The Journey of Dallas Parker
By
Joey Hubbard
8/6/07
Once upon a time there was a young man
named Dallas Parker. He lived a happy life growing up in Detroit Michigan. He spent his days hanging
out with his brother Ryan Thomas, his two best friends Johnny Rogers and Marty
Evans, and his girlfriend Brittany Evans who was Marty’s fraternal twin sister.
There was only one thing about Dallas that made him different
from Ryan; Dallas was white and Ryan and his
parents were black. He had been left on their doorstep when he was born. Dallas had never cared about the
fact that he was a Caucasian boy who was raised by an African-American family,
at least not when he was a child. It only started to bother him when he got
older. This is the story of his journey through life and self discovery.
His story began when he turned eighteen.
He was hanging out at one of the local parks on a Wednesday afternoon playing
baseball with his friends and some of the local neighborhood kids. There were
only eight other kids at the park, so they had split into two teams of six.
Marty and Johnny were on one team; Dallas and Ryan were on the other. He had
already hit two home runs and four triples and was trying for home run number
three. Marty went into a wind-up and threw the ball, Dallas shifted back and swung. The
ball went flying clear across the park and into the street. Dallas threw up his arms in
triumph as he ran the bases. That home run ended the game and his team won five
to four.
Dallas and the guys piled into his car and decided
to go get some ice cream at the local Dairy Queen. Dallas enjoyed a waffle bowl
sundae, Ryan enjoyed a banana split, and Johnny and Marty had regular sundaes.
As they were eating, Marty said, “It’s only a few more weeks ‘til graduation. I’m
gonna be hanging out at the beach most of the summer. What do you guys have
planned?” Johnny said, “I’ll probably wind up working with my dad for the
summer.” Ryan said, “I’m gonna work for the summer too.” Dallas didn’t say anything at
first but then he said, “I don’t know what I’m doing for the summer, but I do
know one thing. This weekend I’m taking a little road trip; a road trip to Nashville Tennessee.” Marty said, “That’s an
interesting destination. Why do you wanna go there?” Ryan said, “I think I know
why.” Dallas said, “I’m going to Tennessee to find my parents.” Marty
and Johnny looked up in astonishment. Marty asked, “You mean your birth
parents?” Dallas nodded as Ryan said, “You really need to get
over yourself and let this go man.” He replied, “I can’t let it go bro. I don’t
wanna keep waiting for them to come and claim me back. I wanna find them so I
can finally learn who I really am and where I come from. And hopefully I can convince
them to come and see their only son graduate from high school.”
They finished their sundaes and pulled
out of the parking lot. Dallas dropped Johnny off first
and then Marty. As he and Ryan drove home, Ryan asked, “Have you told mom and
dad about this trip yet?” Dallas replied in a very stone
cold tone of voice, “No I haven’t but if I did, then they’d probably support me
100% of the way.” They didn’t say anything else the rest of the way home.
Dallas pulled into the driveway
and they both got out. He let Ryan turn on the car alarm as they headed inside.
Their house was the biggest on the block. Both of their parents were lawyers
which explained why their house was so big. Their parents weren’t home. Dallas guessed that they were
working late at the law firm again. He went into the kitchen and was quickly
greeted by their dogs Rowdy and Sammy. Rowdy was a beagle and belonged to Dallas. He had gotten him when he
turned twelve. Sammy was a golden retriever and belonged to Ryan and his
parents. Dallas reached into the fridge and
pulled out two cans of Sprite, one for him and one for Ryan.
Dallas went back into the front
room, handed Ryan his pop, and collapsed on the couch. He took a swig of his
pop and asked, “Did mom and dad say anything about staying late at the law firm
tonight?” Ryan looked up and said, “I think that they said they might.” Then Dallas asked, “Do you think they
left any money for us?” Ryan stared and asked, “What for?” Dallas replied, “So we can get
dinner, that’s why. I’m sure they left us some money for pizza or Chinese food
around here somewhere.” Ryan suggested, “Why should we waste money? I can cook
us dinner easily.” Dallas gave a disgusted look and
said, “No offense bro, but I’m really not in the mood for your cooking right
now. The last time when you cooked that six-alarm chili, it burned my tongue, throat,
and stomach. Thanks but no thanks.” Ryan replied, “Yeah, you’re probably
right.” Dallas picked up the nearby phone and started
dialing. Ryan asked, “You calling in an order?” Dallas shook his head and said,
“Nope. I’m calling Brittany and I’m gonna invite her
over.” Ryan asked, “Why?” Dallas replied, “Think man. Our
parents are out for who knows how long, you’ll be the only other person here,
and Brittany and I will practically have the place all to
ourselves. You do the math man.” Ryan said, “No, I understand that. What I
don’t understand is why you’re doing this now when you could’ve done this when
we dropped off Marty.” Dallas said, “The thought hadn’t
crossed my mind then.” The phone rang twice before he heard her voice. Brittany said, “Hello?” Dallas said, “Hey baby. How’re you
doing?” She replied, “I’m fine.” Dallas asked, “What’re you doing
right now?” She replied, “Oh, nothing much. I’m just online chatting with Tommy
and Kimberly.” Dallas got the message right away.
