Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The sound of water streaming through the Appomattox River served as a serene backdrop to the chatter amongst patrons of the Boathouse Restaurant in Hopewell, VA.
Couples and groups of friends enjoyed spectacular seafood and pungent cocktails amongst the scenery of the setting sun.
The place was abuzz with chatter, making the awkward silence at the table deafening.
Kas sat across from Maya, studying her face as she sipped her Lemon Drop.
The day after Nouri gave him Maya’s number, he’d hit her up.
Maya was overjoyed he’d reached out, and they set to meet that evening for drinks.
Now, they both sat focusing on their drinks, neither of them knowing how to start the conversation.
“Alright, one of us gone have to say something,” Kas said.
“Sorry.” Maya laughed. “I’m just really trying to settle in on the fact that I’m a big sister.”
“Yea, I mean… I always been the lil’ brother, but I’ve never imagined having a sister.”
“Crazy, right? Uh…” Maya took another sip of her drink before she started her disclosure. “I just want you to know how pissed I am at our dad.”
“Yea, that’s nothing new over here. Been pissed at Nouri all my life.”
“I hate that. You know, I asked him about y’all.”
“Yea? I thought you didn’t know about us.”
“I didn’t but… when Onyx released his very first song and was gaining popularity, I read about him.
I was like… 22 or so, modeling in Atlanta, and I read one of his interviews.
In the interview, it said his name was Onyx Zaman.
The only Zaman I’d ever known was daddy, so I asked him.
He basically told me Zaman was a common Persian last name.
There was this look in his eyes, like he wanted to say more. He never did, so I left it alone.”
Maya hoped she wasn’t adding salt to the wound by telling Kas their father was basically denying him and Onyx.
“Then through my sister-in-law, I met Kalil. Again, when I learned his last name was Zaman, I was curious because he’s from Baltimore, and I knew for sure our father had family in Baltimore; I just never met them.
I asked him about Kalil, and he basically told me the same thing… the last name was a coincidence.”
“Damn… at least me and Nyx weren’t the only family members he denied.”
“Please don’t take it that way, and trust me, I’m not making excuses for him because, like I said, I’m pissed as hell. But I think he just didn’t know how to tell me. After twenty-something years, I could imagine it being hard explaining to your daughter that you had two other kids.”
“Yea, that’s us… the other kids.”
“Kas, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sure to you guys, I’m the other kid too.”
“Nah, to us, you’re the kid who mattered. The one he was there for, took care of.” Kas felt bad as tears prickled Maya’s eyes. He didn’t mean to be harsh, especially not to her, because she had no fault in the situation. “My fault, I didn’t mean to come off at you like that.”
“No, it’s okay.” Maya grabbed a napkin and dabbed tears from her face. “You have a right to be angry. I’m angry too because I could’ve known you guys all this time. I hated being an only child and knowing I had not one but two brothers… it would’ve been amazing having you two in my life.”
“Well, we’re here now, right?”
“Right.” Maya nodded. “But Onyx… he’s not really felling me, huh?”
“Nyx, man… he’s complicated, but don’t take it personal.
The situation with Nouri is a sensitive topic for him.
He likes to act like its fuck Nouri, but I remember how badly my brother wanted a father when we were little.
Then we grew up, and Onyx feels like we don’t need the nigga no more.
He worked his ass off to make sure me and our mumma never have to want for anything.
But our brother… he’s a tender ass nigga.
” Maya laughed loudly at that. “He won’t admit it, but he wants Nouri’s love.
His ass is just too stubborn to be receptive to it now. ”
“And me?”
“You just give him some time. He’s very family-oriented, so he won’t let too much time pass without knowing you. He’s just being stubborn as fuck right now.”
“He can take all the time he needs. I’ll be here when he’s ready. I’m just thankful you’re giving me a chance.”
“Me too, witcho’ Onyx looking ass. You just a female version of him.”
“Me? You look exactly like him, just lighter. I told daddy that too, he excused it as dark skinned Persians looking alike.” She giggled.
“Nigga colorist as fuck.”
Kas and Maya shared a laugh, and the awkward silence between them disappeared. They ended up ordering appetizers, and soon they were chatting and chuckling like they’d known each other for years. Kas really wished Onyx was there because he knew his brother would love Maya.
“Next time you’ll have to come by the house to chill with my husband. I think you and Logan would get along well.”
“I’m looking forward to it. His sister is the one Kalil is obsessed with, right?”
