Week 15 Story : All American Revised

"Whose children are they then?" asks Corey quietly. Grace's sons Spencer and Dillon are in the next room.

"They're mine. Not yours, not Billy's, they are mine. So please do us a favor, and just bail on this family like how you did eight years ago," replies Grace stubbornly.

"They should know the truth," replies back Corey.

"And the truth is that they are my kids as I have stayed with them from the very beginning and I will stay with them till the very end," Grace states with tears in her eyes.

Grace and Corey talk about what they want to do with Dillon's paternity since they are aware that Corey is Spencer's father. Since Corey had thought that Grace had known who Dillon's father was all this time, he wanted that piece of information to make the family complete and for him to fully be present in their children's lives, but as he comes to know that Grace has been in her head and been unsure of the entire situation, he decides that it would end up being a mess to bring everything back up again so he just tells Grace to leave him and the kids out of all of this and to carry on with their lives.

And like Grace suggests, Corey once again heads out.

Although Dillon's paternity is unknown, the show takes another turn since it leads to Corey leaving the James' household and puts him at the bus station picking up a young African American boy, looking similar to Spencer James, and embraces him at the bus stop.

"How was your ride up from Nevada, Darnell?" asks Corey.

"It was very long, but I'm glad to see you again," replies Darnell.

"I'm happy too," replies Corey.

"Thanks for convincing Mom to allow me to come stay with you," replies Darnell after sharing a long loving hug that does not seem new to them both.

The next day, Spencer heads out to South Crenshaw, the school he used to play football for before being recruited to Beverly Hills to play for Billy Baker, and Corey stuns him with an important question.

"Spencer, how would you like to play for me and bring it home for us this year at the state championships?" asks Corey suddenly.

"Wow, that's a big offer, Dad," replies Spencer shocked at the timing of everything.

"Think about it and let me know, Son. I would love to have my boy finish if off while taking us all the way," replies Corey before heading back out to the field.

Although Spencer considers his dad's offer to come back and play football with South Crenshaw, he also thinks about the huge offer and opportunity that Billy Baker had given him that would lead him straight into the NFL and professional standings as he wanted. But how could he give up the possibility of playing and being around his father who had been out of his life for eight good years? The time that he finally wants to be present, would Spencer ruin it?

Spencer later finds out in-depth information about Darnell, the new quarterback from Nevada on the South Crenshaw football team, is Corey's girlfriend's son. Corey tries to elaborate on this topic and explain his and Darnell's relationship as it is very obvious that this father-son duo is the new hype and is what a father and son relationship should be like.

Spencer stops Corey at his football field and takes him aside to address these concerns. Corey can tell that Spencer is jealous but at the same time, hurt by having Darnell on the football field vying his way into Corey's heart. Spencer also finds out from the other players on the football field that Darnell is living with Corey for as long as he is here.

"I thought about your offer," says Spencer.

"I decided that you have to choose. You have to choose. Me or Darnell," replies Spencer leaving Corey shocked.

"Spencer, I can't," mutters Corey.

"Choose between your boys because that will be your answer," says Spencer and jealously leaves the situation and returns home holding back his tears.

Corey gets in his car after football practice and drives straight to the James' household to talk things out.

"You raised Darnell as your son while your own son was left without a father," Spencer replies as tears are streaming down his face. "I always wondered why you never missed your family or never called to check up on me or see how I was doing," continues Spencer as the emotions are flooding in the entire household.

Corey is left speechless as Spencer continues.

"Now I know. You did not miss us. You just replaced us," Spencer says as he bursts into tears.

Corey tries to comfort Spencer but Grace interjects.

"Corey, I think it is time for you to do what you are known for best. Leave," says Grace.

And just like that, Corey heads for the door once again.

Although Spencer was relieved to get everything out in the open with what his father was doing all the time he was not with his real family, Spencer realizes that Darnell has nothing to do with it. He realizes that Darnell was just stuck in the crossfire and was innocent. As a result, Spencer heads out to the bus station where he knew Darnell would be. Spencer apologizes as his issues were with his father and not Darnell and tells him that he should stay and live out his dreams by making his way up to the NFL. At this point, the boys are friends and the jealousy and hate that was once there between them is put behind them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY :

(tv show) : All American

(jataka) : Ox who Envied the Pig

(picture 1) : Billy and Spencer

(picture 2) : Corey James

The picture above shows Spencer James on the right while Billy Baker is shown on the left in the famous TV show, All American on the CW.

Author's Note : This famous CW drama TV show ended its first season with the cliffhanging question of whether Spencer James's little brother, Dillon, is the child of Spencer's father, Corey, or the child of Billy Baker, whom Spencer's mother had an affair with years ago. We are entering episode one of season two when Corey James and Grace James meet and get some time to talk and discuss everything that is going on and Grace finally admits that she has no clue who Dillon's biological father is and resorts to taking a DNA test as she is frightened to bring that upon Billy Baker who has his own marriage and life falling apart because of the affair.

This story resembles the "Ox Who Envied the Pig" jataka. In the jataka, the oxen were given regular and boring food even though they did the most work on the farm and went out of their way to get stuff done, while the pig was given a full three course meal for sitting around and playing in mud every day and not doing anything useful. The young ox was jealous of the pig who was getting fed for acting lazy up until both of the oxen realized that the pig was getting pampered just to get eaten. They had realized that they were getting jealous for no reason and were content with the lives that they were getting to live and were grateful for the food that they were given to eat as they could actually live out their lives unlike the poor pig.

Likewise, Spencer gets jealous when he sees his dad giving affection and getting close with a young man on the South Crenshaw football team and all his emotions come out as he was left "fatherless" for eight years just to find out that his father had made a new family in Nevada and now the boy himself is here just to play with Spencer's emotions.