The Ride

BY | YOYONG MASAMBA </

I've heard that you can't choose

where you come from...

but you can choose where you go from there.

My life wasn't always like this.

Choices I made led me closer to the edge.

Those choices, they didn't just lead me here,

they led me to something I never thought could be real.

Paging Dr. Redda, paging Dr. Redda.

Please come to OR 9.

Help! Help!

- He's hurting my mom! - What happened?

She's down on the ground, she's not moving!

Stay here.

Oh!

Stupidspook.

John, run!

Dilauded...

Benzos...

and Xanax.

- Good haul, John. - Little man with the plan.

Welcome to the family.

Now we brand you so you can hang with us.

No. No, Rory!

No, I don't want this.

Stop, let me go!

No!

I wanna go back, I wanna go home.

This is gonna be your new home

for the time being, all right?

Can you send a message to my mom?

Of course.

Tell her I think she's shit.

Hey, no, listen to me.

Let me do my job, I'm gonna fix this, okay?

They adopt kids out of here all the time.

I'm gonna find you a good home, you hear me?

Okay?

It'll be alright.

Come on, let's go.

No, don't tell her that.

Tell her... Tell her to take me back!

Please, take me back!

I... I'll promise I'll be a good boy!

I promise!

This is your bunk here, and this is Jose.

Breakfast is at seven, school's at eight.

You'll figure the rest out.

There's toilet paper right there for when you cry.

I got a few rules.

You best learn them if you don'twant to get your ass...

Got a hickey from your cellmate already?

No, from your sister.

Ah!

We got ourselves an Aryan brother up in here.

See you around the cellblock, bitch.

So John...

Your mom passed away.

I am so sorry to be the one to have to tell you this.

But she had a heart attack.

I think it was caused by a drug overdose.

If there's anything I can do for you,

let me know.

Yeah.

Leave.

- Hey, there he is. Check him out.

- Oosh. - Come on!

Come on!

Knock it off!

McCord, get over here!

What?

McCord!

Damn.

Now, what the hell do you want?

I found you a potential family.

A couple. They're here right now.

Listen, I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get you this,

and it's been not easy with your record.

I told them your story.

- Fine. So how does this work?

Anything to get me the hell out.

The fostering period is a year.

You gotta think about it as probation.

Now you violate it in any way,

if you have any scuffs with the authorities,

they are gonna bounce you back in here.

Oh yeah.

So it's another jail, huh?

Listen, I've heard about these fights you've been in.

You're gonna die in here.

All you gotta do is last a year

and you'll be eligible for adoption.

Come on, John, you're smart.

I've seen your test scores.

- Hell, yeah. - Yeah.

The guard showed me your art.

Please...

'cause this is your only shot.

Come in.

Hi, you must be John.

I'm MaryAnna Buultjens.

And this is... This is my husband, Eldridge.

It's a pleasure to meet you, John.

You mind if we take a seat?

Is that a swastika on your head?- So?

You should do the other side, even it out.

I'm sorry, he likes to tease.

We've been a little nervous about this day,

and... and here it is.

And we are... we're so excited to get to know you.

Where are you from?

- Me? The west end of town.

No.

Where are your roots?

Kentucky.

Good fried chicken.

That's cute.

I bet you don't have any of that in here.

I studied at Berkeley, got my Masters degree

in Mechanical Engineering.

Which is where we met.

I was majoring in Linguistics.

Hmm.

And what about you, John?

Why don't you tell us something about yourself?

There's not much to tell.

What's this that you... You brought?

Something you want us to see?

I...

I'd love to see it, whatever it is.

May I?

Thank you.

This is a...

This is good.

This is really good, John.

Odysseus and the Cyclops.

You like Homer?

He's okay.

A bit dense, but entertaining enough.

I'm just curious to know, out of all the trials,

what made you choose this one?

You're the college guy.

Well, Cyclops is a brute.

He's mean as hell.

Blinding it, Odysseus uses human intellect

to overcome savagery and escape the cave.

All on his own.

All on his own.

It doesn't have to be.

Here we are.

They pay a guy like you enough to live like this?

I thought only athletes and rappers

made this kind of dough.

John, I'm an engineer.

I'm a specialist in my field,

fixing problems others can't figure out.

As a matter of fact, I'm currently working

on a water dam problem in Central Valley.

Eldridge has a dam problem.

Why are you guys doing this?

You see, she felt we weren't complete.

Me, I suggested a dog. She wanted a child.

Now you're here.

John, would you like something to drink?

No, thanks.

Your room is to the left.

Feel free to roam the house.

You two put this room together for me?

Yeah. MaryAnna did some clothes shopping.

She went to the local hangouts.

Searched the Internet.

Tried to get a sense of what your age was wearing.

So I'm a fun little project for you two.

I could think of projects that are a bit more fun.

Dinner's in 45 minutes.

Well, I really think you're going to like.

Eldorado High school.

Yeah, the school year has just begun,

so you haven't missed much.

You know, we can help you with any...

- No, thanks. I don't need your help.

I do what I can for this ungrateful family!

- There's no jobs. Country has gone to shit.

- Stop making excuses! Just feed your kids.

You look handsome.

I... I saw those shoes on a commercial,

and they just seem...

I like them.

Well, I figured that you might want to...

Okay.

It's better than a band-aid, right?

I'll get out here.

Yo, watch it.

Whoah! Whoo!

Hey, that's a cute outfit.

Nice shoes, bro.

I think my little sister has those same ones.

- You got a problem? - Ooh!

You're the new kid, right?

Sit down, gentlemen.