Spencer

In the early 80's I used to live on the 5500 block of Matthews St., smack dab in the heart of Germantown. I wasn't allowed to hang out around the corner very often. There was mostly only trouble to be found anyway. So I spent most of my time on the block...but I didn't mind because I knew at a certain time every day the coolest dude I had ever seen was going to walk...no stroll...no glide down the street. This dude was always fresh man. He always had a clean shapeup, sneaks always sparklin'. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. And the best part...he acknowledged my existence. Everyday whenever I’d see him gliding down the street I’d lose my mind having to wait until he got within a respectable distance before I would shout, "What's up Spence?!?" "Sup Shorty", he'd respond. He stopped walking and faced me. I had his full attention. "You good?" he'd ask me. At this point I'd be so excited I'd only be able to get out a single word, "Yes". "Aight cool." "You good?" I'd inquire, mimicking his earlier question. Smiling, he'd say, "Yea man; you already know that Dre. Look man, be cool and I'll catch up with you later. And make sure to listen to your mom". He said that every time. And I had my response at the ready, "Alright Spence, Peace!' I don't remember if I would give the 'Peace Sign' gesture with my hands or not. But I know he probably chuckled to himself every time I said that. But it didn't matter. I was content with that short but sweet interaction with the coolest man on the planet.

I'd watch him until he reached went into his house; and just like that I had grown a little taller, a little wiser, a little more confident, and a lot less depressed. Some people who enter your life are just special. There's no rhyme or reason for it. Whether they help put food in your fridge or just take 11.8 seconds to say hello God put them there for a purpose. I had to have been around 6 or 7 when he and I started our ritual salutation. I am 42 years old. I promise you, if I were to see Spencer in person today I'd be just as excited to steal a few seconds of his attention, and I'd be just as at a loss for words as I was back then. I never thanked him for being a lil kid’s friend and hero. Thank you Spence. You meant the world to me.

Epilogue –

Spencer was unusually tall for his age. This made it difficult for him to play sports with his 10 year old age group. As a consequence, in order to experience any real sense of competition, Spencer was forced to play basketball with the older kids; and sometimes adults. On one particular summer day Spencer was playing basketball with a group of teenagers. Along with his size, Spencer seemed to have a level of athleticism that far exceed his contemporaries on the court. Most people thoroughly enjoyed watching Spencer play ball. His skill was tantalizing, as it was apparent he’d be one of those kids whose talent carried them far away from the neighborhood if he allowed it to. But there were those who were jealous of the attention and adulation he received. And so, on this day they decided they’d knock Spencer off of his high horse. Even though Spencer was as big, if not bigger than these bullies, he was still only 10 years old. He was a gentle giant who had no interest in fighting. He just wanted to play basketball. But they harassed Spencer, shoved him to the ground, and teased him for acting like a baby. Dejected, Spencer left the playground and walked home. As he was walking down the street to his home, Darleen, a friend and neighbor of Spencer’s mother, noticed the young man looked extremely sad. This was in stark contrast to his usual friendly and upbeat demeanor. “Hey Shorty! What’s wrong with you?”, she inquired from her porch. “They was messin’ with me Ms. Darlene” Spencer replied, resisting the urge to cry. He could feel the frog in his throat growing larger and larger by the moment. He was raised to be a gentleman, and he didn’t want to be rude. But all he wanted to do was make it back to the safety us mother’s arms. “Who messin’ with you Shorty?” she bellowed. Her words were colored with equal parts annoyance, concern, and anger. But before Spencer had a chance to response she continue on, “Shorty, let me tell you something. You are too big and too strong to be letting those boys mess with you. The next time someone messes with you, knock them right on their ass!” Spencer stood across the street from Ms. Darlene for a few moments in silence. You could almost see the wheels of his conscious turning, contemplating her words carefully. It had never occurred to him that he could fight back. Suddenly, running away from conflict was no longer savory. It didn’t show on his face, but Spencer felt some appreciable level of relief. He had lost on that day to those bullies. But he made himself a promise that he would never lose again.

The next day Ms. Darlene was on her porch drinking her favorite caffeinated beverage and enjoying a nice summer breeze. As she looked up to survey her street, she saw Spencer at the top of the block. Even from that distance, she could tell that something was different about him. He was brimming with confidence. Darlene intuitively knew what had happened, but decided that once he was within a reasonable distance she would ask him anyway. When he reached her porch she asked, “Hey Shorty, what happened?” Smiling, Spencer responded, “I did what you said Ms. Darlene.” Ms. Darlene’s eyes widened, “You knocked them on they ass?” she asked with a bemused expression on her face. Her inquiry made Spencer blush. He looked at his shoes for a moment, then composed himself enough to answer her question, “Yes ma’am.” “Good baby” she responded. “Now you enjoy the rest of your day, and tell your mother I said hello” “OK” Spencer answered obediently.

Ms. Darlene sat back in her chair and took a sip of her drink. She beamed with pride as Spencer continued his trek home, no doubt eager to tell his mother about how he had finally defended himself. “Good for you Shorty”, she thought to herself. “Good for you”.

*Dedicated to my mother Carolyn Delores “Darlene” O’Brien. I love and miss you dearly.