Chapter 5
Tafari
Some Time Later
Where You Going With It . . .
“Boy, no! We ga have to find you a lil one, Troy. These chicks outcha wild,” I said to my cousin through my laughter.
It was Sunday. I was at my restaurant with my father, uncle, cousins, and Vince. This was a usual Sunday thing for us. It was our decompression from the last week and the good vibes to start the beginning of the next week. Drinks, food, and vibes . . . that was what it was all about.
Troy had just told us about a date he went on last night. My cousin, Jordan’s younger brother, wanted to be in a relationship, but he hadn’t had much luck. I’ve told him that I thought he looked in the wrong circle for a woman. This nigga expected to find love in clubs.
Troy shook his head. “At this point, I just ga let one of y’all lil ones hook me up.
I can’t deal wit’ these Easter egg head ass girls anymo’.
You ask dem a question, dey open dey mout’ and all the jellybeans fall out.
I hate fuckin’ jellybeans. Dey over sweet and hurt ya stomach jus’ like des fake ass females outcha. ”
There was a break of silence before we all chortled. My dad leaned forward on the table. “Nephew, Easter egg head doe?”
“Yeah, man. You gotta find their asses like you’re on a hunt. When you find dem and open ’em up, you always disappointed. Shit, I jus’ want da golden egg like y’all niggas.” Troy sounded so discouraged. That was tough.
I patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Cuzzo. You ga find ya one. I was where you are befo’ Pril walked in here fa Jordan and Nicole’s engagement party.”
Vince’s glass tapped the counter. “What you doing with that, Man Man?” When I glanced at him with confusion, he elaborated. “You ga marry Pril, or dis just some lil play shit?”
My face drew back. “Da hell you mean is des some lil play shit? Boy, don’t fuckin’ play wit’ me.
Pril Jasmine Blinds is gonna be my wife.
” I reached in the pocket of my cargo pants and pulled out a small box, then placed it on the counter.
“Dat shit ga happen sooner den later. I got one conversation ta have first befo’ I ask her. ”
My daddy was the first one to grab the box to open it.
He stared at the rings for a beat before his head lifted and his eyes focused on me.
His eyes were soft as he chuckled, then said, “I hustled hard ta get dis engagement ring fa ya mama. When I asked her, I promised her on dis ring and God dat I would give her da fucking world. I busted my ass ta make sure I could do dat fa you and ya mama. Boy, you betta stand on dat same promise dat I put on dis ring.”
He passed the ring to my uncle, then it was passed along to the next person.
When I told my mama that I was going to ask Pril to marry me, I felt like she was more excited than Pril would be when I asked her.
I never imagined in a million years that my mama would give me the same ring that my daddy proposed to her with.
When my daddy originally gave the ring to my mama, all of the stones were cubic zirconia.
Over the years of their marriage, he switched out the stones for real ones until all of them eventually were diamonds.
He presented the ring to her again before their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, and they had a vow renewal for that anniversary.
With confidence in my eyes and certainty in my tone, I responded to my daddy. “I promise you, Daddy. I’ma give her everything she want and da stuff she didn’t know she needed.”
A Few Days Later
Momma, May I . . .
I had never been so nervous. When I asked Miss Meriland to dinner, she didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. A part of me thought that she knew what it was about from the jump.
California Dreaming was her favorite restaurant, so that was where I took her.
Pril’s mother was the only parental figure that she had.
From what my baby told me, her father was a deadbeat ass nigga who wasn’t about shit.
I never understood deadbeat ass fathers.
I grew up around men that took care of their children.
If you were a deadbeat, then you couldn’t be around me and mine. I didn’t mix with fuck niggas.
“So, are you going to tell me the reason you asked me to dinner? I know it wasn’t to have aimless conversation,” Miss Meriland said after she put her fork on her plate. We’d already eaten our main course.
I placed my fork down on my plate then cleared my throat. “Yeah, yeah. Um, I invited you to dinner so that I could ask you a very important question.”
I took the ring box out of my pocket and set it on the table.
Before I could say another word, she grabbed the box from the middle of the table.
Her eyes glistened when she opened the box.
