It's A Short Trip

February 29, 1996

“You’re doing good, Dynasty. Push,” John said holding his wife’s clammy hand.

The nurse wiped her face with a rag as she hyperventilated; telling her to slow her breathing.

Dynasty's lower lip quivered; decorated with an array of cracks resembling the Sahara's crust.

“I-I…c-can't,” Dynasty whispered. “It's–ARGH!”

“You almost there babe,”—John released his wife’s hand and walked to the foot of the bed— “The baby…oh my gahd.” When John looked down, his golden eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor.

The nurse rolled her eyes and continued coaching Dynasty on her breathing.

###

John held the newborn baby close to his bare chest. He turned his attention to Dynasty's face; stoic, void of expression as she rested.

The doctor took notice.

“That’s what hours of labor will do to ya.”

“Yeah, but is she okay?” John asked. “If she needs something —”

“Time looks good,” the doctor said pointing at the glowing blue orb as it orbited around Dynasty’s head.

As a nurse entered the room to check Dynasty’s vitals, John caught glimpse of another mother in the hall being rushed on a gurney; her orb glowing a blood red.

John held the fresh baby tighter until he started to whimper. The cries made Dynasty jump out of her sleep and request her baby.

She kissed his forehead.

“Little JJ,” She said with a smile.

“So, how long until his develops?” John asked.

The doctor’s eyes bounced around the room. He let out a light chuckle.

“Mr. Douglas, he’s a baby, give it time—”

“Not that! His time.”

“Oh, ha-ha. It starts the moment the egg develops, but you won’t be able to physically see it until he’s about two.”

“Yeah,” John said as he looked up at the blue orb orbiting his head.

###

September 8, 1998

John stood with his hand covering his mouth as JJ stomped around the living room.

Near fatal shooting, but he couldn’t survive a second. Rap star, Tupac Shakur died last night after a brief life, and a rough business. He was 25. Days prior to his death, his orb was glowing yellow. NBC’s Stan—

A crash followed by wailing came from the next room. John rushed to the hall where he found JJ lying on his back next to the phone off the hook, and the fallen gossip bench.

He picked him up and tried to hush him quickly. The distant stomps on the hardwood floor sent tremors through his chest as they closed in.

Dynasty stood in the hall; hair half pressed with her hand resting on her chest.

“John,” She said as she walked over. “Told you to keep an eye on him.” She traded him the hot comb for the wailing baby.

“I was just…I got-ah!” he shrieked before dropping the comb to the floor.

“Sorry, you okay?”

John inspected his hand before removing the grilling comb from the floor. When it left a mark, he kissed his teeth.

“Yeah, I’m good. Not like I haven’t forgot to wear gloves when I’m welding.”

“No, I mean…” Dynasty gestured her head towards the TV box.

“Oh…” John looked down at his blistered hand. “Just sad, ya know? Favorite rapper, same age as you, orb is glowing yellow for days, and nobody knows why.”

JJ started to bounce on his mother’s hip and pointed to the ceiling.

The two of them looked up and saw a blue orb orbiting his head. Dynasty gasped and kissed his cheek rapidly.

“Yay,” She said. “You’ve got your time, we’ve got to tell everyone, and get the camera!”

John gave a half-smile at the tiny blue orb, and then turned his attention to his blistered hand.

“Well, at least we know he doesn’t have a concussion,” John said.

###

December 24, 2003

John cracked his daughter’s bedroom door. The two of them were fast asleep putting a smile on his face.

As he continued down the hall, he heard a loud crash from JJ’s room. John scoffed and rolled his eyes as he approached the door.

He heard the pitter-patter of feet beyond the door, followed by the creaking of a bunk bed.

Dynasty chuckled over his shoulder and entered the bedroom with him. John turned on the lights and rested his mug of eggnog on the dresser.

“Oh look,” John said; arms folded. “Fast asleep, just like we told em’.” JJ smirked as he fought his laughter.

“So obedient. Deserves all the presents,” Dynasty added. She walked over to his bedside. “Know what they say, if you hold a sleeping kids arm up, it stays in the air.”

Dynasty raised JJ’s frail arm and it floated in place. The parents erupted into a silent laughter.

John threw the covers off JJ.

“Say they’ll float too,” John said. He grabbed JJ by the ankles and dangled him in the air until he laughed.

“Shh,” Dynasty said. “You’ll wake Kayla and Tiana.” John sat him on the bed.