She meant she was online talking to her cousin Tommy Oliver and his girlfriend
Kimberly Hart. Both of them had graduated two years ago and were now living in Tennessee. Tommy was a third-degree
blackbelt in martial arts and had been captain of the wrestling team. Kimberly
Hart was a beautiful and talented gymnast/swimmer. She had won several medals
and trophies during her time at their school. Dallas asked, “Do you wanna come
over for a few hours? My parents aren’t home and it’s only me and Ryan.” She
replied, “That sounds terrific. I think I will come by. Just give me a couple
minutes to finish chatting and a few minutes to freshen up.” Dallas said, “Take all the time
you need baby. I’ll see you in a few.” He blew her a kiss, clicked off the
phone and settled back into the couch.
After a few minutes, Ryan said, “Hey Dallas? Can I
ask you something?” Dallas said, “Go ahead.” Ryan
asked, “When did you first realize you were in love with Brittany and how do you know when
you are in love?” Dallas replied, “That’s a good
question. I guess I’m not really sure exactly when I realized it. I guess it’s
one of those Florence Nightingale effects, you know like when nurses fall in
love with their patients. This was one of those best friends falling in love
with each other kind of thing. As for how I knew I was in love, I felt it up
here.” He pointed at his head as he continued, “But I also felt it mostly in
here.” He pointed at his heart. Ryan asked, “Can I ask you something else?” Dallas nodded. Ryan asked, “Are
you absolutely sure that you wanna go through with this trip to Nashville?” Dallas shrugged and said, “Yes.
I’ve made up my mind and nothing’s happened to change that. Nothing will change
my mind.” Ryan said, “I have one more question. What are you gonna do if and
when you do find your birth parents? Are you just gonna pack up and leave us
after graduation or what?” Dallas was so intent on going that
he hadn’t taken time to think about that. He said, “I guess I haven’t really
thought about that part. I don’t wanna get ahead of myself so I’m gonna worry
about that later. I wouldn’t think too hard on that if I were you either.
Believe me, even when I do find my parents, it’s not like I’m gonna leave your
lives forever. I mean you and your parents have been taking care of me all my
life. All my memories, my friends and my entire life are here in Detroit. Yes, I will admit that there
will come a time when I will have to leave, but that’s when we both have to
live on our own.” Ryan nodded insuring that he got the message.
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang and Dallas got up to answer it. He
opened the door and Brittany walked in and kissed him
hello. They both walked into the front room and sat with Ryan. After a few
minutes, Dallas asked, “Say Ryan? Why don’t you check the
house and see if our parents left any money for dinner like I said before.”
Ryan understood what he was getting at, so he went upstairs for a while leaving
Dallas and Brittany to themselves on the couch. Brittany said, “So Marty tells me
that you’re planning to take a trip to Nashville this weekend. Is that
true?” Dallas replied, “Yes it is true. Did he happen to
tell you why I’m going?” Brittany nodded and said, “Yes he
did tell me that.” Dallas asked, “Are you
disappointed in me?” Brittany replied, “No. Actually I’m
proud of you. I think it’s nice that you’re taking this big step to discover
your roots and find out where you’re coming from.” Dallas said, “Wow! That’s pretty
deep Brittany. Thanks.”
While Dallas and Brittany were talking downstairs,
Ryan was upstairs looking for the dinner money like Dally had suggested. Dally
was Ryan’s personal nickname for Dallas. The whole group called him
Dally on occasion in fact. Ryan had already checked his room and Dallas’ room. The only other rooms
left to check were the guest room and his parents’ bedroom. He checked his
parents’ room first and sitting right on their nightstand was a $20 bill, a $10
bill and some coupons for Dominos Pizza. He decided to poke his head downstairs
and ask if Brittany wanted to stay for dinner
and what they wanted.
Ryan walked downstairs very nonchalantly so they
hadn’t noticed him yet. He had to clear his throat several times before they acknowledged
his presence. Dallas looked over his shoulder
and asked, “What do you need Ryan?” He briefly hesitated and said, “I found the
money and some vouchers for Domino’s Pizza upstairs. Shall I call in an order?”
Dallas said, “Absolutely.” Then he
asked, “Would you care to stay for dinner Brittany?” She replied, “I’d love to
stay for dinner and afterwards, we can make our own dessert.” She winked at him
as she finished.
Half an hour later, the doorbell rang again. Ryan
answered it and paid for their meal. They both got one pizza and one side item.
Dallas and Brittany had a cheese pizza and a side of breadsticks. Ryan had a
pepperoni and sausage pizza and a side of Buffalo wings. Dallas and Brittany
decided to eat upstairs in his room. Ryan stayed downstairs, picked up the
remote control and settled himself in front of the TV.
Dallas carried the pizza and
breadsticks up to his room while Brittany grabbed a couple of pops
from the fridge. She grabbed a Sprite for herself and a Pepsi for Dallas, and then she went upstairs
as well. They ended up eating equal amounts of both the breadsticks and pizza.
After polishing off that gourmet meal, Dallas lied down on the bed and Brittany
lied down on his left arm and rested her head on his shoulder. She leaned in
close and kissed him. He smiled and said, “I hope that’s not the only thing on
your mind baby.” She shook her head and rolled over on top of him and began
kissing him again.
She took off her shirt and he slipped off
his as well. They were just starting to make out when Brittany suddenly stopped. Dallas was puzzled and asked,
“What? What’s wrong?” Brittany looked to the bedroom door
and said, “Do you think we ought to close the door in case Ryan comes
upstairs?” He laughed and said, “I wouldn’t worry about him. He knows not to
intrude when I’ve got company. However, if it makes you feel better, I’ll lock
the door.” Dallas didn’t realize it, but it
was a good thing that he did lock the door, because just outside, pulling into
the driveway were his adoptive parents Tanya and Charles Thomas.
