Chapter 12 #7
Tulscan, the last brother, appeared. Tunan turned and hugged him, whispering something in his ear.
Behind them was another full-figured woman.
She was pretty as fuck and stylish as ever.
I loved her ripped jorts and button-down top that she had tied underneath her breasts.
She finished her look with some Retro Jordans and plenty of jewelry.
Her being iced out reminded me of Mocha and Scarlett.
Lorenzo and Matteo kept them in nothing but the heaviest, brightest jewelry.
Both men turned their eyes to me, and when a slow grin spread across Tulscan’s face—who, like the rest of his siblings, was a clone—he slapped his brother’s hand again. “Don’t play with dat boy! He not one of dem. I see ya, baby!”
“Y’all do too much.” The woman walked past them, but not before giving Tunan a hug. “Glowwww! It’s nice to meet you, girl! I’m Kassie, Tulscan’s wife.”
We hugged, and she smelled as good as she looked. “You pretty online, but you pretty pretty in person, Miss Glow. You look cute, too, in this fit.”
“Don’t she?” Mama Payne orated.
The two ladies hugged, and Kassie handed her a jewelry box, making me roll my eyes again at Tunan.
I didn't like showing up at places empty-handed if it was a special occasion for the gathering.
It was tacky, and under normal circumstances, I would never do that.
I was going to see if I could order something and have it delivered today, even if it was only flowers from Publix.
Wait, do Memphis even have a Publix?
“You good in here?” Tunan had the nerve to ask, like I would say if I weren’t.
“Boy, bye! We not gonna hurt her. Y’all got five minutes on dem dice before I break dat shit up anyway,” Mama Payne expressed.
“Aite! Come yo’ slick ass on, Tune. Happy birthday, Mama!” Tulscan winked at his wife and then tossed me a head nod.
“Sooo. You and Tunan? I’ma be honest… I been hounding him since I saw him on your live some weeks ago. He was acting stingy with you. I recorded the whole thing and sent it around the family,” Kassie revealed.
“Sure did. We been telling him to bring you around, but Tunan is Tunan. I was beginning to think he crashed your live!” Mama Payne revealed, and we all chuckled.
If she only knew how close to the truth she was. Tunan hadn’t crashed my life or my live, but he’d crashed my date, being sent as a replacement for Shio. That counted as the same thing as crashing to me.
Wails had all of us halting in conversation. Mama Payne began removing her apron, but Kassie placed her hand on her forearm. “I got it. I haven’t seen my babies in forever.” She then faced me. “I’ll be back. I’m for sure about to get on your nerves all weekend, I hope?” Her brow rose.
“Not the weekend. All night and a little bit tomorrow; I fly back home in the afternoon.”
“Good enough for me!” She cheesed and excused herself from the kitchen, leaving me with Tunan’s mother.
I’d never met a man’s family before. Either I had been the side bitch in my last situationships, unbeknownst to me, or men didn’t deem me worthy to meet their mothers.
So being in the room alone with the woman who gave Tunan life had the back of my neck heating.
I was in uncharted waters. I watched as Mama Payne began removing foil from the pans.
Decided to offer some help, I went to the farmhouse sink, used the hand soap that smelled like lemon pound cake, and washed my hands.
Once they were dry, I turned to her and asked, “What can I help you with?”
Most women didn’t like others in their kitchen, but since Mama Payne hadn’t shooed anyone away, I figured I’d help out in any way that I could. I also wanted to see the food before it was touched. It smelled so good, so I could only assume it looked good as well.
“Now, I’ve watched enough of your videos to piece together dat you don’t cook. Am I right?”
“I don’t cook, but that doesn’t mean I can’t. I can cook enough to survive, but I’m eating out most of the time, so not much time to practice.”
Mama Payne lowered her head as if she were looking over invisible glasses. “And you still keep that little figure with da way you eat? You must have God and genetics on your side because even a solid fitness routine wouldn’t have you lookin’ that pretty with all that processed food you consume.”
Gathering all of the saliva that seemed to flood my mouth, I swallowed hard. I could feel myself wringing my fingers as I looked away from Mama Payne.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s fine. Sometimes I just feel a bit insecure with all of the food I eat,” I admitted.
