It’s cold outside, a couple of feet of ice under the few feet of snow, but the sun is beaming down, trying to give the earth a little warmth. There is no school today, the children are all outside playing, having snowball fights, sledding up and down the street, building snowmen and making snow angels. Colbie is sitting on his porch, eating a pb & j sandwich as he watching his friends play in the street. He is wearing his favorite blue, downy, bubble winter pants and coat, which his mother sent him last year. He is seeing that his friends just have on coats and gloves and hats and their regular clothes to keep them warm. One of his friends, notice him watching them and he comes over to him, it was Quinton, Quinton, is a year older than him, but he had to repeat the 4th grade, because he got sick last year and missed most of the whole year. He is taller than Colbie, he is darker skinned, and he wears long braids in his hair. “Hi, Colb…” says Quinton, “Hey”, Colbie replies back. “ Whatcha doing? Are you going to come and play with us, we’re winning against Marcus team, and we sure could use your help to keep winning.” Quinton says. “Yeah, I’m thinking about it, but I want to finish my lunch first and my mom is supposed to call in a few minutes and I want to stay close to the house, because she doesn’t get to talk for a long time.” Colbie tells him. “So, where is she this time?” Quinton asks. “I don’t know, she tells us sometimes. But, I get scared sometimes, you know. Colbie says. “Yeah, I know it must get crazy, my dad says that people in the military have a very hard job to do and sometimes we don’t get to know everything they do, for their protection and for ours to. But, I don’t quite understand that, though.” Quinton answers back, as he’s walking back to his friends. “Well, if you get to come and play it would be great to have you on our team, okay.”
As then the phone rings and Colbie jumps up and run to the door and goes into the house.”I got it grannie…” Colbie says as he grabs for the phone. He answers it.” Hello, (there is a pause, then he shouts) Mom!!!! Grannie it’s MOM!!! (pause) sorry, I didn’t mean to scream into your ears. (pause) Yes, Ma’am, I have (pause) no Ma’am, It’s cold still and there is no school because of the ice and the snow. ( pause) no, she’s on her way, she’s in the kitchen making herself a sandwich.(pause) have you ate yet? (pause) what did you eat?(pause) No, Ma’am. I saw uncle, last week; he came by and brought me some new tennis shoes. Oh, here, is grannie, Okay, don’t hang up after you talk to her, if you can wait, I have to tell you something, okay?” He hands the phone over to his grandmother, just as she sits down and puts her plate down on the stand. Grannie, is tall, shoulder length black hair, eyes, lighter in skin color, a few heavy pounds, dressed in a black and gold jogging suit and shoes. Colbie is standing there and watching for his chance to get the phone again. “Hey, baby girl, what is going on? Are you keeping those people straight where you are at?” she laughs as she says this and winks at Colbie. “Yeah, the schools out for the next couple of days. (pause) No, I haven’t seen it in the mail yet, how much is it? (pause) Are you eating well, is the weather okay there? Are there many women there? (pause) Still don’t know when you’re coming home yet? (pause) Okay, here’s your boy, he’s jumping around like a rabbit on something.” She says as she laughs and hands the phone over to her grandson.
He takes the phone and tells her Thank you. “Mom, Mom, guess what? (pause) I’m going to be in the talent show.(pause) yes, Ma’am, well the guys and us are going to pretend to The Five Heartbeats and sing. ( pause) Yes, Ma’am. Well, it’s going to be in the spring. Are you going to be able to come? I sure hope so.’ He states, then he smiles and his dimples show up real pronounced. “Okay, while, I hope to see you sooner than that, and Mom, I love you and I miss you and Grannie does to.(pause) yes, Ma’am, okay bye. He sends her a kiss on the phone and he hangs up. He then turns to his grandmother and says “Mom says she will be home to see us compete in the talent show.” He says as he walks out the door. He walks outside as he’s pulling on his gloves and his hood and runs over to his friends waiting to for him to join them. “My mom, is going to come and see us in the talent show, we have to practice every day, so we are just like the 5 Heartbeat guys.” Colbie tells them.
