Southern Secrets Society: The Grooming | #Suspense | RomePi™

͋ 2 ͋ A Game Of Chess (BWWM)

CHECKMATE

Ok... so here is the deal.

One hundred and twenty dollars may not seem like a lot of money, but in 1991, that was a tremendous amount. That kind of money for a student who didn't have a job and happened to live in a place where far too few employment opportunities existed, was nearly as impossible as if I suddenly decided to climb the Empire State Building, by hand, and without a harness for support.

First of all, I am deathly afraid of heights. Secondly, me climbing anything taller than me just ain't gonna happen in this lifetime.

With our teacher's announcement rattling around, everyone's bubble was deflated due to the prospect of missing out on a dream come true. We left the class with our heads hung low hoping for a miracle. Many of us weren't so sure our parents would loosen the purse strings enough to give us the much-needed cash.

Even though I was sure it would require the heavens and the Earth to realign, I was determined to get that money one way or another.

My parents are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They love their community and work hard to make sure the neighborhood is safe for kids to hang out and have fun. Everyone who lives around us works together, making our area a fantastic place for families.

Not only are there plenty of great things I can say about my parents, but they, like many people around us, are truly humble people who value leading an extremely modest lifestyle.

With all those platitudes spoken honestly about them, the fact is that I knew there was no way my mom and dad would fork over any money with the snap of my fingers. Therefore, the only chance I had of getting the hundred and twenty dollars I needed from them required I follow a particular protocol.

Most importantly, my request had to be submitted at least two weeks in advance. Even if I made the request months in advance, there was no sure-fire guarantee that I would get the money no matter how closely I followed their rules. Because money didn't grow on trees, my parents always considered if what I wanted was something they felt comfortable footing the bill for.

Since it was October, and we wouldn't need the money until early spring, I felt confident I could get it with little to no problem. So I believed success was well within my grasp, with good behavior and a few extra chores.

As I planned how to approach the question, it didn't register how quickly I covered the ten-minute walk from the bus stop. I would hang out with my friends for a little while on any other day and then make my way home. But, since I had more pressing issues, I wasted no time on foolishness.

As I turned the doorknob to enter the house, I had already devised a foolproof plan that I believed would secure their agreement to help me out.

"Hi, mom and dad." I pushed the door wide open and dropped my bag by the couch to join my parents in the living room. I already decided to highlight my accomplishments in school before asking them for anything.

"How was your day, sweetie?" My dad was busy with his favorite pastime as he greeted me.

With his eyes trained on a small wooden statue he'd been sculpting for a few months now, I had a chance to ask my question uninterrupted. It was a detailed totem that he carved from time to time. He never raced to finish anything, and as a result, my dad created some of the most stunning wood carvings anyone had ever seen.

He refused to sell them even though he could make tons of money from his craft. Because carving was something he did to pass the time and quiet his mind from the stresses of life, he often called it a selfish pleasure. My father always insisted his crafting wasn't meant for others, just for himself.