Lashing Out

Cynthia is a 15 year old daughter who is very sheltered, but she has dreams of playing high school basketball. Her father is a 38 year old mega church pastor and her mother is a stay at a home mom and a mother of the church. One Sunday day evening while the family was driving home from church, Cynthia decided to ask her father if she can try out for her high school basketball team.  Her mother immediately said yes as long as her grades stay at a 3 point, but her father overruled his wife decision and said that no daughter of his was going to play basketball. Cynthia then cried for an explanation from her father of why she can’t play basketball? Her father replied, “Have you ever looked at those basketball girls? They look like, and carry themselves like men. No daughter of mines is going to play basketball.”  Her mother tried to talk to her father but her father told his wife that the subject was not open for discussion. Therefore, Cynthia started acting up at school by fighting; smoking drugs, suspension from school, and her grades point average went from a 3 point  to a 2 point.

 Well one day after school, the high school women's basketball coach saw Cynthia playing a pickup game, and he was amazed by her basketball talent. He  then pulled her to the side after the game to talk to her about playing for her high school varsity team and Cynthia told the coach she would love to play basketball for her school but her father who is a preacher doesn't want his daughter playing basketball with girls who dress up and act like men. Therefore, the coach approached her father on Sunday right after service, and he convinced him that his daughter would be all right and she wouldn't turn out gay. Fast forward some months later, his daughter basketball team wins the state championship, and Cynthia is named MVP. To top it off, Cynthia grades went from a 2 point to a 3.5 grade point average. Also, Cynthia was spending a lot of time with a guy friend who played on the boy basketball team and people viewed them as a couple . The family decided to go out to eat to celebrate the state championship win and Cynthia being named MVP. While eating, Cynthia stated she had some news that she wanted to tell her parents. Her father smiled because he was waiting for his daughter to say she had a boyfriend and he couldn't wait to meet him.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case, Cynthia then told her parents that she’s gay. Her father immediately slammed his fist against the table in anger and said, “I knew it! I knew if you played basketball that you would turn out gay! I told your mother this would happen! What about that high school basketball superstar boy you been hanging with?” Cynthia replied, “He’s gay too.” Her father then screamed, “Aww shit! All you motherfuckas  are gay!” This was first time Cynthia heard her father curse.  Her mother started to cry and tried her best to calm her husband down, but her best wasn't good enough.  Her father then stood up from the table and said, “You are an embarrassment to this family and an abomination in the eyes of God.  From this day forward you're no longer my daughter or a part of this family.  By the way, you tell my straight daughter she’s welcome to stay at my house but as longs as your gay you stay the hell out of my face and away from family.”  Cynthia started crying, “I'm sorry Daddy. I’m sorry!  I’m still your baby girl! I’m still your baby girl!  I love you! I love y'all! Don't leave me please don't leave me!” Everybody in the restaurant started to look at them and the couple left their daughter crying in the restaurant and drove home.

A couple of minutes later Cynthia called her grandmother crying that her parents disowned her because she said she told them she gay. Her grandmother then picked her up from the restaurant and told her that she could live with her but she couldn't dress like a boy, no rainbow stuff hanging in her house or have any gay girls in her house either. Cynthia agreed to follow her grandmother rules, and every Sunday when she attended her father church she’ll try to speak to her parents but they intentionally ignored her. A couple of months went by that Cynthia didn't speak to her parents or step in their house, and their harsh treatment mentally started to drain her to the point that one day she decided that she had enough. So, she went over to her parents’ house after school and banged on their door, and screamed, “I want to come back home! I want to come back home! Let me in!” Yet, her knocks and screams were ignored.  Cynthia cried as she walked to her grandma house, and once she stop crying she decided to walk into her grandmother bathroom and she took 30 of her high blood pressure pills. Once her grandmother made it home from work, she saw Cynthia past out on the living room floor with her high blood pressure pills lying next to her.  Her grandmother then called 911 and Cynthia was rushed to the hospital. Once her parents arrived at the hospital the doctors told them that Cynthia was in critical condition and they wasn't for sure that she was going to make it. The family then held hands and they prayed for Cynthia to make it, and she made it.  Now the father is stuck with the decision to choose his daughter or his religion? People help her father out? Lashing out!