Chapter 27 #3
“I’m glad you’re admitting that you asking me to help with bills that you pay in your sleep was a way for you to force me into doing what you wanted,” Lourdes grumbled.
I could tell this topic was a sore spot for her and I felt where she was coming from.
Lucia lived in an upper middle class Westbank neighborhood in a spacious four bedroom house, she drove a 2024 BMW, she always had a nice, designer bag on her shoulder, she spent her off days outside, and she traveled a lot.
She was living a good life and she didn’t need anybody to help her pay bills, so asking her own child to do so was fucked up.
Lucia may have been a way better parent than my mama, but she’d evidently had her shortcomings, too.
At least she was owning up to them, though. Some parents didn’t even do that much.
“Okay, girl, I said I was wrong. Now stop putting our business on front street,” she snapped.
“But you can tell my Granny’s business?” Lourdes laughed.
“Oh, please,” she snarled. “I was telling my own business and my mama just so happened to be involved.”
“And I was doing the same thing.”
“Alright, smart ass.”
“Takes one to know one.”
“Man, y’all chill. We’re all family, so there’s no such thing as sharing too much,” I chuckled.
“Right, this is a judgment free zone. I had no idea you were a PA, though. I was thinking about going that route,” Aneesah said to Ms. Lucia.
“You definitely should. It’s a long road, but you’ll be rewarded tremendously when you reach the end of it. Have you picked a major for undergrad?”
While they talked about school, me, Aspen, and Lourdes changed the subject to Mardi Gras.
“I’m so glad the Diamonds don’t have to march on Mardi Gras day,” Aspen said.
“You don’t wanna march in Zulu, sis?” Lourdes tittered, as she took pictures of Milan’s hair that she just finished.
She had braided the front up into two ponytails while the back was hanging free in braids.
I didn’t know how she did that shit in one hour, but they didn’t call her the best at what she did for no reason.
“Hell no! I don’t know anybody in their right mind who wants to march in Zulu. I’m glad the band is only doing that parade because I’m going to be outside having the time of my life.”
“I don’t blame you, sis,” I chuckled. “Zulu too damn long. As a spectator it’s nice, but I definitely wouldn’t want to march for that long.”
“Right?! It’s bad enough we’re doing Endymion and Bacchus. I try not to complain because I did sign up for this, but parade season is brutal. Give me the stands and field shows at football games and battles any day of the week.”
“Well I can’t wait to see you for all four parades you’re in and cheer you on,” I said.
“Y’all coming to all four parades I’m going to be in?”
“Duhhh! We outside for Muses, Morpheus, Endymion, and Bacchus…and we’ll have a care package basket ready for you because you gon’ need it after all those parades back to back,” Lourdes giggled, as she parted Icelyn’s hair.
“I’ma just try not to think about how tired I’ll be.”
“Yea, just think positively and try to have fun,” I advised. “It’s a lot of work, but you love dancing, so just focus on that aspect of it.”
“Yea, you’re right. And I get to be tail for Endymion,” she smiled, propelling Lourdes, Icelyn, and Milan to react in unison.
“Really?!” Milan exclaimed.
“Yayyyy!” Icelyn clapped her hands.
“Omg!” Lourdes shrieked.
“I’m lost…what’s tail?”
“The last person in the formation,” Lourdes answered.
“That’s a good thing?”
“For a black dance team, yes,” Aspen giggled.
“Historically, it’s a spot reserved for the tallest on the team, but in the past decade it became more of an opportunity to shine.
Being tall still plays a large part in it, but you also have to be a standout dancer to get the spot.
When you came to the football games you didn’t notice the last girl in the stands exaggerating her sit downs? ”
“No, sis….to keep it a buck, if I wasn’t watching the game then I was looking directly at you. But I guess I’ll see what it’s about at Endymion. Is there a reason why you’re only tail for that parade in particular?”
“The official tail graduated in December, so our captain is rotating people in that spot for all four parades we’re doing. It’s kinda like an unofficial audition for the permanent spot next Fall. Endymion just so happens to be my day.”