“Oh, girl! You’re good. I love a woman who can eat, and so do my sons. You see me and Kassie. The rest of dem are always sniffin’ after something thick too. But ain’t nuttin’ wrong with being slim either. One day, I’m gonna get my life together and stick to a meal plan or somethin’.”
“You look good. You don’t need a meal plan.”
“Tell dat to my doctor.” She chuckled. “Everything is done. If you could help me take the foil and stir up the sides so dat they don’t stick, dat would be appreciated. Grab an apron, though. I don’t want you gettin' dirty.”
I almost opted out of wearing an apron, but remembered I was in white, so I tied one around my waist and got to work. By the time I had the third foil covering removed, I’d surmised that Mama Payne should have been a chef. Her food looked amazing, and I’d only gotten to the sides.
“My mama taught me how to cook greens when I was no more than eight, and I’ve been making dem the same way ever since,” Mama Payne boasted as I stirred the greens with the pronged spoon.
The steam slapped me in the face, and the extra meat tangled in between had my mouth watering. I wasn’t going to stuff my face, but I was definitely adding some to my plate. Smiling her way, I spoke the truth. “They look and smell good.”
She’d begun icing the cake since it had cooled down. With her eyes on the glass platter that housed the cake in front of her, I watched as she spread the white butter cream evenly across the top layer.
“I started havin’ children young. I don’t know why, but I did.
I guess it was out of boredom or curiosity.
Either way, when I started, I didn’t stop.
Every man dat blinked at me, I was spreadin’ my legs.
Nine months later, I was poppin’ out a baby for him just for him to pop outta the way.
” She shook her head, black curls bouncing.
“I have six children, Glow, and all six of dem have different fathers. I used to be so ashamed. Then, when the fathers didn’t want anything to do with dem, I zoned out.
Workin’ and havin’ six mouths to feed, six personalities to deal with, and a small two-bedroom house to raise them in…
Girl, it nearly drove me crazy. It did drive me crazy. ”
Mama Payne dipped the spatula back into the Betty Crocker container, scraped it, and continued icing the cake.
“My boys take good care of me. They had this house, the one I raised them in, torn down and rebuilt. They even bought many of the homes on the block, doin’ the same thing. They make sure I have everything I need and some, but I know they resent me for how things happened.”
My eyes felt like sand had been poured into them, and I needed eyedrops to lubricate them again.
I didn’t know what type of conversation Tunan’s mother and I would have when I realized I was meeting her today, but this one wasn’t it.
I didn’t know we were going heavy with our first chat, and while I wasn’t uncomfortable, I wasn’t sure how much to say regarding Tunan and me.
I expected her to ask about my intentions regarding her son, and I knew I couldn’t say I was thinking about marrying him just to be included more in my friend group.
Thinking it alone sounded extremely immature, and I scolded myself because no mother wanted to hear that her son was being used.
Although Tunan was the one who offered the marriage to me, I knew our reasons for possibly getting married were not solid.
I flipped the greens over in the pan, moved on to the next pan that was cabbage, and waited for her to continue.
“My daughter… I owe her everything, and I still don’t know how to repay her.
She gave up her life, her youth, to raise her brothers.
She sacrificed more than I ever have. They have been tryna move me out of the hood, and each time, I give dem an excuse.
I don’t deserve their gratitude. I was a horrible mother.
I let my daughter raise kids dat I laid on my back and made, and I have to live with dat forever.
” She put the spatula down and faced me.
“I’m not the kind of mother who hands out demands and expectations when it comes to my children.
Tulscan got it right with Kassie. Tuscany got it right with Baguette.
The others, I don’t really know what to say ’bout dem, but I'm praying for ’em.
Tunan, though… he thought he had it right with his last woman.
I met her once and didn’t say more than hello ’cause I knew.
I wanted to tell him she wasn’t right, but I felt I didn’t have the right.
I hadn't even raised him. I let men change me, Glow. I fell for one man after another, thinkin’ a baby would be the reason dey ran off into the sunset with me.
But when the baby arrived, they left, and in a way… I detached myself from the baby too.
“I like you. But I’m gonna tell you sum’n I wish a woman had told me… Don’t let him have his way with you. Sexually, mentally, and emotionally. Don’t let him have his way unless he sees a real future with you.