Authors: Earl Sewell
Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #General, #People & Places, #United States, #African American
Keysha's Drama (18 page)
L
ater that afternoon I went to the garage and upstairs to the workout room. Jordan was just finishing his run on the treadmill. I sat down on one of the weight machines and watched him as he wiped sweat from his face with a towel.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Yeah,” Jordan said as he stepped down from the treadmill and took a seat at another weight-lifting machine, which was next to me.
“When the results came back and they told you that I was your daughter, why did you come for me? Why didn't you just let a judge sign me over to the group home permanently and leave me there?”
“Sweetie, when I learned that you were my baby there was no question in my mind as to what my next step would be. I couldn't turn my back on you. You are my responsibility.” Jordan paused for a moment and then placed his hand over mine.
“I feel cheated, Keysha. I've been cheated out of watching you enter the world, cheated out of your first steps and your first birthday. My heart is hurting about this in ways that are unimaginable. Trust me, had I known about you, believe me when I say that life for you would have been very different.” I swallowed hard because my next question was a real tough one to ask. I glanced down at the floor.
“Do youâ” My words got trapped in my throat. “I meanâwhat I'm trying to ask is, even though all this crazy stuff is going on, do you think you'll ever be able to love me?” Jordan got up from his seat and kneeled down before me.
“Look at me. Look into my eyes,” he said. “I don't want you to ever think for one minute that I don't love you or that I will stop loving you.”
“But I've screwed up so badly. I didn't mean to but somehow everything just went crazy,” I said. I was trying to tell him how sorry I was for causing so much drama.
“You are my daughter and nothing on this earth will ever change that or the way I feel about you. Do you understand?”
“But what if we don't get a chance to really get to know each other?” I asked nervously. My worst fear was that I'd be convicted and end up in prison. “I mean, this entire drug thing doesn't make me feel good at all.”
“This family is going to get through this and no matter what happens, I'm going to be there for you.” I don't know why his words went directly to my heart but they did. I leaned forward, rested my head on his shoulders and hugged him.
“I love you, Daddy,” I said.
“I love you, too,” he answered, and hearing him say those words to me made me feel more loved and cared for than I ever had before.
QUESTIONS
- 1) What does Keysha want the most?
- 2) What are Keysha's flaws and how do you think she got them?
- 3) What are Keysha's strengths?
- 4) Is Keysha a leader or a follower?
- 5) What is Toya's motivation for trying to pressure Keysha to consider dropping out of school?
- 6) Why does Keysha still care about her mother, Justine, even after she's left her in a desperate situation?
- 7) While in the group home, Keysha hears stories from teen kids who were homeless and living on the streets. Discuss what you think it would be like to live on the street without food, shelter or someone to love you.
- 8) Discuss why you think Mike wanted to be viewed as a hard-core gangster as opposed to a clean-cut young man.
- 9) Discuss how and why Liz was able to connect with Keysha and get her to trust her.
- 10) Why do you think Jordan is willing to risk everything for a daughter he didn't know he had?
Favorite female artist: Alicia Keys
Favorite female group: Pussycat Dolls
Favorite female rapper: Missy Elliott
Favorite young female actress: Julia Stiles
Favorite Teen Movie: Take the Lead
Favorite Song on my iPod by a female artist: Hips Don't Lie by Shakira
Favorite female track and field athlete: Florence Griffith Joyner
Favorite male artist: Usher
Favorite male rapper: Yung Joc
Favorite young male actor: Mark Wahlberg
Favorite guy movie: Four Brothers
Favorite male athlete: Muhammad Ali (the greatest of all time)
Favorite Song on my iPod by a male artist: Justin Timberlake (SexyBack)
Favorite online site I'm hooked on for the moment: www.myspace.com/earlsewell
Most interesting and informative Web site: www.americaslibrary.gov
Favorite cartoon: The Simpsons
Favorite food: Banana Pudding
Favorite football team: Da Chicago Bears
Favorite basketball team: Da Bulls
Favorite baseball team: Da White Sox
Favorite season: The Fall
Favorite city to visit: Miami, FL
Favorite romantic DVD: The Piano
Keysha's Drama
ISBN: 978-1-4268-0099-3
Copyright © 2007 by Earl Sewell
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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