Chapter 10 #3
I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.
The closer I got to my apartment, the more excited I got to see my mama back where she belonged.
When I opened the front door, the first thing I heard was Kendra's loud ass mouth.
"I'm telling you, Auntie, that's why your pressure be high now. You don't listen."
"Who asked you?"
"Your doctor."
"My doctor ain't say nothing about no hot sauce."
"He said sodium."
"Hot sauce ain't salt."
I closed the door behind me.
"What the hell is going on?"
Kendra looked over from the kitchen.
"Come get your mama."
My mama was sitting on the couch in her house dress with a blanket across her legs, looking more comfortable than somebody who had just gotten out the hospital had any business looking.
I smiled.
"Hey, Ma."
"Hey, baby. How was work?"
"Good."
I walked over and hugged her.
She hugged me back before immediately pushing me away.
"Alright. You sweaty."
I looked at her.
"You was just in the hospital."
"And I'm clean."
Kendra busted out laughing.
"See why I been ready for you to get home?"
I dropped my purse on the chair.
"Why you still here anyway?"
Kendra looked offended.
"Damn."
"I'm just asking."
"I brought your mama home, picked up her medicine, stopped at the grocery store and made sure she ate."
I looked toward the kitchen.
"You went grocery shopping?"
"A little bit."
"Kendra."
"What?"
"You ain't have to do that."
"Here you go."
She rolled her eyes.
"I bought some chicken, vegetables, fruit, water and some other shit Auntie can eat without trying to send herself back to the hospital."
My mama sucked her teeth.
"Everything in there nasty."
"See?"
Kendra pointed at her.
"This what I been dealing with."
"I told you I wanted some neckbones."
"And I told you hell no."
I laughed and sat down beside my mama.
"You definitely don't need no neckbones."
"Both of y'all get on my nerves."
"Good. That mean we doing our job."
Kendra smiled.
"Exactly."
My mama looked between us.
"I should've stayed at the hospital."
"Want me to take you back?" Kendra asked.
"No."
"That's what I thought."
I laughed.
For a little while, we just sat around talking.
Kendra told me about my mama trying to convince her to stop at a soul food restaurant on the way home.
My mama denied the whole thing.
Then admitted it five minutes later.
It felt good hearing them go back and forth.
Normal.
After the last few days, normal felt real good.
Eventually Kendra stood up and grabbed her purse.
"I'm gone."
"Where you going?" I asked.
"Home."
"You sure?"
"Yes, Nyrobi. Some of us like our own beds."
I gave her a look.
"Since when?"
She pointed at me.
"Don't start."
I laughed.
She leaned down and hugged my mama.
"I'll call you tomorrow, Auntie."
"Okay, baby. Thank you for everything."
"You know I got you."
Then she walked over to me.
"You good?"
"I'm good."
"You need anything?"
"No."
Her eyes stayed on me.
I knew that look.
"Kendra, I'm serious."
"Alright."
She hugged me.
"Call me if you do."
"I will."
"Love you."
"Love you too."
After she left, I locked the door and headed into the kitchen.
She really had stocked us up.
Not a whole refrigerator full of shit, but enough that I didn't have to worry about buying groceries for a few days.
I opened one of the cabinets.
Same thing.
"That girl crazy."
"She love you," my mama called from the living room.
"I know."
"And you better not hurt her feelings trying to be too proud."
I closed the cabinet.
"I said I know."
My phone vibrated on the counter.
I picked it up.
The smile left my face almost immediately.
FINAL NOTICE
I opened the email and read it. Then read it again.
My electric bill was past due and an extra fee for non payment.
I leaned against the counter and looked at the amount.
"$214.63."
"What?" my mama called.
"Nothing."
I quickly locked my phone. I didn't need her worrying about bills the same day she got home from the hospital.
"Nyrobi."
"I'm good, Ma."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
I opened the refrigerator like I had gone into the kitchen looking for something in the first place.
"When you gotta take your medicine again?"
"Eight."
I checked the time.
"Okay."
I grabbed a bottle of water and headed back toward the living room. The bill could wait. I mean not forever but tonight it could, I had a job now. My first check wasn't here yet, but it was coming. That had to count for something.
I sat down beside my mama and handed her the water.
She looked at me.
"What?"
"What was on your phone?"
"Girl, if you don't drink this water."
She stared at me a few seconds longer before taking it.
"Mhmm."
I smiled and reached for the remote.
"What you wanna watch?"
"Anything but that mess you always watch."
"You stay talking about my shows and then be asking me what happened."
"Because you have the TV too loud."
"That don't even make sense."
"It make sense to me."
I laughed and started flipping through channels.
My phone was still sitting on the kitchen counter. And that bill was still sitting in my email. But my mama was home. I had a job to get up and go to tomorrow. My car had made it there and back without overheating. For tonight, that was enough and I wasn’t going to complain.