Chapter 17 #2
I pulled back and reached in my bag, slidin’ out a small black box before placin’ it in her hand. “I got you a lil’ somethin’, somethin’.”
She looked down at it, then back up at me with that same smile before she opened it at the table. Inside was a clean tennis bracelet with the diamonds settin’ off just enough without doin’ too much.
“Oh, Renza, sweetheart… this is beautiful,” she said, liftin’ it slightly while the light hit it.
“It’s light,” I told her. “Somethin’ you can wear with anything, and don’t break it,” I joked.
She looked at me again, softer this time, then pulled me back in for another hug. “Thank you. I love it and I love you, son.”
“I love you too, Mama,” I said, kissin’ her cheek again before steppin’ back.
That’s when I finally moved around the table, pullin’ Reni’s chair out for her before I took my seat like I was supposed to.
Pressure glanced over for a second, not sayin’ much, but I caught it. Kay’Lo lifted his glass toward me in a quiet nod before takin’ another sip.
Pluto sat there with her hand restin’ over her stomach while Toni leaned in close to her, both of them already mid-conversation. Reni settled in beside me, her hand brushin’ mine for a second before she got comfortable in her seat.
The table went right back to movin’ with conversations pickin’ up where they left off, glasses clinkin’ and plates bein’ moved around.
I sat there takin’ it in for real. It had been a minute since we all been together like this.
My pops was leanin’ back in his chair, talkin’ low to my uncle Kojo like they always did, not sayin’ much but still holdin’ the whole table with the way they carried it. Every now and then one of ’em would pause, sip they drink, then pick right back up like the conversation never broke.
Uncle Kwame was listenin’ to everything, jumpin’ in when he felt like it mattered. Auntie Treasure stayed close to him, checkin’ on everybody without makin’ it obvious, her attention movin’ around the table, makin’ sure everything stayed smooth.
Auntie Abeni ain’t say much at all. She sat there with her glass in her hand, speakin’ when she felt like it, and every time she did, people listened. My mama had that same kind of pull, but hers came with a lighter energy. She laughed and moved easy, but you could still feel it under that.
Across from me, Pressure sat back like he always did with one arm stretched out behind Pluto while she leaned into him, his attention movin’ between the table and her. Kay’Lo was the same way with Toni, ’cause he stayed on some tender shit.
I watched all of it for a second, not sayin’ much, but just lettin’ it sit.
After we ate, the energy switched up like it always do when we all in the same place too long.
Pressure leaned back for a second, lookin’ out at the water like he was already halfway in it, then rubbed the side of his face before he spoke.
“Aye… what that water lookin’ like?” he said, noddin’ toward it like he already made his mind up.
I let out a low laugh and shook my head. “Dumb ass nigga, don’t get yo’ ass out there and get took up by somethin’. I’m not jumpin’ in after you.”
He looked at me. “You comin’.”
“That ain’t what I said,” I replied, still smirkin’.
Kay’Lo stood up slow, stretchin’ his arms like he was already bored with sittin’. “I’m not finna sit here all day,” he said, glancin’ toward the edge. “If we goin’, we goin’.”
Pressure pushed up from his seat like that was all he needed to hear. “That’s what I’m sayin’.”
I glanced over at Reni, reachin’ down and runnin’ my hand along her thigh. “You comin’ or you stayin’ up here lookin’ good?”
She smiled and shook her head, leanin’ back into her chair. “I’m good. I’m about to stay right here.”
“Mm,” I muttered, leanin’ down and kissin’ her quick. “Don’t get too comfortable.”
“Go ahead,” she said, smilin’.
The water was perfect. The shit was deep, clear, and endless. Me, Pressure, and Kay’Lo was jumpin’ off the side, splashin’ down hard enough to hear it echo off the yacht. Every time one of us came back up, the other two was already talkin’ shit.
“You dove like a bitch,” I told Kay’Lo, pushin’ water toward him.
“That’s ’cause I’m not tryin’ to break my fuckin’ neck, bitch ass lil’ boy,” he shot back.
Pressure laughed. “Nah, that shit was weak. You folded mid-air.”
“Nigga, shut up,” Kay’Lo said, swimmin’ toward the ladder.
We stayed out there longer than we needed to, floatin’, wrestlin’ and jumpin’ back in like some big ass kids that ain’t never went swimmin’ in the ocean before.
Every now and then I would glance up and see the women laid out at the front with they bikinis on, drinks in hand and talkin’ like they been knowin’ each other forever.
Eventually we climbed out and made our way to the dock area, water still drippin’ off us while somebody had already brought drinks out there.
The dock sat low enough that you could see the ocean right behind it. The waves moved calm but strong and the sun hit the water in a way that had the shit lookin’ like it was filled with diamonds.
