Not everything is sweet about a Christmas vacation, not for me, not this year anyways. What can I say? I miss my baby. Every now and again, it’s tiring to wake up every day and fight until it’s over just to go to bed alone again and wake up to another daunting task. Lately the task has been the same over and over, and it’s not going to get better until I get back. All of the workouts, the reading, and the physical strain are the easy parts, but I’m never going to get this girl out of my head! How can I? Not since the day she was sitting in my chair have I been able to escape thinking of her at all times of the day. Well H Town, just have to keep grinding…

Jimi rolled out of the bed with the usual aches and pains that came with being unnaturally tall, well for a Mexican anyways. Tender ankles, a popping elbow, and writhing knees were nothing unfamiliar after a night of basketball. Still, Jimi stumbled out to the restroom, his eyes clenching shut at the sight of the light that was far too bright for anyone’s own good. He rubbed his chest a bit while he daydreamed about his future mansion and having dimming lights like white folks have in their dining rooms. Complete brightness all in my face this early in the morning? Jimi just couldn’t grasp the concept and angrily turned the handle of the hot water so that a hot shower could relax him. As his feet hit the cold shower floor and his body became covered in what seemed like a heated massage to his sore battered body. Jimi just leaned his long frame forward and rested the top of his head against the shower wall as the water ran down his back and trickled down to the floor, gathering almost as high as his ankles. Thoughts of the day began to run through Jimi’s head as he prepared for another long and stressful, yet highly productive day was up ahead. Grocery shopping, cross-town driving, and a Christmas Eve party was going to be followed by yet another night of sleeping alone missing Haydee. Nothing new anyways, just made the showers a lot less enjoyable. After twenty minutes of looping thoughts, Jimi finally turned the shower off and wrapped his towel around his waist before climbing out. He stepped in front of the mirror and used his finger to write through the fog to spell “Royalty” like he did every morning. Jimi then heard a quiet, yet familiar tune, Lupe Fiasco’s “Daydreaming,” otherwise known as his ringtone. He dashed out of the bathroom and dove onto the bed to snatch up the phone, somehow keeping his towel around his waist at the same time. His face lit up when he saw Haydee’s picture, always a welcoming sight on his phone.

“Hey baby!” Jimi excitedly answered the phone, finally something happening in the morning that could cheer him up. Haydee replied in a rather strange tone, almost a bit too serious, “Hi Jimi.” After a quizzical moment of silence, Haydee finally asked, “So what are you doing?” Jimi thought about how boring it was to tell the truth, but did so anyways, “Ah, I just got out of the shower right now, getting ready to get some groceries with my mom. What do you have planned for the day?” Again in a rather strange tone, Haydee quickly answered, “Oh nothing really, I’m not sure yet, I just wanted to see what you were doing.” Jimi thought it was very strange that Haydee didn’t have any plans considering it was certainly Christmas Eve and everyone in their right mind had something planned, even if it was going to bed early to get an early start on Christmas. “Well I guess you’ll get plans later. I’m going to get dressed and get the day started, I still have to get Harris and Stevie after we get groceries and get things rolling before everyone gets here for the party,” Jimi told her. Haydee smiled nervously on the other end, “Well you have fun and I will talk to you later okay?” Jimi hadn’t stopped smiling despite her curious behavior, but certainly agreed, “Alright sounds good, talk to you later babe.” With that, he hung up and the phone and placed it back on his charger. Strange or not, Haydee always made him smile, and he was upset that he was smiling at the thought of grocery shopping and driving across Houston to get the boys so they, meaning mom and Jimi of course, could then set up for the party. One way or another, he hoped that at least for some part of this day he could get Haydee out of his mind at least for the sake of being a good host for the party.

Shaking her out of his mind now was not very likely, but getting dressed was becoming a pressing issue as his procrastination was getting the better of him. He slipped on some light denim jeans, a white muscle shirt, a plain red polo, with a fresh Old Navy sweater with semi thick red and salmon horizontal stripes. He tucked in his polo and muscle shirt, making sure to prop out the collar out of the sweater. He rubbed his hands hard down his shirt to flatten it out a bit before feeling good about what he had on. To finish getting ready he slipped on his all white Nike Air Max shoes and got up off the bed. Quickly Jimi gathered up his phone, wallet, and keys, the holy trinity of being prepared to walk out of the door. “Mom!” Jimi yelled throughout the house with a booming voice. When he didn’t get a response, he began to get a little worried. He looked out the front door and didn’t see her car in the driveway. He cracked open the door to her room and only Alfredo laid there, still sleeping. “Hm, that’s pretty interesting, but it’s whatever,” Jimi said to himself. He grabbed Alfredo’s keys and set out to pick up his brothers first so that he could go grocery shopping with his mom when he got back and then find out where she was.