In a mumble she said, “my baby, my baby, my baby.” A tear fell when she looked at me. “So, you wanna marry my baby girl?”
I nodded, then responded. “I do very much. Miss Meriland, I love her so much. I can’t imagine my life witout her. If I could, I would live in ha skin.”
She smiled. “You know when my daughter brought Derrick to meet me, I knew he wasn’t the one for her.
You could see it in his eyes, you know? As a mother, you want the best for your child.
Sometimes, no matter how much you want the best for your child, they are going to do whatever they want to do.
When I met you, it was different. I knew you were a good man, but I didn’t know yet if you were the one for her.
“It wasn’t until her soft ass came crying to me about what happened at your house with her period.
The way you reacted based on what she told me let me know that you had the capacity to be the man that she needed.
I’ve watched you with her, and I know that you are who God has for her.
I would be proud to have you as my son-in-law,” she said with a smile.
My heart was full. “Thank you, Mama Meriland. I love you. I promise ta keep Pril happy, protected, loved, and fulfilled.”
I meant that shit with my whole heart. There was nothing or anyone that could pull me up off Pril. We were stuck like Chuck.
A Very Short Time Later
I Don’t Play About Her . . .
The day was here! The annual spades tournament that my restaurant hosted. It was a big fucking deal with 20 percent of each pot going to charity. This was the sixth year, and we’d outgrown having it at my restaurant, so now we rented a venue.
We had two DJs, one for inside and out. My restaurant wasn’t the only one that catered for this event.
There was a food truck lane circle that was in the parking lot.
Trucks that wanted to participate paid a three hundred dollar park fee.
This year we had twelve food trucks which was the most that we ever had.
This event brought out the city and their money. That was the reason we had top notch security. We’d never had a problem, especially with Washington-Smith Brokerage Firm and Club Lit as sponsors. Niggas weren’t crazy enough to fuck with a Washington, Christianson, or Smith. That was suicide.
All of the money from the pots was secured and guarded. Most of the funds were electronic though. I loved this event, and this year, I loved it more. This year my lil one was on my arm.
Jordan and I were always partners on the table. Last week my baby asked me if she could play with me. I told her ass no initially, but pussy is the devil’s tool in the wrong situations.
We got in here, and I let her play two games with me.
That was all the games I needed to know her ass needed to get the hell off the table.
Pril’s ass reneged, cut me when she shouldn’t have, and under or overbid like her ass was a pro.
After the last game, her ass gracefully bowed out when she saw my tight ass jaw.
She made it all better in the car a little later, but still. I appreciated my blacked-out SUV.
“Man, when Pril cut your Ace of spades with the big joker, I thought you were going to pick her up and toss her across the room, Cuzzo. I bet you learned not to let her ass play with you again,” Jordan said with a titter.
I took the shot that sat in front of me. “Man, she can’t even look at cards ’round me. I might get triggered.”
Vince chortled. “You can teach her. Shit, you taught dis lil nigga.”
He pointed at Jordan. He was right, I did. “Man, dat was when we was lil jits, not grown ass men. Yeah, I could teach her, but she made it seem like her ass knew how ta play.”
Arms wrapped around my waist, then lips kissed my ear. “Baby, are you still mad at me? I said I was sorry. I thought I knew how to play because, um, Derrick taught me.”
I turned my head and connected our eyes.
“Damn, dat nigga really ain’t shit. How you teach someone how ta play spades fucked up?
” I turned my body on the bar stool to face her, then made room for her to stand between my legs.
I pulled her into me by her ass. “Good thing you got a good nigga now. I’ll teach you. ”
“Aye, Cuzzo, you ready ta get back on da table? We up.” Jordan stood from his seat and waited for my response.
I took the time to kiss Pril’s lips while my hands firmly gripped her ass. “You gonna watch ya man on da table? Let em show you how ta play da right way.”
She rolled her eyes, then giggled. “Yes, I will let my man show me how to play.” She leaned in and put her lips near my ear. “Maybe you can teach me in a special way at my house. For every mistake I make, it can be a suck.”
My head bucked back. “Oh, dats how we ga do it? Hell yeah, we ca’ have a teach and suck lesson at da house. Let me and Jordan beat whoeva des niggas is on da table.”