Chapter 7
Kennedi and Dante’ sat across from each other at the Sunshine Café, eagerly eying their menus. In her haste to get out of the house and onto the field in time for their early-morning meeting, Kennedi neglected to eat and she was already feeling the ill-effects of that choice. After their workout – the one she never expected to have – she was famished and ready to dive face first into a breakfast fit for a champion.
“Man, everything smells absolutely amazing!” Kennedi said, excited about the meal and conversation that was to come; she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into both.
“The food is pretty good here – and cheap,” Dante’ replied, not once looking up from a menu he practically knew by heart. “You can’t beat it,” he continued as his mouth began to water.
Intensely observing the scene from her booth, Kennedi looked around and noticed that the café was practically empty. Aside from her and Dante’, there were only saw two other diners seated about. Both were much older gentlemen, engrossed in their newspapers, leisurely sipping coffee, and occasionally shoveling in forkfuls of their hearty breakfasts. Not limiting herself to the inside only, Kennedi looked through the immediately adjacent window and marveled that the sun was beginning its ascent into the sky. Observing the dazzling colors and watching the world awaken gave her a serene, enchanted feeling. Her morning hadn’t gone anything like she had planned but she was beginning to enjoy every second of it. Time and time again, Dante’ had shown her that when it comes to him, she should never come with a plan – instead, she should always come with an open mind and heart.
Kennedi switched her focus back to the menu and began to think out loud, “The Sunshine Platter with bacon, eggs, hash browns, and toast sounds really, really good. I think I’ll have that!”
“That does sound good!” Dante’ echoed as he tried to narrow down his choices, “…think I’m going to get that, too.”
Kennedi laid her menu down flat and stared across the table. “You never answered my question,” she said, stirring the straw in her water and following the mini-whirlpool that resulted closely with her eyes.
Before Dante’ could answer, Gladys, their waitress began to approach the table. “Alright, you kids know what you want to order?” she nudged, inadvertently interrupting the conversation. Expecting an affirmative response well before one was offered, Gladys positioned her notebook in-hand and began reaching for the pencil tucked behind her ear. “Go right ahead,” she continued, “I’m ready when you all are.”
“Yeah,” Dante’ said, looking over at Gladys “we’re both going to have the Sunshine Platter.” Anticipating Gladys’ next question, he looked over at Kennedi and asked, “Scrambled eggs good for you?”
“Sure,” she replied, taking a sip of her water and sliding her menu toward the edge of the table.
“OK,” Dante’ said switching his attention back to Gladys, “two Sunshine Platters with scrambled eggs, please….oh and two coffees, please!”
“Sure thing, sweet cakes!” Gladys said with a wink, walking back toward the kitchen.
“I think she likes you,” Kennedi teased, taking another sip of water and laughing hysterically as Dante’ tried to hide his face under a paper napkin. “Anyway,” Kennedi continued, impatiently pushing her water out of the way “back to my question…” Waiting for a reply, she clasped her hands together and let her forearms relax on the table in front of her.
“Which one is that?” Dante’ asked, pulling the napkin back down to his lap and staring at Kennedi with his eyes slightly narrowed. Thinking that they probably had more than a few unanswered questions dangling out in the ether, he probed Kennedi more to get a more precise understanding of the exact question she had in mind.
“Well, now that you’ve mentioned it,” she acknowledged, “there actually is more than one unsettled question I’d like for you to address. But, let’s start with the one I asked right before we left the track: what are your ambitions outside of football?”
“My ambitions outside of football,” Dante’ repeated, getting his bearing. “Well,” he began, with a smile creeping across his face, “football was not my original ambition. That’s one of the reasons why I like this question so much.”
“That’s right,” Kennedi began, thinking she’d just had an epiphany. “It was basketball, right?” she asked, referring back to something Dante’ mentioned earlier.
“Not basketball either,” Dante’ replied slyly as the waitress returned with their coffee.
“Be careful huns; this coffee is hot!” Gladys warned, placing two cups in front of them and then pouring into Dante’s cup (first) from the steamy pot.
“Thanks, Gladys,” Dante’ said, as soon as she topped off his cup. Gladys quickly acknowledged his expression of gratitude with a nod.
“Tell me when,” Gladys advised Kennedi as she poured the dark brown, aromatic brew into her cup.
“Oh that’s perfect, thanks!” Kennedi cooed and, shortly after, watched the last few drops of coffee trickle from Gladys’ pot.
“Your breakfasts should be up soon,” Gladys said, exchanging nods with both Dante’ and Kennedi.
“Ah! So, back to your original ambition,” Kennedi said, returning back to Dante’s earlier bombshell. “What was it, again?”
“Well, as I said before, both of my parents graduated from DSU.”
“Yes, I remember,” Kennedi interjected, as a show that she was listening.
“What I haven’t mentioned yet,” he continued, “is that they’re also both teachers. My mom teaches high school chemistry and my dad teaches algebra at Martin Luther King Middle.”
In the middle of her first full sip of coffee, Kennedi tilted her head toward Dante’ signaling that her interests were piqued. “That’s so fascinating,” she managed to say after gulping down the deliciously hot beverage, “I didn’t know that.”
