17. Ream #2
Finally making it into the kitchen the first person I saw was my mom. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. She had a tight look on her face as her deep-dish dimples sunk deep into her cheeks. Her ocean blue eyes were trained on Cease as he talked shit and ate a bowl of cereal.
“I don’t know why your fat ass needs to add sugar to frosted flakes when they already got sugar laced on the top.” My mom shook her head in disbelief as Cease poured more sugar on top and then added more cereal and milk.
“Every time I come over here, I can never just eat in fuckin’ peace! You love standing over me, watching every bite I take!” He fussed with a mouthful of Frosted Flakes. They could bicker all day long.
“Nigga stop bringing your ass over here then for the sake of my fuckin’ kitchen!”
She placed her hand on her wide hips, I held my laughter back, the older they got the more ridiculous their arguments became.
“I wish you two would just shut the fuck up.” Khaos the third person to their tight trio added.
“I ain’t gotta come over here, I only came to check in on pops!
Let me go two weeks without visiting her spoiled ass though, we gone start getting long ass paragraph text messages saying how we don’t care about her and all that other bullshit!
” Cease mocked her and I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer.
Over the years Uncle Cease turned into a big, tall ass teddy bear.
He loved food and couldn’t put the fork or spoon down.
Uncle Khaos was still in shape and stayed serious all the time, hardly ever joking.
My mom and the two of them owned and ran multiple lucrative companies but stayed down each other’s throats.
They never could separate or stop all the arguing.
The only time they were calm and collected is when my dad hung out with them.
My dad was close with Conflict, they had their own companies and ran things more professionally.
My mom placed those doe-shaped blue eyes on me and smiled wide.
Walking behind Cease she slapped the back of his meaty head causing him to curse under his breath.
My mom was chubby and pretty as hell, I swear she was perfect looking.
Her face looked like a doll, at the age of forty-six she looked like she was still in her twenties.
“Why you didn’t announce yourself son?” She stood on her tippy toes as I lowered my tall frame to embrace her tight. Just like my cousin Angel, she stayed in my arms trying to rock me like I was still a kid.
“I like hearing you and unc argue over nothing.” I smiled, it felt good hugging my mom and smelling her scent. She rocked the same fragrance since I was a youngin’.
“Did you go see pops? We weren’t expecting you until the weekend.
What’s wrong? It looks like something is bothering you.
” She stepped out of my arms and stared hard at me, trying to read me.
Nothing was wrong, but if you left things up to my mom, she had gone snooping in my business.
She probably already knew I took a hit and wanted to see if I was going to say something.
If I gave her the okay, my mom would be standing right next to me with her gun secured tight in her hands.
She loved having any and every reason to get her hands dirty.
It gave her a thrill and made her feel like she was back in control.
“Nothing is wrong Ma, just a lil tired.” I gave her a reassuring smile.
“Bosses don’t get tired son.” She stated seriously.
“Cut the bullshit Relli and tell your son how you were worked up cause he took a hit out there overseas.” Cease looked at her as she mean-mugged him and balled her tiny fist. She was put on the spot, and she hated when someone showed her true hand.
“Nigga shut the fuck up!” She gritted. Shaking my head at her, I gave her a serious look.
“Come on Ma, you know better. What did dad tell you about snooping in my business?”
“Nigga you are my business. Now after you sit and talk to pops, I want you to meet me in my office.” She walked out of the kitchen with her head held high.
“That’s your momma.” Khaos and Cease said in union.
“Gone and go see pops, we will be in ya momma’s office.” Cease was the first to stand as he pulled a pack of Skittles out of his jean pocket.
I made my way down the hallway surprised my sister Christina hadn’t popped out yet.
I knew she was somewhere around here getting spoiled.
Whenever I came back home, I wasn’t big bad Ream.
I was looked at as Christian and treated like I was still the baby boy of the house.
At first, I didn’t like the shit, but I couldn’t deny that I loved feeling the love and getting spoiled by my family whenever I did have the time to visit.
My sister Christina basked in it, whenever she came home from school she didn’t stay at a hotel.
She came right back home and got overly spoiled by our dad.
I opened the door slowly to my grandfather’s room and was hit with the same smell you got from being at the hospital.
The room my parents put him into was big, on the inside he had everything he needed as if he was in an actual hospital.
Right now, he was currently hooked up to an oxygen machine.
His tall body lay sunken in the special hospital bed, I was sure because of his height my parents had to get his bed specially made.
The closer I got the more I saw how skinny he had become.
His hands were folded over his stomach like he was already in a casket.
My stomach churned at the thought of really losing him.
“Pops,” I said above a whisper. His eyes opened and when he saw me, he looked confused for a while until my face registered.
To see such a powerful man, die slowly in front of your eyes was very painful.
“Sorry, it took me so long, to get over here.” I half smiled, he unfolded his hands and held his frail right hand out.
I gave him my hand and he gripped it tight.
“Grandson, you looking good.” His thick Jamaican raspy accent couldn’t be missed. After years of living here in the states, he never let go of his culture and the way he spoke.
“I’m tired of fighting son. I want to be free of all this.” He pulled his oxygen mask off so I could hear him clearly. Coughing a little and struggling to move, I grabbed his cup of water and placed it to his mouth.
“Ma said you not eating very well.” I looked him over again, forcing myself to remain strong. I could feel myself getting emotional, but I swallowed that shit down and tried to stand tall in front of him.
“Your Ma is very bossy.” He tittered and coughed a little more.
I took a seat and held his hand again as we talked a little more and laughed at some of the things, I had told him.
I even brought up Reaper and told him how hardcore she was.
I explained how she kept pulling at something inside of me.
Before he fell asleep, he smiled and told me to marry her, that she was the woman for me.
I shook that off and watched him sleep a little while longer.
I was afraid of commitment, a woman like Reaper would be a lot of work and cause plenty of headaches.
Somewhere deep inside of me was starting to believe that I could take on that challenge.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her as I sat here with my grandfather.
I wondered if she was feeling better and back to her normal self.
I placed the oxygen mask back over my pops and covered him up since my mom had the AC on full blast. I spent the rest of my evening in my momma’s office as she filled me in on shit I should have already known within my dynasty.
She dropped a couple of bombs on me and after this weekend, I planned on going into beast mode.