amount. It just all tingles.”

“Fuck.” I cursed and a scoff shallow breath slipped out of me. “Fuck.”

I blinked several times as my eyes raked up and down my father’s body.

“I’m fine, Berlin,” he assured me.

“Nah. You’re full of shit. This ain’t fucking fine. Fuck.” I pulled my phone out. “I need to call Rome.”

“No. You don’t. Berlin!” he barked as I tapped my phone screen. I froze. “I’m not fucking joking. Do not call your brother tonight about this bullshit. I’m alive. I’m aware. I’m talking. I’m moving. I’m fucking fine.”

“A’ight man.” I dropped my phone into my lap and sat back. “A’ight.”

I clicked the television on and just stared at it.

My father had always been fucking Superman to me. He’d beaten all the odds. He’d dedicated his life to my mother and me and my siblings and taking care of us. He made sure he was whatever we needed whenever we needed it. He’d gone to war and come back broken, more mentally and emotionally than physically, and had put himself back together. He’d survived losing both of his working legs and all the shit the world had thrown at him while he tried to grab a piece of normalcy.

He’d taught us about hard work and perseverance, that we always needed to look out for each other. He’d beat it into us that you only lost by quitting. He supported us without question and wanted us to be happy above everything else.

“Why you crying, Berlin?” His voice snapped me back into reality and I blinked a few times.

I hadn’t even realized I was. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and kept my gaze on the commercial playing.

I felt my father’s eyes focused on me.