“Yeah, so – because of that – I’ve got a lot of respect for teachers and, for the longest time, thought I wanted to be one.”
“Tell me a little more about why that is,” Kennedi prodded, deeply captivated by Dante’s revelation.
“Mmm, I don’t know,” he started, pausing to gather his thoughts. “I guess it’s because I can see the impact my parents have on people and how they have literally changed people’s lives. I mean, we can barely go to the grocery store without running into one of their former students. Watching their eyes light up as they reminisce and relive pivotal moments….it’s just fascinating.”
“I can see that,” Kennedi chimed in, “teachers are special because they help their students learn how to think and, basically, guide young people towards adulthood. I think teaching, giving people the right skillset, and then watching them run with has got to be one of the coolest things in the world.”
“Do you have teachers in your family, too?” Dante’ asked, drawing the coffee mug up to his lips.
“No, but I’ve had some awesome teachers along the way. My fifth grade English teacher inspired me to be a journalist!” Kennedi said, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.
“What got you interested in sports, though, and sports writing?” Dante’ followed up, momentarily becoming the interviewer.
“My dad!” Kennedi said, her eyes dancing. “We used to watch games together all of the time! In fact, I’m named after Al “Too Cool” Kennedy – former point guard for the Detroit Aces.”
“Oh yeah?” Dante’ asked rhetorically. “I was named after the Italian poet and philosopher.”
“That’s so cool!” Kennedi said, giggling excitedly.
Dante’ smiled at Kennedi, appreciative of her enthusiasm and genuine interest in who he was outside of sports. “What else do you want to know?” he asked, stirring a little more raw sugar into his coffee.
“Hmm….let’s see,” Kennedi began, trying to remember what she’d been intrigued about earlier at the track. “Oh yeah,” she said as her memory flooded back, “you mentioned that you had deep family ties to the university. Did you have other family members who attended DSU?”
“Well, that’s not quite where I was going with that,” Dante’ confessed. “It’s actually not happenstance that my last name is the same as the institution. As you know, DSU is named in honor of Frederick Douglas, the abolitionist and renowned orator; I’m actually a descendant of his.”
Kennedi’s eyes grew the widest they’ve ever been. “You’re kidding!” she said, with her coffee cup in her hand and frozen in suspended animation. “What?!” she said, completely confused and begging for more information via her intense, agape stare.
“Yeah! So, you know how every family has a black sheep?”
Kennedi laughed, reflecting about the one in her own family and thinking ahead to what Dante’ might utter next. “Yeah, I do!” she said bubbling over with laughter.
“Well, my Great-Ganddaddy William was that guy,” Dante’ announced with a hearty chuckle.
Kennedi squealed with laughter and then stared at him with her eyes wide-open. “Why? What’d he do to deserve such a fate, Dante’?” she asked on the edge of her seat.
“You guys are having a good time over here,” Gladys said, laughing at Kennedi and Dante’ in action. “Well, don’t mind me – I’m just the lady with the breakfasts,” she said, jokingly. “Now, let’s see, I’ve got two Sunshine Platters, both with scrambled eggs,” she continued, setting the plates in front of Kennedi and Dante’. “Be careful, now – those plates are hot,” she warned sternly. “Can I get either of you two any butter or jam or anything?” she asked, oscillating her gaze between Kennedi and Dante’.
“I’d like butter and grape jam, please,” Kennedi said, staring at her plate, ready to dig in but eager to get back to Dante’s story.
“Got ya covered, babe,” Gladys said before switching her attention over to Dante’. “What about you, handsome? Butter or jam?”
“Uh, no ma’am – but thank you!” Dante’ said, sprinkling pepper on his eggs.
“No problem! Be right back with your jam hun,” Gladys said pointing at Kennedi and being met with a nod.
Still intrigued with Dante’s story, Kennedi revisited her question. “So, do you know what your Great-Ganddaddy did to get banished from the family tree?”
“I haven’t ever heard a consistent account – it’s almost like everybody I ask has a different notion about what really happened. I’ve heard that he stole money from someone in the family. I’ve heard that he borrowed some money and never paid it back. I’ve heard that he burned his brother’s house down and then skipped town. I don’t know if any of that is true and I don’t think anyone else does either.”
“Wow! Now, that is interesting!” Kennedi said, right after Gladys quietly dropped off her butter and jam.
“Yep, that’s my so-called family!” Dante’ said, wiping his mouth. “But for us, my side of the family – that is, it’s almost like we’re Douglases in name only; the rest of the family doesn’t really claim us and we don’t really claim them.”
Kennedi sat speechless, taking it all in and brimming with tons of questions.
As Dante’ and Kennedi continued with breakfast, they took turns delving into each other’s’ histories and learning more about what makes the other one tick. Though neither expected a deep connection to result from the work they were doing on Kennedi’s series, they couldn’t help but feel like they were actually on a date – and thoroughly enjoying themselves. At the end of breakfast, Dante’ and Kennedi agreed to do it again, and soon.