Yeah.
Uh.
Let's take it back.
Take it back.
I sit and reminisce on playing my Nintendo 64,
chilling out in the living room,
relaxing on the floor,
while my mama's in the kitchen cooking up some food galore,
telling me to pause the game and go back to doing my chores.
And a little bit, I said.
She started singing rad.
Then she replied,
shut it down before I go upside your head.
I was fuming.
I couldn't believe it.
I couldn't fathom.
I was this close to defeating Ganon and saving the planet.
Instead,
this woman wanted me to set the table as if
I was the only able-bodied man available.
I looked up at my father and I heard him utter,
no talking back,
pull up your slacks and go and help your mother.
So I did it.
But grudgingly, reluctantly, I sauntered in.
The smell of fried chicken had my empty stomach grumbling.
She told me,
get your grandmama's china out of the cupboard,
then pull the cornbread out of the oven,
check it and butter it.
Make sure you smother it.
You know just how I like it.
And even though my doctor said I need to change my diet,
I worry about it later.
Let's just focus on tonight.
Cholesterol be damned,
I'm going to savor every bite.
If I could take it back in the day when I was 17,
playing GoldenEye with the homies and living carefree,
I had a poster of Sable up on my door.
Life was so simple with Nintendo 64,
with my N64.
Life was so simple with my N64.
I had a poster of Sable up on my door.
Life was so simple with Nintendo 64.
17 with raging hormones rushing inside of me.
This girl that I was eyeing was more than likely the
catalyst of a wet dream I had about * on in a Cadillac.
Her name was Tammy.
Her ass was fatter than Albert Jack.
I had to have her.
It didn't matter when and where it could happen.
If the result was me smashing it from the back with raw passion,
in the end it was worth the risk.
Until my mom found out and literally lost her *.
See,
Tammy called the house one day,
frantically panicking,
claiming she was late on her period.
Now I'm scrambling.
Mom never hung up the phone after I answered it.
Heard the conversation in full.
She couldn't handle it.
That's when she yelled,
I should beat your ass for this.
Jeopardize a promise and future over a bitch?
You got a lot of nerve bringing that girl up
in my house while I'm busting my ass at work.
You're here humping on my couch?
Get out!
Then I replied, you don't have the room to talk.
Mom,
you got pregnant with my sister out of wedlock.
She slapped me in my jaw,
dropped my father,
intervened.
He said,
you need to leave before this turns into a murder scene.
If I could take it back in the day when I was 17,
playing GoldenEye with the homies and living carefree.
I had a poster, a sable up on my door.
Life was so simple with Nintendo 64.
With my N64. Life was so simple with my N64.
I had a poster, a sable up on my door.
Life was so simple with Nintendo 64.
Memories of a 98 state of mind is engraved in my brain in such a way.
I don't think words can explain when I
got my first pair of AYs my mom bought me.
A couple of weeks after this gift,
we weren't talking.
After the incident,
we could have hashed our differences,
but pride is such a hell of a drug.
Take a sniff of it.
Nothing is sober and more than knowing
your reason for your whole being could be
taken away at any given moment.
I'm in the hospital room,
seeing my mom laying down in her gown with her family,
stands around praying for a miracle.
Situation is critical.
I'm not much of a spiritual dude,
but I believe in you,
Ida. You taught me that the devil was a liar.
* this heart attack.
You'll survive it because you're a fighter.
She woke up from a slumber, asked everybody
to leave except for you, Robert.
Come closer and talk to me.
She said, I'm not sure if
I have much time left.
And the only certainty we have in this life is death.
I just want
to let you know at one point I was your age.
Why do you think I pushed so hard for you
to be great?
Cause I was in your shoes,
a singular position until I messed up with a
life altering decision.
I don't regret your sister.
And I'm sure things will be different
if instead of being a teenage mom,
I chose Princeton,
but I didn't.
I praise God every
day that you're my kid.
I don't want to see you make the same mistake that I did.
I know
you probably feel like parents don't understand.
Just try to stay 17 for as long as you can.