Me, Pressure and Kay’Lo sat back with drinks in our hand and the music playin’ loud.
That’s when the bullshit started for real, but it wasn’t no stiff back-and-forth shit. It was loud, messy with everybody talkin’ at the same time type shit.
Pressure was leanin’ forward with his drink in his hand, already laughin’ loud as hell while he pointed at me. “Man, you knew not to bring that up.”
I was smilin’ before he even finished, leanin’ back with my hand restin’ on Reni’s lap while I shook my head. “That story not even bad, you just ain’t like how you looked in it.”
Kay’Lo let out a laugh under his breath and leaned over, restin’ his arm across the back of Toni’s chair. “Nah… he looked crazy. I’m not gon’ lie.”
Toni shook her head, smilin’ while she leaned into Kay’Lo, and Pluto was already laughin’ low while Pressure kept tryna talk over everybody like he wasn’t the one gettin’ clowned.
The whole table felt alive with voices overlapin’, and bodies leanin’ into each other.
We stayed like this for a minute, goin’ back and forth, laughin’, talkin’ over each other and sayin’ shit that ain’t even matter. Reni leaned against me at some point, her leg draped over mine and her hand restin’ on my chest while she listened.
To be honest, this was really my vibe—just sittin’ with my people, talkin’ shit, and enjoyin’ the moment while the day moved how it was supposed to.
After a while, we split off to get ready for my mama’s birthday dinner. By the time we came back out, the whole setup had changed into some real smooth shit.
The table was set up crazy, with candles already lit even though the sun had just started goin’ down and more chefs lined up behind us like we was at some five-star restaurant.
Plates came out one after another, from Chilean sea bass to butter-poached king crab, grilled octopus, seared scallops over risotto, oysters on ice and shrimp so big it ain’t even make no damn sense.
Drinks kept comin’, and nobody had to ask for nothin’ ’cause the glasses never stayed empty for long.
The whole time, everybody was laughin’, talkin’, leanin’ into each other and just enjoyin’ the moment without thinkin’ too much about nothin’ outside the table.
I was talkin’ shit like usual, sayin’ whatever came to my damn mind, and every time I did, somebody had somethin’ to say back.
When dinner started windin’ down, the older ones, and y’all know who I’m talkin’ ‘bout, started shiftin’ first.
“We’re going to step away for a bit,” my mama said, standin’.
“Yeah, go do y’all thing,” I said, grinnin’.
She looked at me like she was about to say somethin’, then didn’t.
Instead, she pulled me to the side real smooth with it too, like she wasn’t about to ask me for nothin’, but I already knew.
She looked up at me with a smile and reached up, brushin’ her hand across my chest like she was fixin’ somethin’ that ain’t even need to be fixed.
“My son,” she said soft, tiltin’ her head just a lil’. “My wonderful son…”
I let out a breath and looked down at her. “Ma…”
She smiled like that was exactly what she wanted, then held her hand out just enough for me to see it. “Give your mother some of that.”
I shook my head and looked at her for a second, then reached down in my bag, already knowin’ what she wanted.
“You don’t even smoke like that,” I said, unzippin’ it.
“It is my birthday.”
I pulled out two blunts I already had rolled, ’cause I had a feelin’ she was gon’ beg, and placed them in her hand. “Here, and don’t y’all smoke it all up too fast.”
Her smile widened as she looked down at ’em, then back up at me like she got exactly what she came for.
“I knew you weren’t going to deny your mother today,” she said.
“You been plannin’ this,” I muttered, shakin’ my head.
I laughed under my breath and leaned down, wrapin’ my arms around her.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too, mama. Go finish enjoyin’ your day.”
Me, Pressure and Kay’Lo ended up back on the dock later that night with our women. The music was louder now, we was still drinkin’ with smoke in the air.
Everybody was relaxed, laughin’ and vibin’.
That’s when Pluto pulled out them boards.
“Aww, hell,” Pressure said, already shakin’ his head.
“It’s just a game,” she said.
“Nah, that shit gon’ start arguments,” Pressure said, already knowin’ what type of time it was.
I laughed and leaned back in my chair, lookin’ between him and Kay’Lo. “Man, y’all niggas bet not get one question wrong
Kay’Lo shook his head, reachin’ for one of the boards without sayin’ too much. “Let’s just play the game.”
Pluto smiled to herself while she shuffled through the cards, already enjoyin’ it before we even started.
“Alright,” she said, glancin’ up at us. “Both of y’all answer this.”
That’s when it really got goin’.
Questions started comin’ out one after another while everybody grabbed they boards and markers, writin’ they answers down and flippin’ ’em around once they was done.