32. Corinthians
Corinthians
“Mama!” Judah yelled as he ran through the living room into the kitchen. His hair was all over his head, no shirt on, ball shorts and tall socks. His headset covered one ear, and his face was twisted. I knew that look. He was upset, more than likely with Krude. “Mama!”
“Yeah?” I answered him, trying not to laugh. I leaned against the island, resting my elbows on top of it, waiting.
“Krude is cheating!” he set his controller on the island and crossed his arms. I knew it. That look always meant he was dealing with Krude. “You said he wouldn’t cheat.”
“No, I didn’t,” I laughed and shook my head. “I said if Krude isn’t going to do anything else, he’s going to cheat.”
Judah looked at me like I'd grown two heads and spoken seven different languages all at once. “I have no idea what that even means.”
“It means you need to stop gambling with him,” I told him, and Judah’s shoulders dropped in disappointment. “Why do you keep playing with him knowing that he cheats?”
“Because I refuse to lose. Krude said the only time you give up is when your woman has you pinned against the wall with your head spinning,” he answered.
Genesis DeCorte and his unneeded advice.
“Judah, please stop talking to Krude,” I groaned. I picked up my phone from beside me and pulled up the family group chat.
“Stop talking to him?” he asked, and I nodded. “Why would I do that? He’s my best friend.”
I looked up from my phone to see him with a confused expression. “He also cheats at the game,” I reminded him. “Which is the reason you’re in here upset.”
Me: Genesis DeCorte!
Krude: Whatever it is, Judge did it.
Me: What did you tell my son about giving up?
Judge: He’s lying.
Krude: Nigga, I know you not on this thread saying cuss words like my Best Friend ain’t on here.
Judge: I didn’t cuss.
Krude: You said the L word! You know in black households that’s a cuss word. You supposed to say, ‘telling a story’.
Judge: Krude, get the hell off my phone.
Krude: Nigga I did not text you!
I rolled my eyes at their exchange. Krude and Judge would go back and forth all day if someone didn’t tell them to shut up. And the only people they listened to were our grandparents.
Me: Granddaddy!
Granddaddy: Krude, what did you tell Judah?
Krude: Oh, that the only time he’s supposed to give up is when his woman has him pinned against the wall, and his head was spinning. The same thing you told me.
Granddaddy: You were a grown man when I told you that!
Krude: It was sound advice!
Exodus: Nigga!
Judge: Madea really should’ve beat you more as a child.
Mercy: Hey now don’t start with my brother-cousin.
Krude: Thank you, sister-cousin. I hope you dunk on somebody in your next game.
Cross: Y’all really have to stop calling each other that. It sounds like y’all parents were kissing cousins.
Krude: Doing things that would have them in jail anywhere but the Deep South. ??
Madea: Genesis!
Granddaddy: You really get that shit from your mama side for real.
Krude: Madea, I know you are not acting like you innocent. Didn’t I see that lube and handcuffs in your drawer at Judah’s birthday party? OG, y’all nasty.
I dropped the phone back on the counter and rested my forehead against it.
“Are you going to help me or not?”
“Or not,” I answered him, shaking my head. “I refuse to support your habit.” I didn’t lift my head, but I knew my son well enough to know that that answer wouldn’t do.
“I’m calling Madea,” he declared. “She will help me.”
“My grandma is going to tell you the same thing.” I lifted my head in time to see him picking up my phone.
He dialed her number, then put the phone on speaker.
“I don’t know why that boy acts that way. I think your granddaddy dropped him a little too many times when he was a baby,” Madea answered.
“He said you were the one who dropped him,” I told her, laughing.
“I probably did,” she replied. “Ain’t no telling which time he was dropped that did the trick though.”
“Madea,” Judah said. “Krude is cheating.”
“I know, baby,” Madea told him. “I’ma beat his ass like I should’ve did when he was younger.”
“You want to borrow my belt?” he asked, and I laughed as I walked away from the island. “I got a new one the other day. I can bring it over to your house when we come over later for dinner.”
“Yeah baby, bring it,” she laughed. “Until then, stop playing that game with him. He is on punishment.”
“But Madea, I’m in the hole,” he said, shaking his head. I went back to cleaning the kitchen as they talked.
“By how much, Judah?” she asked before I could. Krude bet the boys like they were grown men.
“Like three hundred dollars!” he told her. “He cheated on the last two games. I don’t know how he does it.”
“Oh hell,” she sighed. “Judah, stop playing that game with that man. I will handle the debt.”