They both walked in and Tanya said,
“Hello, we’re home boys.” Ryan got up and said, “Hey mom, Hi pop.” Charles
looked around the front room and asked, “Where’s Dallas?” Ryan replied, “He’s
upstairs with Brittany in his room.” They both
looked at each other and then Tanya asked, “Oh, he invited Brittany over?” Ryan nodded and said,
“There’s something else. He wants to tell you something later.” But Charles
couldn’t stand to wait, so he headed upstairs and knocked on the bedroom door. Dallas, thinking it was Ryan
turned and said, “Not now Ryan.” Charles knocked again and Dallas said, “Ryan, I said not
now.” Charles said, “It’s not Ryan Dallas, it’s your father.” Both Brittany and
Dallas froze as fast as ice! Quick as a flash, they were scrambling to get
dressed. Brittany was dressed first and Dallas picked up a button-down
shirt and slipped it on. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Charles
walked in and said, “Hello Brittany and hello son.” Dallas slowly replied, “Hi
Charles.” Charles said, “I understand that you have something you wanna tell us
son.” Dallas sighed and said, “Yes I do as a matter of
fact. But I suggest we take this downstairs.”
They all headed downstairs and joined
Tanya and Ryan. Charles sat in the armchair and Dallas and Brittany sat with
Ryan. Dallas took a deep breath and said, “Charles,
Tanya, there’s something I’ve been thinking about doing and I’ve decided I’m
going to do it. This may be hard for you to accept but, I’m going to Nashville this weekend to find my
parents; my birth parents.”
Neither Charles nor Tanya said anything
for a while. Charles took a deep breath and said, “Well I always knew that this
day would come. I just didn’t think that it would come this soon.” Tanya asked,
“So that’s it? You’re gonna up and leave us after we’ve been caring for you
your whole entire life?” Dallas replied, “No Tanya, I’m not
leaving your lives for good; I‘m just going on a little journey; a journey to
find the missing part of my life. It’s out there somewhere in Nashville and I intend to find it no
matter what. But you don’t have to worry, you’re still the most important
people in my life, nothing will change that.” Charles and Tanya both sighed in
relief. Charles said, “Dallas, I can’t tell you not to do
this because you are a grown man, but what I can tell you is that I hope you’re
making a wise and careful decision.” Dallas replied, “I know exactly
what I’m doing Charles. I may not know what lies ahead of me on this trip but
I’m gonna try as hard as I can. Tomorrow, I’m gonna pack up whatever I’ll need
and I’m gonna leave Friday morning. It’ll take me all morning to get there. The
sooner I get there, the more time I’ll have to start looking for my parents.”
The next morning, Dallas stayed true to his word. He
spent the entire morning deciding what he’d take. Brittany, who’d decided to
spend the night was now awake and was downstairs fixing breakfast for her and
Dallas. She walked upstairs and knocked on the door to let him know she was
there. Dallas looked up and asked, “What’s up Brittany? Did you leave something in
here?” Brittany replied, “No. I actually came up here to ask
you to come downstairs and have breakfast with me.” Dallas said, “I appreciate that
sweetheart, but I’m a little busy here.” Now Brittany was the type of girl who
didn’t like to take no for an answer, especially not from her boyfriend. She
sighed and said in a very cute tone of voice, “Dallas, I just cooked enough food
for your entire family and I don’t wanna eat by myself.” Dallas smiled and said, “All
right. You go back downstairs and set the table and I’ll go wake Ryan and we’ll
both be down in a minute.” She smiled and went back downstairs.
Dallas went over to Ryan’s room
and knocked on the door. He didn’t hear anything, so he went inside and walked
over to Ryan’s bed. He reached over and gently shook Ryan’s arm. Ryan yawned
and slowly opened his eyes. He said, “Morning bro.” Dallas replied, “Good morning. Brittany made breakfast for all of
us, so when you’re ready, come downstairs and join us.” Ryan said, “You got it
man.” Dallas left the room and headed downstairs. By now,
Brittany had finished setting the
table and was just bringing the food in. Dallas asked, “Do you want some
help baby doll?” She replied, “That would be great. You carry the sausages and
eggs while I get the toast and bacon.” They each took two trays and set them on
the table. Ryan came down and joined them shortly after. They all ate in
silence for a while before Ryan said, “I’m sure you guys want some privacy so
I’m gonna go finish eating in the front room.” Dallas said, “You don’t have to go
anywhere. In fact, there’s something I wanna ask you two. How would you feel if
I asked you both to come to Nashville with me?” Both Ryan and
Brittany looked at each other and then at Dallas. Ryan asked, “Are you
serious? You want us to come along?” Dallas nodded and said, “We should
ask Marty and Johnny if they want to come along too.”
Later that afternoon while Charles and
Tanya were at work, Ryan invited Johnny and Marty over. Dallas was double-checking to make
sure he had what he needed when they walked into his room. Marty asked, “What’s
up Dally?” And Johnny said, “Ryan said you wanted to talk to us about
something.” Dallas replied, “Yes there is
Johnny. I was wondering; would you guys like to come to Tennessee with me?” Both of them lit
up like flares. Johnny said, “I’d be honored to come along.” Marty said, “I’ll
come along too. I could use some relaxation.” Then Dallas said to them, “Great. Then I
have only two other things to say. Pack what you need tonight and get
yourselves a good night’s rest because we’re leaving first thing in the
morning.” They promised that they would and then went home.