“What was all the noise?” he asked.

“I wanted it to be Christmas now, so I was trying to catch my time and make it go faster like yours,” JJ said.

John looked up at the blue orb orbiting his son’s head slowly.

“Can’t control time son, or touch it. Besides, wish I could slow mine down. You growing too fast.” He tickled JJ’s chest. “Was just stomping around in a diaper.” JJ squirmed. “Sleep.”

“Yeah, Santa knows when your awake,” Dynasty said.

“Daddy said, ain’t no white man taking credit for his hard work,” JJ said.

Dynasty side eyed John as he looked at the wall across the room.

“Well, don’t tell your sis—”

“I did. Am I getting a Gameboy SP?”

“Get some rest,” John said.

###

May 6, 2010

John pulled down the visor and let out a deep sigh. He traced his laughter lines down to the corners of his mouth, and tugged at the grey hairs speckled in his beard.

He could dye it, but his orb would give his age away.

A sigh from the backseat. He angled the visor to see his twin girls with despair painted across their faces.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Why does JJ go to a school that gets let out at four?” Kayla asked.

“An extra hour won’t make him any smarter, or smell any better,” Tiana added.

“The boys going through puberty. Fifteen’s just three years away, let’s see how your feet smell.” John looked at the time; 4:05.

Kids started to pour out the school. JJ rushed to the Sedan and slouched down in the front seat.

“Go, dAd,” he said. Voice cracking and eyes to the floor. John sighed, waving at the crossing guard as he pulled off the lot.

He turned to his son, knees nearly meeting his chest as he gazed out the passenger window.

“Used to love this car,” John said.

“Outdated, and I told you I’d walk across the lot,” JJ said. John bit his lower lip and cocked his head to the side.

“Yeah, but it’s a lot faster if I meet you at the door,” John said. JJ shook his head and blew at the sight if his acne ridden face in the visors mirror.

“Nothing a little toothpaste won’t remedy,” John said.

“That’ll take forever.”

“No, it’ll take patience.”

“You sound like Mr. Will. Told him I couldn’t wait to graduate. He said—”

“It’ll flash before your eyes? Yeah. Remember my graduation day like it was yesterday,” John said.

JJ folded his arms and shook his head. John’s eyes bucked and he laughed.

“Look what I found.” He pulled JJ’s red Gameboy SP from the arm rest. JJ took it in his hand.

“Don’t remember it being so small,” he said. John’s smile faded as he looked up at his son’s orb.

“Well, you’ve grown.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a PS3 now.”

“Can I have it?!” the girls asked. JJ threw it into the backseat and the two of them started to brawl.

###

August 15, 2014

John and JJ struggled to get the couch through the small opening as Dynasty and the girls decorated the dorm walls.

After constant bickering about the couches positioning, removing the cushions, and wiggling it from side to side, the two finally decided to remove the block feet as Dynasty suggested.

As JJ unwounded the legs from his side of the couch, the sweet fragrance of vanilla bean raced up his nose and taunted his soul.

When he looked over his shoulder, a girl with radiant dark skin and curled hair graced him with a smile. He smiled back awkwardly.

John took notice and cleared his throat. JJ’s eyes were still locked in on their target. John bumped him with the couch.

“Aye, focus,” John said. JJ shook his head and pushed the couch in his room.

“I’m more than focused. I’m a get these four years out the way,”—the two of them pushed the couch against the wall— “get into med school”—he put the cushions on the couch— “buy a house, raise some babies, and retire you.” JJ crashed on the couch with a smile. John joined him.

“Slow down man. Savor the moment. College some of the best years of your life.”

“How you know?” JJ asked. “You went to trade school.”

“Hey, I seen a few seasons of, A Different World,” John said. The two of them laughed.

He told JJ how he snuck on to the TSU campus to meet Dynasty. She started to cry, causing the twins to roll their eyes.

“My baby in college,” She wept.

###

After hours of setting up the dorm, JJ’s parents gave him the rundown of his new found independence. Manage his money, no staying up late, no skipping class, daily phone calls, no drinking, no partying.

“And no girls,” Dynasty said.

“What?” JJ asked. Before Dynasty could speak, John extended his hand saying he had it. He put his hands together as if he were praying.

“What your mother means…what she’s saying…look—”

“Don’t get nobody daughter pregnant with yo ugly baby,” Tiana said.

“Can we go now?” Kayla asked.