“No, ma’am, you can't do that,” Judah said, shaking his head. His face was twisted as if Madea had told him something he didn’t approve of. “A man can't ever have a woman pay his debt. That’s not how it goes. I’m a man Madea. You can't pay what I owe.”
“Who told you that?” I asked him.
Judah looked up from the phone to me. “Krude,” he answered. “He said a grown man handles all money situations. He’s the head of the house, and a woman is the heart; she’s supposed to spend it, live a soft life, and be happy.”
“How is that man so childish but so damn smart?” I mumbled, shaking my head. “Judah, baby, don’t worry about it. Madea won't take care of the debt. But we will sit down and talk to Krude together.”
“You sure?” he asked, and I nodded. “Alright. I’m going back to play until it’s time to go.” He handed me the phone and walked out of the kitchen.
“Okay,” I replied. I picked up the phone. “Madea?”
“Yes?” she replied.
“What time do you want us to be at the house?” I asked her. I wanted to work out for a little while before getting ready, if I could.
“Show up when you want to, baby; everybody staggering in when they feel like it,” she answered.
“Alright, we will be there a little later.” I ended the call with Madea then went to my bedroom. On the way there, I stopped by Judah’s room to see him sitting at his desk playing his game. “Judah?”
“Yes, ma’am?” he replied without turning around.
“Be ready to go in two hours, okay?”
“Yes ma’am.”
I left his room, went to mine, changed my clothes, and went to the basement. I had a full gym down there. I put on my headphones, turned on the TV mounted on the wall that showed my security feed, then started running on my treadmill. I ran, listened to music, and watched the cameras.
***
“Mama, who’s all here?” Judah asked as we got out of the car.
He closed his door, and I looked around, trying to place the cars that I knew.
I was coming up blank on a few cars, but that didn’t mean anything.
Madea, more than Granddaddy, tended to invite people over and never tell anyone else.
It drove Granddaddy crazy, but he never said anything, especially since it wouldn’t matter; she would do it anyway.
Madea always said she invited people into her home like she did her heart.
“Probably a little bit of everyone,” I answered. We walked to the front door, and Judah stopped just as he put his hand on the handle.
He looked back at me and lifted his brow. “Is it okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, baby, other people are here,” I laughed.
He turned the handle, and we went inside.
Over the years, Madea and Granddaddy renovated and expanded their house to accommodate our growing family.
We offered to buy them a new one, but they declined, saying it was their home, full of memories, and they weren’t leaving.
I kicked off my shoes while Judah took off towards the back, looking for one of my cousins. It felt good seeing my son have the same relationship with my family that I did.
“Your dress is cute,” I told Bug as I approached her.
I tugged on the hem of her dress and laughed when she pushed my hand away.
She was on the phone, so I wasn’t loud. “I’m not going to take it.
” She winked at me. “Where’s everybody else?
” She pointed to the living room, and I nodded. “Find me later?”
Psalms' brows damn near touched, and she held up her finger. “Give me a moment,” she said and moved the phone from her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I answered. “I just wanted to run something by you and wanted your opinion.”
“You sure?” she asked. I nodded. “Okay.” She watched me briefly before nodding her head and putting the phone back to her ear.
I patted her shoulder as I passed her and went to the living room. Krude was sitting on the couch, arms folded, with a mug on his face. He looked up at me, stuck out his tongue, then turned his attention back to the TV.
“Don’t say a word to him,” Cross said, sticking her head out of the kitchen. “Madea put him on punishment.”
Krude turned from the TV, flipped her off, then turned back to the TV. Cross laughed and waved for me to follow her.
“What did he do?” I asked her.
“Said he wasn’t going to stop betting kids,” she answered, then sat in a chair at the table.
“I told her I was going to beat his ass and have Nine freeze all his accounts again, and Krude didn’t care.
Madea stepped in and told him to sit his boney ass on the couch and stay there until he’s ready to grow up and act like an adult.
She told us that if we didn’t listen to her, we could join him. ”
“She plans on him growing old and dying on that couch?” I shook my head and sat across from her.
“She said that she had all the time in the world,” Cross replied with a laugh. “I give it until it's time to eat before he breaks and says he won't bet them again.”
“He won't,” I said, shaking my head. “He is a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one. He likes betting with kids just as much as they like it. They only get mad when they lose. That’s why I don’t pay them too much mind.
I check Judah’s little account all the time.
He has more money coming in than he ever has going out. ”