Larger Short Story
Bright lights. Big stage. Big moment. This was always Tyreese Jackson's comfort zone. Always ready for the big moment, never hesitated, and never losing an option. It all started in the basement of 316 Shady Drive Greensboro, North Carolina that is where Tyreese first picked up a basketball. His sixth Christmas, Santa Claus brought him a present that he would remember for the rest of his life. The present was a Fisher Price “Grow to Pro” Basketball Hoop. Rick and Catness never imagined how crazy this present would drive them. Tyreese played basketball twenty four-seven, not a time of the day when you would not hear that orange rubber ball bouncing off the cement ground and hitting the plastic background of that hoop.
Tyreese and his Dad did everything together as best friends. His mother Catness was always with his two sisters Destiny and Sasha. That 's just how the Jackson family was the boys were with the boys and the girls were with the girls. There was only two things that the family always did together. The first and most important, going to church every Sunday to see their Father preach to the people. Second was basketball. They never missed a North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball game. They bled light blue and white and despise Duke.
After watching a Duke and North Carolina when he was 10 years Tyreese told his father that someday the whole family will get to come and see him play point guard for the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. Rick told him great things were in his future and this always made Tyreese feel great knowing that someone believed in him. He didn't come from the richest family in the world.. His Dad was the main Reverend at West-side Chapel and his mom was the manager of a Waffle house. His parents always taught him that hard work goes a long way, and to be successful it requires hard work.
When he reached thirteen Tyreese really started to play street ball. Then, for his 13th birthday his Dad got him a full membership to the Greensboro YMCA Gym. At the YMCA Tyreese's skills reached new heights behind Joey Rodriguez. Rodriguez was a former point guard at VCU, now working at the YMCA helping kids improve their game. His dribbling became so low and tight to the ground and became almost impossible for defenders to steal the ball away. His crossover dribble could break a defender ankles. His jump shot or his “J” as Tyreese called it was just silky and smooth. He was a marksman from the 3 point line and he got the shooters roll if his shot was short. It was easy for him to get to the basket it would take one quick move and he would be at the tin, always ready to adjust to whatever the defense would throw at him. At 13, his basketball IQ exceeded any other 13 year old point guard thanks to the help of Joey Rodriguez.
Tyreese made the seventh grade basketball team and upon leaving the gym that day would be one that he would never forget. His Uncle Jamal picked him up from practice today and after realizing that they weren't going home Tyreese asked “Where are we going?”
His Uncle replied, “To the hospital. Your Dad, and sisters are there.”
Tyreese stuttered, “Where is my mom?”
`Jamal said, “She was hit by a drunk driver, lost control of the car, and ran into a tree, they aren't sure if she is going to make it.”
Tyreese began to cry. They arrived at the hospital and there he saw his dad and sisters in silence surrounding his mothers bed where she laid. She was in a coma the doctors said she may wake up she may not. Tyreese would never forget the look on his Dad's face he had never seen him worried or stressed out before he was always just a calm and happy person. After sitting in the waiting room for seven hours, his mother's heart stopped beating and she was pronounced dead. Things at 316 Shady Drive would never be the same.
After the funeral Tyreese missed his mother and he struggled getting the memories of her out of his head. Tyreese remembered what his mother told him when he was