Just to recap, Kenneth decides to choose the white pill over the black pill because it’s the easy choice for him. However, he questions the man in the white suit about the authenticity of the white pill. The man in the white suit assures Kenneth that the white pill will guarantee Kenneth his son, Jeremiah. In addition, the man in the white suit sweetens the deal by telling Kenneth that he will make Jeremiah any age that he wants. It all sounded good to Kenneth, and he was ready to take the white pill. Before Kenneth could take the white pill, the man in the white suit asks him if he was interested in the black pill. The black pill would guarantee sobriety, a job and a house, but Kenneth was not interested in the black pill. Kenneth swallows the white pill with ease, and he tells the man in the white suit that he wants his son to be five years old. The man in the white suit assures Kenneth that he’ll have his son when he’s five years old, instructs him to walk through the red door and wake up to a new life with his son. Kenneth asks the man in the white suit who he is, but the man in the white suit remains silent and tells Kenneth he likes to remain a mystery. After that, Kenneth walks through the red door and wakes up to a new life with his newly five-year-old son Jeremiah.

Now, it’s time to get into the fourth and final part of “The Black Pill.”

For their first year together, life was perfect for Kenneth and Jeremiah. Their life together was filled with laughter, joy and love. They were closer than ever, and Kenneth was so thankful for this. Kenneth was able to be a father to Jeremiah because he was so willing to accept his love, and he had Jeremiah with him instead of Jeremiah being three hours away from him. It was so much easier and simpler to be the father he wanted to be for Jeremiah.

However, some things never change. To Kenneth’s surprise, Monica was still a constant part of Jeremiah’s life. She would visit Jeremy almost every week, talk to him every day and be a mother to him despite being three hours away from him. Kenneth didn’t understand it. How could Monica have the time and energy to raise another child and still be a mother to Jeremiah? It was crazy to him, but he was glad that he didn’t have to worry about it. It just disappointed him that Jeremiah still had more love for Monica than him. How was that possible? Kenneth thought to himself. It kind of bothered him, but he chose to understand that Jeremiah will always have love for his mother. All Kenneth could do was enjoy his son’s company with him.

Kenneth and Jeremiah had a great year together. They shared all sort of holidays together, and Kenneth was an almost perfect father to Jeremiah. As they were close to ringing in the New Year together on Dec. 31, Kenneth was hopeful that next year would bring more of the same for him and his son. Sadly, he was mistaken.

On Dec. 31, Kenneth decided to drop Jeremiah off with his parents, so that he could go to the bar and drink with his friends. Kenneth drank his heart out that night. He drank and drank until the bartender refused to give him anything more to drink. He ended up getting in a fight with one of his friends because of a disagreement. After the fight, Kenneth had to drive himself home. He was driving all crazy on the road, and he ended up getting stopped by a police officer. The police officer ended up arresting Kenneth for DUI. He called his parents to get him, but they didn’t answer him. Instead, Kenneth ended up spending New Year’s Day and a couple of days in jail.

Things only got worse for Kenneth after that. He kept losing jobs year after year because he would show up late to work and get in constant fights with his coworkers. Jeremiah would find Kenneth passed out on the floor most mornings, and it would just disappoint Jeremiah. This went on for years, and it hurt Jeremiah to witness his father’s alcoholism take control over him. Why couldn’t Kenneth get it together for Jeremiah? It was getting harder and harder for Jeremiah to love his father.

When Jeremiah was nine years old, Kenneth got evicted from his apartment because of missing payments. It was scary because Kenneth was unemployed and homeless with his child. Kenneth didn’t want Monica finding out that he had him and Jeremiah living in his car, but she found out after three months. Monica was angry with Jeremiah, and she demanded Jeremiah live with her. Kenneth refused. He wanted Jeremiah with him. That’s all he needed in his life was his son. How could Monica take Jeremiah away from him? How could he be a father if Jeremiah was so far away from him? Kenneth thought these questions to himself.

Monica was able to successfully gain custody of Jeremiah, and Kenneth had once again lost Jeremiah.