They were all up at dawn the next morning.
While Ryan put their bags in the trunk of the car, Dallas hugged both Charles and
Tanya. Tanya whispered to him, “Good luck on your journey.” Charles said to
him, “Be careful out there son.” They both hugged Ryan and then he and Dallas
got into the car. They picked up Brittany and Marty first, and then
they picked up Johnny. They decided to stop at a gas station to fill up the car
and grab some pops and snacks. Then they stopped at a Wendy’s to get something
to eat, because they knew that once on the expressway, it would be a few hours
before they’d be able to eat again. They pulled out of the drive-thru and drove
onto the expressway.
They had been driving for an hour and a
half when Marty, who had been thinking on it for some time, had a question. He
said to Dallas, “Hey Dally? I’m a little curious. How is it that you know that
your parents are in Tennessee in the first place?” Dallas shrugged and said, “You
want to know? Reach into my backpack pocket. There’s an open envelope with a
letter in it.” Marty did exactly that. He pulled the letter out and read it.
Written at the top was, “Dear anonymous family, by the time you read this, my
husband and I will be on our way to Nashville Tennessee.” Marty read the letter all
the way to the bottom, and written at the bottom of the letter was the
signature, “Signed Meredith Chloe Parker.” Marty looked up and Dallas said, “That’s right. That
letter was written and signed by my mother. It was next to me when Charles and
Tanya discovered me on their doorstep.” Marty said, “But this letter is like 17
years old Dally. Who’s to say your parents aren’t in Tennessee anymore? How do you know
that?” Dallas sighed deeply and replied in a very
determined voice, “I don’t know that, and if that’s the case, then I’ll just
find out where they moved to next. I’ll drive through the entire United States if I have to! I’m gonna
find my parents no matter what it takes!”
They had now been driving for three more
hours because the flow of traffic was so bad. They were more than halfway
through Ohio when Dallas realized he needed to gas
up again. The others needed a pit stop anyway, so he drove through an exit and
headed for the nearest gas station. Brittany, Ryan, and Marty headed
into the restrooms while Johnny stayed by the car to help Dallas fill up. While Dallas was pumping the gas, Johnny
couldn’t help but look at the beautiful scenery. Dallas looked at him and said,
“Hey Johnny, I thought you were gonna help me pump the gas.” Johnny came back
to reality and said, “I’m sorry Dally. I just can’t get over this. We’re really
in Ohio, the home of the Cleveland
Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.” Johnny was a huge fan of baseball, and that
was why he was excited. Then Johnny said, “I wonder if either of them will be
playing today.” Dallas replied, “We’ll never
know.” Johnny turned and asked, “What do you mean? We’re not gonna stay and see
a game?” Dallas continued pumping as he said, “Nope. If we
do then we’ll lose three or four hours of driving, which means it’ll be the
middle of the afternoon by the time we get halfway through Kentucky.” Johnny replied, “Not
necessarily. We entered the expressway at 8:00 this morning and it is now
half past 11:00. We’re making great time man.” Dallas sighed and said, “It
doesn’t matter what time it is. We have to get to Tennessee as soon as possible. That’s
why as soon as the others come back and I’m done filling up, we’re gonna grab
some lunch and get back on the expressway.” Johnny began to get a little
flustered. He was the type of guy who focused more on the fun part of life rather
than the personal. He took a deep breath and said, “News flash Dallas. This is supposed to be a
road trip, emphasis on trip and all we’re doing so far is driving the whole
time. When are we gonna kick back and have some fun?” Dallas replied in a very cold
voice, “This trip isn’t about fun Johnny! We’re on a mission here, and that is
to find my parents. There’ll be plenty of time for fun afterwards.” Johnny got
back in the car and said, “You know, if I had known that this trip wasn’t going
to be fun, I never would’ve agreed to come along in the first place.” Dallas looked at him and asked,
“Then why did you come along?” Johnny replied in a cooled voice, “I only came
because of you. You’re my best friend and I’d do anything for you.” Dallas felt like an idiot as he
took the pump out of the gas tank. How could he have just yelled at his friend
like that? Could it have been that he was so obsessed with finding his parents
that he was neglecting all the good things in his life? Those questions stayed
on his mind as the rest of the gang came back from the restrooms. Dallas locked up the gas tank,
closed the lid and got back into the car.
They drove out of the gas station and
pulled into the nearest diner which turned out to be a KFC. Instead of going
through the drive-thru, Dallas pulled into the parking lot and asked, “Hey um,
do you guys just wanna go through the drive-thru again or would you guys rather
eat here?” They all unanimously agreed that they should eat there on account of
they were all tired of being cooped up in the car like wild animals in one big
cage. Dallas turned off the car and they all got out.
They all went inside and placed their orders. Dallas and Brittany had the
crispy strips meal, Johnny had the leg and thigh meal, Marty had the mashed
potato bowl, and Ryan had two crispy sandwiches. While they were eating, Ryan
asked, “Hey Dally? I know it’s probably a little too soon to bring this up, but
have you figured out where we’re gonna stay once we get to Nashville?” Dallas swallowed the potato wedge
he was chewing and said, “No Ryan, I haven’t figured it out yet, but my best
guess is that we can probably stay at a motel. Goodness knows we’ve got plenty
of money.” Brittany took a swig of her Pepsi
and said, “I’ve got a better idea Dallas. How about Marty and I make
a call to our cousin Tommy as soon as we get to town? His place has enough room
for all of us, and he’ll let us stay there as a favor to me and Marty.” Dallas nodded and said, “Well
there you have it Ryan, it’s settled.” They ate for about an hour before they
felt full and left. They all got back into the car and once again headed back
onto the expressway.