“And you better cut up so bad that they have to give you that spot next season!” Lourdes hollered before slapping palms with her.
“Waahhhhh!” Alouri’s cries blasted from the baby monitor that was sitting on the coffee table.
“Louri’s awake from her nap!” Phoenix jumped up and jetted towards the door.
“Louri!” Zee threw off his head phones, tossed his iPad to the side, and scrambled off the floor.
He then ran behind his brother along with Milan, Icelyn, and Aspen.
Her running behind them was the only reason I didn’t jump up and follow them.
Aspen and Aneesah had no choice but to be pro’s with babies because of Rahesha.
“Well damn, was I not in the middle of doing Icey’s hair?” Lourdes marveled.
“She’ll be back,” Aneesah giggled.
“I’m surprised you didn’t run out of here with them,” I chuckled.
“For what? Aspen will change her diaper and then bring her right on down. It’s not like I can get a lot of time with my niecey pooh when all these people are here anyway. That’s why I prefer coming on Monday’s through Thursday’s because all them people don’t be around.”
“Wait, are you referring to your brothers and sisters as all them people?” Lourdes laughed.
“Yea, that’s messed up, sis.”
“Oh well,” she rolled her eyes. “Lawd knows my Ti-Ti baby be tired of having all them people in her face. She likes it when it’s just us.”
Before I could engage with Neese’s foolishness, Ms. Lucia caught us off guard with an outburst.
“Wait, what’s going on Luna?!”
We all looked over at the opposite end of the sectional where Ms. Lucia had her phone to her ear and appeared to be confused and concerned.
“Jumped by who?!”
Lourdes mouthed for her to put the phone on speaker, but she didn’t even look in her direction. Her focus was solely on whatever her sister was saying on the phone. We couldn’t hear anything, but we could see that Lucia wasn’t fucking with it because she grew visibly upset with each passing second.
“Mama, what’s going on?” Lourdes asked out loud and impatiently.
“One second, Luna.” Lucia finally looked over at her and she put the phone on speaker. “Now tell me what happened again. Lourdes is right here, so she can confirm or deny whatever Lyss is allegeding.”
“Alleging? Are you trying to imply that my child is lying?”
I only saw Auntie Luna be nice and soft spoken, so hearing her speak hard and hastily was a surprise. But everybody had another side when they were mad and it was evident that she was.
“I don’t know why you’re acting like she’s above lying,” Lucia rolled her eyes.
“Look, I know Nalyssa has made horrible choices but she didn’t deserve to get beat up last night to a bloody pulp! Her ribs are broken!”
“Wait, what?” Lourdes marveled with her mouth and eyes wide open. “Lyss got jumped last night?"
“Didn’t you say you ran into her last night and y’all exchanged words?” I asked her quietly, so her Aunt wouldn’t hear. I didn’t know what to think, but the last thing I was going to do was incriminate her.
“Yea, I ran into her and we had a conversation! It went way better than I ever imagined because I didn’t turn up on her how I could’ve.
I said my peace, I hugged her, and I walked away.
I literally gave you the entire run down of how it happened, Armias!
” She was anything but quiet. I hadn’t accused her of anything, but it was a high chance that my tone and facial expression felt accusatory.
What else was I supposed to think though?
She told me about the interaction she had with Nalyssa earlier today and although it sounded too good to be true, I took her word for it.
I disregarded the fact that she admitted that she felt some type of way when we first talked about how her ex was Lyss’ baby father.
She also said that she didn’t want to see Lyss and Kenny together.
Now her Auntie was calling her mom all irate because her cousin got beat up.
Not just beat up, but jumped. I could see Dream, Denim, and Lourdes putting belt to ass on Nalyssa.
“Auntie Luna, if she's telling you I put hands on her then she’s a damn lie! If I did I wouldn’t have gone as hard to break her ribs! I’m not the Incredible Hulk!”
“Wait, I’m weak,” Aneesah tittered while throwing her head back. Her reaction made me laugh, too.
“Lo-Lo, she didn’t say anything like that. She was jumped by Kayla’s people, but she said you were there and watching the whole thing go down. We didn’t raise y’all like that!”