For a whole year, Kenneth didn’t talk to Jeremiah. This hurt Jeremiah more than anything, but it had to be done for Kenneth. He needed to just live his life and have a little break from fatherhood. Sadly, he couldn’t be a father to Jeremiah because he was once again too far away.

Years passed and once again, Kenneth finds himself back in his present situation of having no relationship with his son, unemployment, living with his parents and alcoholism. How could he not have his son? What did he do wrong? He’s in a dark place now, and he needs a drink.

It’s midnight, and Kenneth decides that he wants to go to the bar. He leaves his parents’ house and heads to his car. Then, he notices a strange figure leaning on his car. It’s the man in the white suit.

Kenneth just stops in his tracks and cannot believe who he is seeing. The man in the white suit smiles and says, “Wow, you like you’ve seen a ghost or something. Are you surprised to see me?”

Kenneth nods his head. The man in the white suit says, “Well, before you go to the bar to drink like crazy, why don’t you follow me real quick?”

“Are you gonna give me another choice?” Kenneth asks.

The man in the white suit stops smiles, gives Kenneth a straight face and replies, “Yeah, something like that. Just follow me.”

The man in the white suit turns his back on Kenneth and starts walking. Kenneth quickly follows. Kenneth’s still mad that he hasn’t seen the man in the white suit’s face. He wants to find out. Kenneth tries to look into his face, but he ends up passing out again. Then, he wakes up to the room where he acquired the white pill.

Kenneth looks around, and he notices that it’s a well-lit room now. He looks around and sees the old TV set, the white chair and coffee table across from him, and the bookcase with the white and gray book. He looks to his right and sees the red door. He looks to his left and sees the man in the white suit with his back turned. He’s looking out the window and holding the black book.

The man in the white suit continues to stare out the window. Kenneth states, “You know, we don’t have to go through you talking about The Matrix again. I’ll just take the white pill and be on my way. I just want my son.”

The man in the white suit takes a deep breathe and says, “You know, I wish that I could open this book, but I can’t because of you.

Kenneth is confused, and the man in the white suit continues, “Humans and dark colors. Why can’t humans see the beauty in dark colors? Why is it that the dark colors in life are considered evil and impure? I reckon I blame society. White is good, while black is evil.”

Kenneth starts to get a little scared, and he says, “Look, all I want—

The man in the white suit interrupts, “Yes! Yes! All you want. That’s what this is about. That’s what this has always been about, right? What do you want, Kenneth? Want! Want! Want! Never need with you!”

Kenneth nods his head. The man in the suit then says, “Come over here, Kenneth. There’s something that I want you to see.”

Kenneth slowly gets up and starts walking towards the window. Kenneth finds himself next to the man in the white suit. He looks out the window, and he discovers that it’s him and Jeremiah together. They’re sharing a talk and laugh together, and it brings tears to Kenneth’s eyes. Then, Kenneth sees Jeremiah mouth the words “I love you” to him, and they end up hugging each other. Kenneth turns to the man in the white suit, and he finally sees his face. The face surprises Kenneth, and his heart is beating fast. The man in the white suit looks Kenneth in the eyes, smiles and whispers, “You know, what we witnessed was your future if you had taken the black pill. You see, I left out certain things about the black pill. The black pill would not only give you sobriety, a job and a home, but it would also show you how to love yourself. That was your problem. You didn’t love yourself enough to change. How could your son love you, if you can’t even love yourself? How could you take care of your son, if you can’t take care of yourself?”

Kenneth starts crying, and the man in the white suit walks away from the window. He continues, “That’s all your son ever wanted for you was to take care of yourself. However, you were simply blinded by your own wants and desires. Jeremiah needed to see that his father was more than an alcoholic and hothead, but you failed him. You only disappointed him.”

Kenneth falls to the ground, and the man in the white suit walks towards the door. He yells, “You live in the past, Kenneth. You blame the past for your misfortunes and refuse to see the potential of the future. Instead of realizing what you need, you focus on your desires and use them as crutches. So, you swallow and swallow the white pill with ease every day with no regard of the necessity of the black pill in your life.”