The traffic had let up a little so they had an
easier time driving out of Ohio and into Kentucky. By now, it was almost 2:00 in the afternoon. Ryan
thought it would be a good idea to call his parents and let them know where
they were. The others agreed and decided to do the same. Johnny went first
because his parents didn’t have anyone else in the car to worry about. Marty
and Brittany went next and Ryan went last. Dallas wasn’t able to talk on
account of he was driving. After a while, they all encountered the one thing
they hadn’t counted on, and that was sheer boredom. They tried listening to the
radio but they couldn’t find anything good on any of the stations, not even on
the sports station. They decided to use their own stuff to beat out the boredom.
Brittany reached into her purse and
pulled out her iPod, Ryan pulled out his portable DVD player and a bag of DVDs,
Johnny pulled out his Nintendo DS, and Marty decided to watch whatever movie
that Ryan chose. They kept themselves occupied for the next two hours. It was
especially fun for Johnny who was finally able to kick back.
They were almost completely out of Kentucky and a half hour away from
entering Tennessee. Unfortunately, sometime
around 4:00 in the afternoon, the long hours of driving and the
effect of highway hypnosis began to take their tolls as Dallas began to feel exhausted. He
yawned and said, “Hey Ryan. As soon as I find a spot to pull into, I want you
to take over and drive the rest of the way.” Ryan was astonished as he said,
“But I thought you always said nobody can drive your car but you.” Dallas sighed and said, “Yes, I
did say that, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case. I’ve been
driving all day and now I’m feeling exhausted. I can barely keep my arms up
anymore, and since you’re the only other person in this car that’s qualified to
drive, I don’t have a choice.” Marty said, “That’s not true. I’m qualified to
drive too.” Dallas often forgot that Marty was
also eighteen. He looked and saw a spot on the side of the road and pulled
over. After making sure the street was clear, Dallas and Marty both got out and
switched seats. Dallas got in the back with Ryan
and Johnny, and Marty got into the drivers’ seat. They pulled back onto the
highway and continued on.
It was just beginning to get dark when
they finally reached Tennessee. By now Dallas, Ryan, and
Johnny were all wiped out and taking a nap. Brittany reached into her purse and
pulled out her cell phone. She began to dial, and Marty asked, “Calling up
Cousin Tommy?” She nodded and waited for an answer. Her phone lit up and a
voice said, “Hello?” It was Kimberly who answered the phone. Brittany said, “Hello Kimberly? It’s
Brittany. Is Tommy there?” Kimberly
replied, “Yeah, just a minute.” Then she heard Kimberly say, “Hey Tommy, you
have a phone call.” She waited until she heard him say, “Hello.” She replied,
“Hi Tommy, it’s me Brittany.” Tommy said, “Hey cousin. How’re you doing?” Brittany said, “I’m great. Listen
um, Marty and I are in town for the weekend and we’re with my boyfriend Dallas,
his brother Ryan, and our other friend Johnny.” Tommy said, “Say no more
cousin, you guys are more than welcome to stay here with me and Kimberly.” Brittany smiled and said, “Thank you
so much Tommy, you’re the greatest cousin ever.” Dallas was just waking up as she
clicked off the phone. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and asked, “Hey, what’s
going on?” She turned and said, “I just spoke to Tommy and he’s gonna let us
stay at his place while we’re in town.” Dallas said, “That’s great. What
time is it by the way?” Marty looked at the clock of the car and said, “It’s
about 6:30.” Dallas said, “All right, that’s
good. Since it’s already getting dark, I say we wait ‘til tomorrow to start looking
for my parents and just head straight to your cousin’s place.” Then he heard
his stomach growl so he added, “Or, we can go get something to eat and then go
straight to your cousin’s place.”
Dallas shook Ryan’s arm and then
Johnny’s arm to wake them up. They stopped at Steak n Shake to get dinner. Dallas had the double steakburger
platter, Brittany had the chicken fingers platter, and the
rest of the guys had melts. They topped off the meal with a few milkshakes and
then they left. Dallas, who was now feeling wide awake and re-energized, took
the keys back from Marty and they all got back into the car. He pulled out of
the parking lot and back into the street. Brittany and Marty told Dallas which directions to go to
get to Tommy’s house.
When they finally reached Tommy’s house, it was a
glorious sight to see. It was a two story building almost as big as Elvis
Presley’s mansion. Dallas couldn’t help grinning as
he pulled into the driveway. They all got out of the car and Dallas popped the trunk open. They
all grabbed what was theirs and walked up to the door. Brittany rang the doorbell and they
were immediately greeted by Tommy. He flung open the door and said, “Hello
cousins and friends. Welcome to my humble home. Please feel free to make
yourselves at home.” They all smiled as they walked in. Before they had a
chance to introduce themselves, Tommy took one look and said, “Wait, don’t tell
me who you are. I think I can guess. You are Dallas, I can tell by the look of
how you’re dressed. You must be Ryan, the adoptive black brother, and you are Johnny,
because Marty always talks about how you like to have fun.” They were all
amazed at how he got them right. Dallas was curious and asked,
“You’re good, but what’s wrong with how I’m dressed?” Tommy replied, “There’s
nothing wrong with how you’re dressed, it’s just that Brittany always talks about how you
like to wear jeans and vests and you’re the only one here that fits the
description.” Ryan said, “Okay, now that we’ve covered the intros, we would
like a tour of the house, such as where we’re gonna sleep.”
