Malia&Khari

chapter twenty-six

Khari

"Alright. That's it for tonight!" Coach yelled. Everyone doubled over, trying to catch their breath. He was trying to kill us with his conditioning workouts. My legs felt like wet noodles. I walked over to the bench, to take a breather. Ty and Bumpy followed right behind me, each taking a seat.

"If coach keep acting this way, we're gonna be tired come Saturday. Then we gon lose to a lower seed and he gonna be pissed." Ty said before gulping down his Gatorade. I did the same, finishing in less than a minute. I felt rejuvenated afterwards. I had to tell Coach that I wasn't gonna be able to play this weekend. I really didn't wanna tell anybody else, but him.

"I'a be back." I announced as I got up. I walked into the coach's office, knocking on the door. He looked up, motioning for me to sit down. I waited as he finished some paperwork. I took the time to look around the office and my eyes landed on a picture of him and his family. They seemed like a happy couple. He had two small kids which made me question his age. I knew white people aged like raisins, but damn.

"How may I help you, Khari?" He asked shaking me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to meet his piercing gaze. "I came to tell you that I won't be able to play Saturday."

He looked at me, confused before sitting back in his chair. "That's the first game of the tournament." He said. "Is everything ok?"

I wiped a little sweat off my forehead and nodded . "It's just my father was killed yesterday and the funeral is Saturday." His eyes grew wide at the statement.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Are you sure you're ok?" He seemed genuinely concerned, but if he only knew.

"I'm fine Coach." I assured him. He looked at me, trying to see if I was bluffing or not. But, I wasn't. I was only going to the funeral out of respect for my grandmother. She wanted me there and she said that he was still my father. I still had to show respect. I was just relieved that Malia was going with me.

"Ok, well we're definitely going to miss your presence.. But I totally understand. Don't worry about buying a ticket. It's on the school." He chuckled. "I won't let you pay for your own plane ticket."

"That's really no—"

He held his hands up, shaking his head. "It's done." He looked at me. "Just one ticket or.."

I shook my head. "No, at least five."

"Well, consider it done. They'll be mailed to you before Wednesday." He stood up causing me to do so as well and walked around to engulf me in a hug. I stiffened a little, but eventually settled down. He'd caught me off guard. I never received a hug from a grown man. He pulled back a little to look at me. "I hope while you're down there for three days that you find some type of closure. You have the chance to be the best ball player this country has ever seen. I don't want anything holding you back."

Not knowing what to say, I chose the safest route and nodded my head. "Thanks Coach."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "No, don't thank me. I'm not just your coach. I'm your friend, confidant.. Whoever you need me to be at any given moment. I love you like I love my own kids. When I recruited throughout high school, I just didn't see you as a basketball player. I saw you as a person. A person who needed a new beginning."