Personal Narrative: The Burns Family

The Burns family is the first Black family I met in the ward. Albert Burns Junior was cool! He had swagger, as is the contemporary way to address it. I have never been one for slang, but he, Albert Junior was cool like Dexter. His cool was different though. His cool stemmed from the fact that he grew up in the church with both parents. I wanted that; so, I watched him. I became a micro-Moroni! I thought he was royalty because I knew that he was sealed to his parents, he grew up in the church, and he was BLACK! Albert was a year behind me I think. I watched him interact with his parents and live life like normal people. I hungered to be in that position because Albert was from an all-Black family, the Burns family. Now, my international friends
That left me open to attacks that I should have known were invitations from them to me. I was hurt and could not hide it. I tried to conceal my face, but Rodney saw! I saw him see also! I knew that it would be over for me emotionally, which is why I left across the church grounds. I could hear everything though as I mentioned.
“What’s up with your boy,” is the last question I heard one boy ask Rodney before he answered. I waited for the usual insult and put down, but Rodney disappointed me.
“N’all man; it’s not like that,” Rodney said. “He is tryin’ to be a Christian. He don’t use cuss words and stuff and act like that. He cool though. He actually believe, you know. He just tryin’ to be a Christian.”
Never at any time had I heard Rodney say anything kind about my behavior or me! I was shocked. Also, there was no way I should have heard his response to them being so far away from them, but God opened my ears because He knew I needed to hear my supposed antagonist share his view of me to his comrades. I felt warm inside and never thought an ill word about Rodney again. He still teased me for the short time afterwards we attended the same ward, but there was no guile left in me towards