Tommy wasted no time in showing them his
house. He showed them the kitchen, the game room, the dining room, and the
living room. Then he took them upstairs. There were two bathrooms, and four
bedrooms. Tommy showed them the rooms and said, “Okay, the room you see here is
my room. The room at the end of the hall will be for Brittany and Dallas. The
room across from mine will be for Marty, and there are two beds in the computer
room, Ryan and Johnny can bunk in there.” They all took their bags into their rooms
and set them on the beds. While the boys went back downstairs, Dallas and
Brittany stayed and decided to unpack some of their stuff. Dallas was lying on their bed when
Brittany asked, “Hey Dally? I’m
curious, how are you gonna go about finding your parents for the next two
days?” He replied, “I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll check the phone books, I’ll
call information, and I’ll go to city hall if I have to. I’m gonna do whatever
it takes.” She leaned down close to him and said, “I’ve never seen the determined
side of you before, and I think I like it.” She kissed him on the cheek as she
finished.
They finished unpacking and headed
downstairs to join the others. By now, they were all doing things to keep themselves
occupied. Marty was in the living room watching stuff on the big screen TV.
Ryan and Johnny were down in the game room trying everything in there from
foosball to billiards. Tommy was now in the kitchen fixing what looked like Kool-Aid
or Crystal Light for all of them. Brittany and Dallas walked in and Dallas asked, “What’s that you’re
fixing Tommy?” He replied, “Its Crystal Light Raspberry Ice.” Brittany asked, “Hey Tommy is
Kimberly here? I haven’t seen her yet.” He replied, “She had to go run a few
errands but she’ll be back in a little while.” Then he suggested, “Why don’t
you guys go check out the patio? There’s a pool out back and you guys can go
swimming if you want.” Dallas said, “That’s cool and
everything but, sadly we don’t have our swimsuits.” Tommy replied, “That’s
okay, you can just borrow a pair of mine and Kimberly’s. I’m pretty sure you
guys are about the same size. The swim trunks are in the pool house outside.”
Dallas and Brittany both headed outside
and into the pool house. She picked out a black bikini and he picked up a pair
of blue trunks. But instead of changing, they just sat in there for a while. Dallas said, “Have I told you
lately how beautiful you are?” She smiled and said, “No, but I know that’s
always on your mind.” Brittany leaned over and kissed him
gently as she asked, ‘Do you wanna take off your clothes Dally?” He replied,
“You go first sweetheart.” Then Brittany said, “Both of us at the
same time.” He replied, “Okay.” They both stood up and then Brittany locked the door. They
slowly began to undress, neither one taking their eyes off each other. When they finally took off their last piece of
clothing, they both sat back down on the couch.
Brittany slowly lied down on her
back and Dallas lied down on top of her. They slowly began
to kiss each other passionately. Dallas slowly worked his way
around every inch of her body while she began to moan with ecstasy. She looked
down at Dallas and asked, “Do you have something for us to
use?” He looked up and said, “Yes honey. I put one in my pants pocket just in
case.” Reaching down, he pulled out a silicone contraceptive. He quickly
unwrapped it and placed it on himself. Then he slowly entered her sex, which
made her moan with excitement. He began to thrust back and forth while she
placed her hands on his chest. Next, she turned over on her stomach and he
entered her from behind. This made her moan excitedly. Then he sat up on the
couch and she lowered herself onto him, thrusting up and down with passion and
excitement. She even managed to say, “Oh yes baby. This is what I like; don’t
stop.” Finally the two of them moaned so loudly that they couldn’t help but
climax at the same exact time. Brittany settled herself on top of Dallas and wrapped her arms around
his neck. She leaned forward and gave him a long passionate kiss before saying,
“I love you Dallas Parker. I love you so much.” Dallas looked up at her and
replied, “I love you too Brittany Evans. I love you more than anything.” They
sat there for what felt like hours.
While they were in the pool house
enjoying each others’ pleasures, Kimberly had returned from her errands and was
just entering the house. She walked in and said, “Tommy, I’m back.” Tommy
called out, “I’m in the kitchen Kimberly.” She headed into the kitchen and
greeted her boyfriend with a kiss. She asked, “Whose truck is that outside?”
Tommy put the pitcher in the fridge and replied, “That’s Dallas’ truck. Marty, Brittany and their friends are
here.” She smiled and asked, “Really? Where are they?” Tommy said, “Well um,
Marty’s in the living room watching TV. Two of his friends are in the game
room, and I believe Brittany and Dallas are out in the pool house. I suggested
that they check out the patio and maybe do a little swimming, but since I
haven’t heard a splash, I’m assuming they’re still in the pool house.”
By now, Dallas and Brittany were both feeling very
well spent. Brittany asked, “That was fun wasn’t
it?” Dallas grinned and said, “That was the best sex
we’ve ever had.” Neither of them knew how long they had been in the pool house,
so Dallas checked his watch, it read 9:30. He chuckled and said,
“Wow! How time does fly when you’re having fun, or in this case, when you’re
making love.” They both sat up and got dressed. Dallas said, “We should probably
go back inside, otherwise they’re gonna think we left to look for my parents
without them.” He unlocked the door and they both headed back into the house.