Kenneth is on the ground and cries, “Please, please, I’m sorry! Please, give me another chance. I want the black pill now! Please!”

“Unfortunately, it’s too late. You’ve made your choice and walked through this red door. I can’t give you a second chance. Like I said, I’m not the Devil or an angel. I’m just…well, you know.

The man in the white suit opens the red door, looks back at Kenneth and replies, “Goodbye Kenneth, I hope you figure things out. Maybe there is a chance you can still have your son, but it’ll be a long, hard road to him, I reckon. I just wish you would’ve taken the black pill to make things easier for yourself.”

Before Kenneth could say or do anything, the man in the white suit walks out and closes the door. The man in the white suit takes with him the black book. He also takes with him far from Kenneth’s grasp, the black pill.

This is the end of “The Black Pill: Part Four”

Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this story.

Next week, I will be sharing poetry on Tuesday and Thursday.

More than 20 years ago, Monica was in an abusive relationship with a man named Kenneth. He was an alcoholic that would get drunk and angry with Monica, and it was hard and exhausting being with Kenneth. For Monica, it was complicated to leave Kenneth because they had Jeremiah, their son. She didn’t want Jeremiah to grow up without a father, so she accepted the alcoholism, the anger and the deceit that came with Kenneth. Then, everything changed with Monica on a fateful day when she was on a bus presented with a black rose by a little girl in a yellow dress.

The little girl in the yellow dress gave couples and the bus driver red roses, but she chose to give Monica a black rose. Monica was the only black person on a bus filled with white people, and she didn’t understand why she was the only one presented with a black rose. She found it to be offensive and refused to accept it. When Monica got home, Kenneth was sober and spending time with Jeremiah. This made her happy. Later on that day, Kenneth decided to go to the bar with some friends. Monica objected, but Kenneth went anyways. Then, Monica received a call from her childhood friend and cousin Matthew, who wanted to come over and share some news with her. Matthew came over and told Monica that he was proposing to Bella. Monica was happy for her cousin and congratulated him. They talked for a while until Matthew decided it was time for him to leave. Monica would open the door for Matthew and hug him in the doorway. In the shadows, Kenneth was there. He was drunk and thought Monica was cheating on him. When Matthew was out of sight, Kenneth would attack and assault Monica for cheating on him. Luckily, Matthew wasn’t far away, and he was able to put a stop to Kenneth nearly killing Monica.

Monica woke up in the hospital, and she was confused. She couldn’t believe that Kenneth physically hurt her, and all she could do was cry. Monica didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what was best for her and Jeremiah. She looked to her right and found the black rose next to her. Instead of refusing it like she did on the bus, she accepted it. Monica embraced the black rose and realized its true significance in her life.

Monica had seen the beauty of the black rose, and she created a better life for her and Jeremiah. She ended up meeting a great man named Shane, and she ended up marrying him. They’ve been married for years and ended up having three children together. Shane was a great father figure for Jeremiah and helped shape him into the man that he is today. Life is good for Jeremiah and Monica. However, one must ask about Kenneth? What has become of him in all these years. Did Kenneth’s life get better or worse? Sadly, it only got worse for Kenneth.

Kenneth is currently living with his parents, and he has been unemployed for months. His father pushes him to get a job and start paying rent. Kenneth always claims that he has a few jobs lined up, and he’s just trying to figure out what’s a good fit for him.

Kenneth is still an alcoholic, but he claims that he can quit whenever he wants to. He just believes that it’s not necessary to quit drinking.

However, the one thing that is a problem for him is the relationship he has with his son Jeremiah. He doesn’t have the relationship he wants with his son Jeremiah, and he blames Monica for that. Monica and Shane chose to move three hours away from him making it impossible for him to see his son. Every chance Kenneth gets, he tells Jeremiah that Monica and Shane were just spreading lies about him. He claims that him and Monica would’ve worked things out if Shane didn’t come along. For Kenneth, Jeremiah is better off with him than Monica and Shane. After all, Jeremiah is his son, and he needs Jeremiah close by him to be a father. Every time they talked, Kenneth was always trying to convince Jeremiah to live with him and his parents. He never learned anything about Jeremiah’s life. It was all about selling the idea of living with him. It’s what Kenneth wanted. He wanted the opportunity to be a better father for Jeremiah, but it started with Jeremiah living with him. However, Jeremiah didn’t see it that way. His life was great with his mom and stepdad, and he didn’t see the benefits of living with his biological father. Eventually, Jeremiah was tired of hearing Kenneth’s truth and stopped talking to him. This hurt Kenneth more than anything.