Then they got blasted by snowballs from the other team. Then start sending a volley of snowballs back to them. Its springtime now, the flowers are in full bloom, some of the vegetables in the back yard garden are starting to show some greenery. Colbie goes outside to set up the boards on the ground; his friends are coming over to practice for the upcoming school talent show which is in a week. He’s wearing his suit, because today they are making sure that they can move as freely in their suits that they are wearing in the contest. Just as he plugs in the CD player and turns it on, his other 4 friends show up and they are all dressed in shiny silver suits and black Stacey Adams, and silver dress socks and a black and silver band Fedoras. They get into their places and on the table are long stem fake roses; they plan to pass out real ones in the contest. So, they start up the CD, and the music starts and they get into place to start their opening dance move, before they start singing. Grandmother Wanda stands in the kitchen, looking out the window as she smiles and watches them. “Boy, that boy is going to be just like his mother, Lord knows she can sing like the angels.” She says out loud.
The day of the talent show and no, mom, yet, Colbie is getting nervous, his uncles and aunties are there at the school, along with his grandmother and some cousins. He looks out through the curtain back stage to see if he can see her coming in. Then just as he was about to walk away, he sees a tall person coming through the door and he prays “Oh, sweet Jesus, let that be my mom.” And then the person becomes clearer and it’s her. “She’s here, she’s here,” he runs and tells his friends. “Okay, let’s get ready Ms. Richardson says we are next. “Oh, okay, let’s go.” They put their hands together and say “ Go, 5 Heartbeat 2.0!” and they walk out onto the stage in their shiny silver suits with their long stem red roses and they get into place and wait for the music to start up. They perform the song “House of Love” they have all the dance movements down, and then they jump off the stage and hand a rose to a different girl, but Colbie walks down to where is mother is sitting and hands her his rose and kisses her on the cheek and walks back on stage to join his friends. The girls are all screaming as the boys are singing and dancing; finally their turn is over and another group comes out on the stage. Colbie wants to go out and hung his mom, but they have to stay back behind the stage until everyone is finished. He is getting a bit nervous, and he’s wondering if his mom is going to be able to stay until the end. So, he peeps through the curtain again and she catches him, and she blows him a kiss and he pretends to catch. “What are you doing?” ask one of his friends. Colbie jumps back and says, “uh, oh nothing, I’m just thinking of another move we should of done.” He answers Brenden.
They both walk about to where they are supposed to stay until the end. Finally, Ms. Richardson calls for all the performers from the 4th grade to come out on stage. The 3rd place winner is called and each is given an envelope full of Chucky Cheese passes. Then the 2nd place winner is called and she is given an envelope of tickets to White Water and Big Splash. Then the 1st place winners are being called and it’s The 5 Heartbeat 2.0, Colbie and his friends are jumping up and down as they run over to their principal, the audience is screaming also. They are given an envelope with a gift certificate to the Golden Corral for a family of four and tickets for 4 to Big Splash, White Water, and a passes at Chucky Cheese. Colbie looks out and he sees his mom has walked down to take pictures of them. One of the boys sees her, and he said to Colbie: “Is that your mom?” Colbie says yeah, smiling from ear to ear.
One of the boys that lost, heard what was being said and walked overand said;” You lied, you said that your mom is in the military, she’s not wearing any combats and uniform.” He says with a smudge look. Colbie turns to him and says in a loud voice:”Oh, yeah, my mom wears combat boots and high heels, too.” And turns and runs to her ready arms, and kisses her on her cheek and hugs her tightly. And there she is standing holding him in her arms and she’s wearing a shiny matching suit- but with a straight skirt instead of pants and hat, just like the boys and wearing very high heels that are black and silver. She hugs the other boys and tells them that she would like to take them all to Golden Corral and told them at ask their parents about coming and that they can come also, he’s buying. But, they told the boys each to go ahead and them they walk over to her thank her for doing that. So, they all walk out to the van, Colbie opens the door for his mom and then runs around on the passenger side and opens the door for his grandmother and then he and his friends all get in and put their seat belts on and Lisa- Colbie’s mom put the Five Heartbeats’ CD on and they start to sing as they drive off. The End