By now, the rest of the group including Tommy and Kimberly had reassembled in
the living room.
They were making conversation when Dallas and Brittany
came in and joined them. They all were anxious to hear the juicy details but
none of them had the nerve to ask, except for Tommy, who immediately asked,
“So, I trust that you guys enjoyed yourselves in the pool house?” Dallas shrugged and said in a
sarcastic way, “Aw, shut up Tommy.” Tommy laughed and said, “Hey, there’s no
need to be shy. Sex is as natural as breathing, and from the looks of you guys,
you don’t hold it for very long.” Dallas didn’t feel like going into
details about his personal life and neither did Brittany, so he said, “Let’s change
the subject all right?” Kimberly replied, “Okay, how’s this for a subject? What
brings you guys out here to Nashville?” Dallas said, “I’m the only one
with a reason for being here. I’m here to find my birth parents. The others are
here only because I asked them to come along.” Tommy said, “Maybe Kim and I can
help you find them. Do you know their names?” Dallas replied, “I don’t know what
my fathers’ name is, but my mothers’ name is Meredith Chloe Parker.” Tommy
said, “Let’s go upstairs to the computer room and look her up online.” Dallas asked, “Wait. You’re saying
you can look up my mom online?” Kimberly said, “Dallas my friend, we could look
up anyone in Tennessee if we want.”
They all followed Tommy and Kimberly upstairs and
into the computer room. Tommy went online and began typing in her name. He
asked Dallas “Is her middle name spelled with or without
an h?” Dallas replied, “It’s spelled with an h.” Tommy
finished typing in her name and clicked enter. A few seconds later, a picture
of a young blonde woman and a whole page of information appeared on the screen.
Both Tommy and Dallas were reading the information. Dallas looked and said, “There,
right there.” He was pointing at the spot marked offspring. Written underneath
it was “One Child.” Tommy looked it over and said, “But it doesn’t say if she
had a son or daughter. We don’t know if she’s the one.” Dallas replied, “Well, unless
there’s another person with the same name listed on here, she’s the best lead
that we have.” They all had to agree with him. Dallas sat down next to Brittany and thought for awhile. He
didn’t only think about his mother, he also thought about everything else. He
thought to himself, “Man, how did I get to be the luckiest son of a gun in the
world? My friends are here standing by my side. My girlfriends’ cousin is
helping me out. These are the kind of things I should be appreciating. I should
appreciate what I have now, not what I could have. Any other person wouldn’t
appreciate stuff like this ‘til he didn’t have it anymore.” He finally looked
up and said, “Okay. All right, we’ll get a good night’s rest and get an early
start tomorrow.” They all slept peacefully that night, especially Dallas. They all woke up around 8:00 the next morning. Tommy and
the girls made a big breakfast for them and the boys. They all ate quietly in
the dining room.
After breakfast, they all got into Dallas’ truck and drove out to a
suburban neighborhood. They drove up to a small white house. Dallas looked and said, “This is
it; the moment of truth.” He turned off the engine and they all got out of the
car. They walked up to the door and Dallas rang the doorbell. The door
opened up and a young blonde woman with blue eyes appeared in the doorway. She
took one look at them and said, “May I help you kids?” Dallas asked, “Yes. Is your name
Meredith Chloe Parker?” She nodded and he continued, “We’re sorry to bother you
this early in the morning, but there is something very important that I have to
talk to you about. Can we come in?” She said, “Yes, why not? I was just brewing
some tea. Would any of you kids like some?” Brittany was the only one who
accepted some tea. They all sat in the front room and waited for her to come
back. She returned to the front room, handed Brittany her tea and sat next to Dallas. Dallas looked at her and said,
“Look Meredith, I don’t like to beat around the bush so I want to get right to
the point.” He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the letter, and
handed it to her. He asked, “By any chance, do you recognize this?” She took
the letter and read it. She finally said, “I wrote this letter 17 years ago
when I left my newborn son in the care of some other family. How did you get
it?” Dallas took hold of her hand and said, “Meredith,
this may be hard for you to accept and may come as a shock to you. I know about
that letter because it was next to me when I was found. I’m your son and my
name is Dallas Parker.”