All Kenneth wanted was his son. He wanted Jeremiah to live with him and realize the constant lies Shane and Monica spread about him were false. He was a good man, and he just needed Jeremiah to live with him. That’s all he wanted. He just wanted his son. He could easily be a great provider for Jeremiah, but he just needed the opportunity. Well, the opportunity would present itself to Kenneth.

It’s midnight, and he’s at the bar making a call to his son. He has had at least six drinks in his system. He knows that Jeremiah will not answer him. So, he leaves a voicemail talking about how much he loves him and hopes he’ll give him a call back. Then, he has four more drinks, and he tries to get another drink. However, the bartender refuses to give him more to drink. Kenneth asks why, but he looks at the bartender up and down and realizes that he’s white. Kenneth comes to the conclusion that the bartender is being racist with him. He starts to get angry. The bartender tries to calm Kenneth down and explain that he’s getting too drunk, but Kenneth ends up punching him across the face. The bartender falls down, and security immediately approaches Kenneth and throws him out the bar.

Kenneth hits the ground face first, and he’s in a lot of pain. He struggles to get up and starts to limp towards his car. As he approaches his car, he notices a male figure leaning on his car. This figure is wearing some nice white shoes, and it looks like a nice white suit. He has a red cane with a white handle, and he’s wearing white gloves. He also has a white hat on, but his face is hidden in the shadows. Kenneth squints his eyes to potentially see this figures face, but it’s to no avail. He can’t see his face.

Kenneth is afraid to approach the figure and thinks about calling the cops. He reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone, when the figure in a Southern accent says, “I mean you no harm, Kenneth. I’m actually here to help you. I am the man in the white suit.”

This is the end of “The Black Pill: Part One.” Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this story.

Also, check out the short story “The Black Rose” on the Dark Colors series, if you haven’t already.

I will be sharing part two of “The Black Pill” on Thursday.

Last week, it was me and my mom’s birthday. It was on Thursday, April 18. For us, it has become a tradition of ours to have breakfast together at either Denny’s or Pamela’s. On that day, we couldn’t decide what we wanted to have that day. We kept going back and forth with each other, but we eventually decided to go with Denny’s. When we got to Denny’s, we were directed and seated at a booth. My mom told our waitress that it was our birthday. Our waitress couldn’t believe it because my mom looked so young, and I just looked older. My mom and I joked around with her a little bit, and our waitress assured us that our breakfasts would be free. During our time together at Denny’s, my mom and I talked, laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. We had conversations about our art, school, work, friends, summertime and other things. We somehow brought up my graduation and how it’s going to be next year. This made me sad because I immediately thought about my late grandpa Jerry Warfield.

I remember 10-12 years ago when I had moved from West Virginia to Pittsburgh, it was scary for me. The reason is because I didn’t have any family in Pittsburgh, and I wasn’t excited about making new friends in Pittsburgh, specifically Pleasant Hills Middle School. It was the beginning of summer when my family and I had moved from Pittsburgh, and I was dreading going to a new school. One day in June, I got a call from my grandpa. I answered it, and we talked for a little bit. He talked about the Harrison Center and playing tennis with some of my cousins. It was always fun and exciting talking to my grandpa, he just had a way of keeping you engaged and intrigued. Then, he asked me how I was doing. I told him how I was nervous about going to a new school, and how I wanted to go back to West Virginia. Then, my grandpa had this weird idea. He said, “You know what I’m gonna do, Isaiah? I’m gonna send you a letter.”