JJ shook his head. Dynasty wanted to commemorate the occasion with a photo. All of them huddled together and JJ held the phone upward.

###

September 3, 2019

John let out a sigh as he looked down at the photo on his phone. An image of the family crammed into JJ’s dorm room.

He looked up at his blue orb, orbiting rapidly around his head. Dynasty nudged him, and whispered,

“Can you believe it?” she asked. “Our boy is getting married.” John bit his lower lip.

“He’s too young.”

“John, he’s 23.”

“He’s been alive 23 years. He was born on a leap year. So, technically…he’s six. I should object because this girl is trying to marry a child,” John said.

Dynasty laughed, hitting him on the arm and reminding him that Denice was a good girl.

###

January 4, 2022

John stood in front of the China cabinet looking at the timeline of photos inside. He and Dynasty’s first date, their wedding, JJ’s birth, the girls first day of school, JJ’s wedding, and he and his grandkids.

He looked up at the blue orb orbiting swiftly around his head.

“Only if he figured out how to catch you that night.” As John extended his arm towards the fleeting orb, there was a knock at the door.

When he did a light jog towards the door, he was haunted by a brief tightness in his chest.

He looked up at his orb as it flickered from green, to yellow, and back to blue. John let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

When he heard Dynasty’s foot steps, he straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Babe, didn’t you hear the door?” Dynasty asked. “It’s time!”

Dynasty quickly opened the door where she took her granddaughter, Angel from JJ and kissed her rapidly.

“Sorry ya’ll,” JJ said as be threw Angel’s items to the floor. “Denice water broke out of nowhere!”

John walked up to the door with his hands in his pockets.

“Only took nine months,” John said.

“Man, I swear time just been flying since the pandemic. A four year old, and now a baby on the way,” JJ said.

John looked up at his son’s speeding orb.

“Called getting older,” he laughed.

“Whatever, gotta go. Thanks, and call you soon.” JJ kissed Angel’s cheek. “Behave.” JJ ran down the driveway. Dynasty carried Angel to the next room.

JJ came running back to the door out of breath.

“Forget something? She still got clothes over here, “ John said.

“Yeah…you…okay?”

“Never better.”

“Ma told us how ya orb turned yellow and—”

“Don’t worry about me, make sure my grandbaby is born in a hospital and not on a leather interior,” John said. Denice honked the horn. JJ nodded, hugged John and ran.

When John shut the door, he rested his back to it, and looked up at his speeding orb.

“Slow down already,” he said.

###

June 7, 2025

The family surrounded John’s bed in the hospital room. His orb glowed a bleeding red, orbited slow, and flickered like a firefly.

A symphony of tears, and a brass of noses to rags echoed throughout the room.

“Hey,” John whispered. Everyone leaned closer. “Give me and JJ a minute.”

“Dad we want—”

“Sure.” Dynasty rested her arm on Tiana’s shoulder. She kissed John’s forehead and ushered everyone out the room.

###

JJ looked down at his feet as the two of them sat in silence.

“Aye,” John said. JJ reluctantly looked up. “It is what it is man.”

“Not fair.”

“If life was fair, one of them scratch cards would’ve won more than a candy bar.”

“There’s still a lot. Trips, I want you to see my kids graduate high-school. Kayla’s pregnant—”

“I’m out of time, son,” John said pointing up at the slowing, red orb.

JJ rested his head on his fathers arm as the heart rate monitor beat slowed.

John’s lip began to quiver.

“But you know,” he said in a shaking voice. “I don’t regret a second of it. Sure, if I could wind this thing back I would, but when would I stop?

Y’all made the short trip worth every second, and that’s all I want for you, all of you. Just enjoy…every…” the heart rate machine let out a long wine.

JJ felt something dense and round beside him. When he opened his eyes, his father’s orb rested next to him; flickering like a firefly until only a gray orb remained.

###

May 1, 2026

JJ stood with Angel in front of the tombstone as the sun sank into the hill.

She sobbed.

“I can’t wait to go to heaven to see Paw-Paw again.” JJ looked at the blue orb slowly orbiting her head.

“I don’t…don’t think Paw-Paw would be in a hurry for you to see him,” he said. “I think, he’d want to see who could make it back to the car first. Now let’s get out of here before it gets dark. Don’t want to find out if he walks around at night.”

JJ gave Angel a head start. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a polished white orb. He took one final glance and rested it on his fathers tombstone.

John Douglas

December 4,1971—June 7,2025

The man that lived in the moment.

END