She didn’t say anything at first but then she
finally said, “I don’t believe this. You can’t possibly be my son. You’re a
grown man.” Dallas reached into his pocket and
pulled out his wallet. He took out his ID and showed it to her. He asked,
“There. Are you convinced now, Mom?” She slowly stood up, started pacing back and
forth and said, “Oh my God! This is so sudden. I just can’t bring myself to believe
this. You can’t really be my son.” She took a few minutes to let it all soak
in. She finally sat back down and said, “Okay I’m calm now. I think I’m ready
to accept the fact that you’re my son. But who are the rest of you?” Dallas explained who they were and
then said, “I have so much to ask you. I’ll start by asking this. Where is my
father?” Meredith was hesitant as she replied, “I’m sorry to tell you this Dallas, but your father died in a
car wreck three years ago.” Dallas did his best to try to hold
back the tears as he said, “Okay. Here’s another question. Why did you just up
and abandon me like that?” Meredith replied, “Oh Dallas, it’s very complicated
to explain. Your father and I were crazy in love but we were still too young to
know any better. We were only gonna get married because I found out that I was
pregnant with you. Now naturally of course, we were nowhere near ready to be
parents and we were in no position to care for you. We knew we couldn’t take
care of you because back then we could barely take care of ourselves. We
considered letting one of our relatives take care of you, but we didn’t want
anyone in our families to know. That’s why we left you on that doorstep because
we figured that it was best for you and us. It wasn’t as if we didn’t want you
Dallas. We just weren’t ready for you.” Dallas took this in and said, “All
right. Now for the most important question, why didn’t you ever come back for
me?” She slowly replied, “I thought you might be happy living in Detroit, so I couldn’t bear to come
down there. I often considered visiting you but I figured that would only add
complication to your life and I knew you didn’t need that.” Dallas finally said, “Mom, I came all
the way out here to find you. I also want you to know that we’ll all be
graduating in a few weeks, and I think it would be really nice if you were
there to see me get my diploma.” She didn’t say anything for awhile. Dallas added, “Mom, I’m not going
back to Detroit ‘til tomorrow so I’d like you to think about
this. When you make your decision, you can reach me at this number and this is
the address to where I’m staying.” He took out a piece of paper and wrote down
his cell number and Tommy’s address. He set the paper on the table, gave her a
hug and kiss goodbye and they all got up to leave. Dallas took one more look at Meredith
and said, “I love you Mom.”
He waited around all afternoon for his mom to call
him. She finally called around 4:30. She said to him, “I’ve
decided to come back to Detroit with you. You and I have 17
years worth of lost time to make up for.” Dallas smiled as he hung up. He
and the rest of the gang packed up their clothes and stuff and put it all in
the trunk of his car. Tommy and Kimberly cooked up a very big dinner that night
to honor Dallas’ accomplishment and their graduation. Brittany and Marty asked Tommy and
Kimberly to come down to Detroit for grad day. They promised
that they would. They all went to sleep early that night because they wanted to
leave as early as possible in the morning.
Dallas was the first one up in the
morning. He called Meredith and said he would pick her up when the others were
ready to leave. They all woke up and had a light breakfast. They all said
goodbye to Tommy and Kimberly, piled into the car and pulled out into the
street. They drove back to the suburbs and picked up Meredith. Brittany got into the back seat so
Meredith could get in the front. They stopped at a gas station to fill up and
then they entered the expressway.
They drove for two hours before they entered Kentucky. Dallas and his mom were
making great conversation with each other. He was learning a lot about his
father and the rest of his family. The thing that excited him most was that he
was proud of himself because he had done what he had set out to do. Meredith
was very excited too. She was bonding with her son for the first time in her
life. They all kept each other busy for the rest of the way home. They
reentered Detroit in only four short hours.
They got off the expressway and made their way back
to Dallas’ house. When they pulled
into the driveway, Dallas said to his mom, “Mom, I
think you should wait here in the car with the others until I talk to Charles
and Tanya and bring them outside.” He got out and headed into the house.
Charles and Tanya were both sitting on the couch but they got up as soon as
they saw him. They went up to him and hugged him as tight as they could and Dallas hugged them back. They both
started asking him questions like, “How was your trip?” and “Did you find what
you were looking for?” Dallas assured them that
everything went smooth. He said, “Charles, Tanya, if you’ll come outside with
me, there’s someone I want the both of you to meet.”
They followed him outside. Ryan and Brittany got out
of the car first and they helped Meredith get out as well. Marty and Johnny
followed right behind them. Meredith went around the side of the car and slowly
made her way towards Dallas. As soon as they saw her,
Charles and Tanya went right up to her and hugged her as tight as they could.
Dallas and the others joined in as well. Dallas couldn’t help smiling,
because this was truly turning out to be the best day of his life. For the next
few weeks, Dallas and Meredith had a really big bonding experience. Meredith
was especially having fun bonding with his adoptive parents and his friends.
Finally, the big day came. It was graduation day at
school. Dallas and his friends were the last people to be called up. When it
was finally Dallas’ turn, he walked up to that
podium and delivered the biggest speech ever. He started out by saying, “Thank
you very much ladies and gentleman. Most of you know that I’ve spent my whole
life raised by Tanya and Charles Thomas. However, I went on a journey a few
weeks ago to Nashville Tennessee. I went out there hoping to
find my birth parents, and I did it. I found my mother, whom I’m happy to say
is here today to see me graduate. I also learned something during my journey,
and that lesson is that no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from, and
no matter what color your skin is, your true family are the ones you keep
closest to your heart. I also learned to appreciate everything I have in life.
Any other person probably wouldn’t appreciate stuff like this until he didn’t
have it anymore. I hope you will all remember this for the rest of your lives.
Someone wise once said that life is a journey so enjoy the ride. The rest of
you might think your journeys will begin after today, but I’ve already taken my
journey and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I can offer one last piece of
advice. Never forget who you are and what you have. Thank you all for
everything that you’ve given me.” He stepped off the podium and listened to the
applause.
While I’m sure you’re wondering what becomes of
Dallas and his mother, I can only present you with one last scene. Meredith
ended up moving back to Detroit so she could live with her
son. Dallas eventually moved out of his house and into
his mother’s new home. Ryan and Johnny went off to college. Marty got a job and
ended up working his way through college. Dallas and Brittany both continued
dating through college and they eventually got married. But the most important
thing of all is that Dallas remained close with Charles
and Tanya. Dallas still hung out with his
friends everyday, and he never forgot about his incredible journey through life
and discovery.
The End
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