A letter? This was so random and weird to me. As an 11-year-old boy, I didn’t see the value of a letter. Nevertheless, I told my grandpa that I was excited about getting a letter from him. He asked for my new address, and I ended up giving it to him. We continued to talk and laugh with each other for just a little while. Then, we said our goodbyes. Towards the end of June, my mom tells me that I have some mail. This was odd to me. My mom told me that it was from my grandpa. I’m immediately excited because I’m expecting it to be money in the envelope, but it was sadly an 11-page letter. Why did I have a letter? I grumbled at all the papers in my hand and put them to the side.

A couple of days later, I got a call from my grandpa. We talked with each other, and he asked me if I received his letter. I told him that I did receive his letter, but I haven’t gotten the chance to read it. “Well, hurry up and read it. I want to talk to you about it. Also, I want you to send me a letter back in a couple days about the letter and about your summer so far, okay?” my grandpa said.

I thought that my grandpa was being ridiculous. He wanted me to read his manuscript and respond back to him with a letter. Why? Can’t we just talk over the phone like usual? It was completely absurd to me. Why can’t I enjoy the summer as an 11-year-old boy?

After I was done talking to my grandpa, I told my mom about my grandpa’s foolishness. I was expecting her to be on my side, but she was disloyal to her 11-year-old son. She ended up siding with my grandpa. How could she betray me like that? She talked about how it would be good for me to write and even fun. Fun? Who writes for fun? What kind of sick/twisted person would just write because they wanted to? It made absolutely no sense to me.

Sadly, I was powerless to fight my mom and grandpa. I had no choice but to ruin my summer and read the massive letter my grandpa sent to me.

To my surprise, I found myself enjoying the letter my grandpa sent me. It was funny, deep, sweet and engaging. It was weird because it felt like I was actually just listening to him talk. I could hear his voice as I was reading the page, and I didn’t feel so alone. How was this possible? It felt like he was with me telling me about the Harrison Center, tennis, God, purpose and other important things. I found myself re-reading his letter and wanting to read more. The unexpected happened for me as an 11 year old.

Now comes the hard part. I had to write my grandpa back. It was a struggle for me I put a lot of time and energy in responding to his letter, and I ended up writing two pages in response to his 11-page letter. In my defense, I was intimidated by my grandpa’s writing. How could I compare? It was just important to answer his questions. Also, it was important to keep it short, sweet and to the point. I put my letter together, placed it in an envelope, took it to the mailbox and dropped it in the mailbox.

A couple of days passed, and my grandpa called to let me know that he received my letter. Surprisingly, we talked longer than usual. We actually talked for a few hours. I was talking to him about certain parts in his letter, and he talked about my letter. He said that he really enjoyed reading it and was looking forward to my next letter. Sadly, my mom had to cut our conversation short because she needed her phone. I didn’t have my own phone like my little sisters did when they were my age. The times have changed.

Anyways, my grandpa and I wrote to each other all summer, and we had longer conversations with each other. It became a norm for us. In addition, I was writing more than the two pages to him, and it started becoming fun and interesting to write. My mom saw how much I was writing and suggested that maybe one day I would grow up to be a writer or maybe even an author. Me a writer? An author? That was ridiculous to me. I would never be writer, I was going to be an engineer or do something with math. I loved math. At 11 years old, I couldn’t imagine writing all the time. What kind of person would just write at ungodly hours for no reason? The devil is a liar if you think I’m gonna be that person. I’m certainly not going to be a writer. It just wasn’t going to happen for me.

I continued to write more to my grandpa during my time at middle school, and he continued to write to me. We weren’t writing as frequently like we did in the summer, but it was still important for us to write to each other. Then, I found myself writing to myself and finding myself in my own, safe zone.

In high school, I quickly discovered that I hated math with a passion. Math had deceived me with its simplicity through geometry and algebra. I learned math’s true colors when I had taken Honors Pre-Calculus in high school. It was complex, difficult and incompatible to me. Writing was always simple to me, and we had a relationship that I took for granted. I decided in high school that I wanted to commit to writing. I wanted us to be more than just close friends. We had something special, and I needed it in my life. We were meant to be together.