“Yea.” Maya chortled. “The whole story surrounding her, Kalil and how he became an unofficial part of our family is a crazy one. Her husband fucking hates Kalil, but he’s cool to the rest of us. Knowing he’s my cousin now makes me wonder how the dynamic will change.”
“That nigga ain’t even worried about y’all. All he cares about is whether or not us being related means him and Londyn are too.”
“Oh, my goodness! As if he had a chance anyway, Londyn and her husband are so in love they practically breathe for each other. And yea, technically they’re related through marriage or whatever, so he has to get over it.”
“Yea, we got to find that nigga a girlfriend or something.”
Maya and Kas continued to chat while enjoying their food and drinks. Once they started the conversation between them flowed effortlessly, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.
“Well, that’s my husband blowing me up. I know he’s probably wondering what’s taking me so long,” Maya informed, checking her phone.
“Oh shit, well I ain’t gone hold you.” Kas already paid the check, and the table had been cleared. “I definitely want to do this again though. I’mma keep trying to work on our brother and just let me know when you want me to come over and kick it with yo husband.”
“Of course.”
Kas and Maya hugged once again, promising to get together soon before heading their separate ways. Pedal to the floor, he did 90 all the way to the county. Meeting Maya felt good, and he now wanted nothing more than to make up with his brother.
Kas released a deep breath as he stood at Onyx and Troi’s front door, waiting for one of them to open it. He didn’t want to use his code because he was unsure whether Onyx wanted him to. Seconds later, the door opened, and Kas was pleased to see his brother standing on the other side.
“What you want?” Onyx questioned, still attempting to be mad.
Mustering the saddest visage possible, Kas lifted his head and spoke. “I just stopped by to see if you still hated me.”
“Hate you? I’m pissed as fuck at you, but it ain’t shit in this world that could make me hate you. Fuck is you talking ‘bout?”
“How come you wouldn’t come to the phone for me then, Nyx?”
“I just told yo ass, it’s because you pissed me off! I didn’t want to talk to you after you brought yo’ hoe ass daddy to my house.”
Kas released a sigh. “Nyx, I didn’t think—”
“And that’s the problem, yo ass didn’t think. Yo mumma damn sure ain’t thinking and I don’t have shit to say to her, but you, don’t ever say no shit like I hate you… you hear me, boy?”
“I hear you.” Kas smiled lazily, his brother’s words the best thing he’d heard all day.
“Me and you, us never part, Makidada. Me and you, us have one heart, Makidada.” He reenacted a scene from The Color Purple.
The same goofy trait expanded throughout their bloodline, so Onyx joined in with the hand movements but stopped after a few seconds.
“What the hell is wrong with yo ass?” Onyx laughed.
“I was trying to be sentimental and shit, but fuck it.”
“Bruh, come in the damn house.” Kas followed Onyx into his living room, plopping right next to him on the large sectional. “Where the hell you just coming from?”
“If I tell you, are you gone put me out?”
“Nah, man.”
“I was having lunch with our sister.”
“Who?”
“Mike Jones. Nigga, you heard me. Don’t act like that toward her, she’s cool as hell, and she really wants to know you.”
“And?”
“And nigga we got a sister.”
“I got a brother, that’s it. I don’t know shit about no fucking sister.”
Kas hated his brother was being so stubborn.
Even if he chose not to let his father in, he felt Maya was an innocent party in the situation, and he wanted to get to know her.
Onyx was not only his brother but his best friend.
He loved no one more than him so it wasn’t like he needed another sibling.
However, Onyx had been the one to always tell Kas how important family was.
We all we got is how Onyx would explain it to him.
That ideology didn’t seem to make sense if it meant picking and choosing what family you wanted to deal with.
“You being real ignorant right now, Nyx. Nouri’s fuck up has nothing to do with Maya. She questioned him about you when you first came out then again when she met Kalil.”
“What he tell her?”
“Some shit about all dark skin Persians looking the same and the last name being a coincidence.”
“Colorist ass muh’fucka.”
“That’s the same shit I said.”
“Figures he’d deny us though. He didn’t even have a reason to deny Kalil, and he still did. That just goes to show how fucked up he is.”
“Yea.” Kas answered simply. He wanted to tell Onyx that Nouri wasn’t as bad as he seemed, but that would mean letting his brother know he’d visited their father. He wasn’t ready to do that.
“Anyway nigga. What the fuck was you thinking about with Zahra?”