Eventually, my grandpa and I stopped sending letters to each other. I don’t remember why we stopped, and I wish I knew. However, I do remember one of the last few letters that he wrote to me. It was a letter about me graduating high school, then college. He wrote that he couldn’t wait to see me graduate high school and knew that I was going to do great things in college. It was a letter about not being afraid of the future and having faith that God will always be with me. I’m thankful and blessed to have received that letter, and I’ll always cherish it in my life.

So, when my mom mentioned my graduation at Denny’s, I immediately thought about one of the last few letters my grandpa sent to me. I wished that he was here right now to see me graduate next year. Nevertheless, I remember that he’s in a better place and no longer suffering from dementia. I have to be at peace with that and know in my heart that I’m making him proud.

At Denny’s, my mom and I ended up getting a grand slam, and I immediately laughed because I thought about my grandpa. I laughed and told my mom, “You know, my grandpa wouldn’t touch any of this stuff. He would be wondering where the oatmeal was.”

My mom laughed with me, and she agreed that my grandpa was an extremely healthy man. He was active, played tennis and ate healthy. He was a ridiculously, healthy old man.

I don’t know why my grandpa decided to write letters to me, but I’m so thankful that he did. It opened me to a whole, new world for me at such a young age. In the end, I wish that I can have those days back where I wrote letters to my grandpa.

Thank you for taking the time to read “Letters to My Grandpa.”

Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this short story.

On Thursday, I will be sharing the short story “Basketball Shorts.”

I often find myself thinking about you on random days.

In fact, I was just thinking about you today on me and my mom’s birthday.

I miss you a lot and wish that I could hear your voice again.

It was so distinct and beautiful.

I remember the laughs and smiles that we shared together.

I remember listening with ease to music that would move my soul with you.

Now, I struggle to listen to our music on my own.

It’s just not the same without you.

It just brings me nothing but heartache.

It’s hard living without you.

You were a constant fire in my life that I’m missing so much.

Can God bring you back to life?

It would mean so much to me.

No, I shouldn’t wish and pray for such a thing.

I always saw you as a good and faithful servant.

You were always living proof of the power of faith.

You deserve to be rewarded and favored by God.

You deserve to be in Heaven.

I want to talk to you about my mom.

I know that you would be proud of her.

She has helped me grow in ways that I could never imagine.

Since the beginning of my life, she has shown me unconditional love.

She made sure that I wouldn’t end up being another statistic.

Her unselfishness and kindness rubbed off on me.

She’s helped me with my struggles and helped me to my successes.

I can’t imagine the person I would be right now without her.

God truly blessed me with an angel.

You know I love my mom so much.

You know words can’t describe all that she’s done for me.

You know she’s been my rock my whole life.

You know she’s responsible for making me the person that I am today.

You know that she has my back.

You know all these things and more.

I love you so much.

It seems like we didn’t have enough time together.

I wish that I could turn back the clock and be with you.

But I want you to know that I’m good.

I’m stronger and wiser than ever before.

All thanks go to God for providing and blessing me with my mom.

My other fire.

I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me.
You’ve helped me in ways that I could never imagine.
You inspired me to chase after my aspirations and to let go of my distractions.
You helped my imagination meet reality in this world.
I can’t imagine my life without you.

You’ve been with me my whole life and never left my side.
Thank you for that.
Thank you for making sure that I was well-nourished and well-rested.
Thank you for loving me when you weren’t expecting me.
Thank you for seeing me as a gift, instead of an accident.
Thank you for seeing me as a blessing, instead of a burden.
Thank you for the hugs and kisses.
Thank you for the smiles and laughs.
Thank you for making sure that I didn’t end up being a statistic.
Thank you for making sure that I didn’t end up being an addict.
Thank you for having God in my life.
Thank you for showing me the true meaning of love.
Thank you for everything and so much more.

I thank God that I have you in my life.
God truly knew what he was doing for the both of us.
He knew that you were going to be one of the best things in my life.
I love you with all my heart, mom.
Thank you for having a mother’s touch.