Chapter 35 Emani #2
A win and a house full of family and laughter was more than he asked for.
At the same time, this was everything he needed.
Emani, Donnée, Aunt Violet, and Sanaa were in the living room having a dance party in hopes of dancing off Sanaa’s sugar high from the game.
Andrew, Ashton, and Kyrie were playing the game at the far end of the patio and Carson took a seat near Jahlil and handed him a shot.
“I know you don’t drink during the season but this news is worth celebrating,” Carson spoke lowly.
Jahlil took it, nodded in thanks and asked, “Malik dead or something?”
Carson chuckled. “More like he checked out the hospital and was picked up for sports gambling. Apparently, he has a whole lot more enemies than friends. What a way to get a nigga up out of here.”
Jahlil took the shot, winced, and swayed his head. “You think I won’t do it again?”
“Nah, I know your crazy ass will do it again. How you look in the camera and tell that man to have the days he deserves? You know that nigga’s hands are crushed.”
“I know what the fuck I did. Bet he’ll never hit shit else in his life.
I got the right mind to find Tyriq and beat his ass too,” Jahlil grimaced.
“Enough of that shit. My house is happy and hopping on a school night. I tell you that your niece got a little nappy headed, block head, booger eating, snotty nosed, touchy-feely, little uglass boy swinging her around at the school? And then when we got home, she jumped out the truck and skipped into the middle of the street to get another hug?”
Carson dropped back in his seat and let a loud, hearty laugh leave his body. “Nigga, I know you weren’t thinking about beating up a toddler?”
“Him and his daddy.”
“Who the fuck is his pops?” Carson asked, still laughing.
“John Barette.”
“Damn! Y’all might as well bury the hatchet because Andrew is smitten by his daughter and if not for nothing else, Sanaa has her first age-appropriate friend. This is bigger than his ego and yours.”
Jahlil waved him off. “It’s not my ego.”
Carson took another sip of his drink and grunted.
“It’s your ego. It’s that shit as a man that stings your soul when you can’t protect your family.
I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m saying to you like I told, E, this is bigger than y’all now.
Look at us. All adults with some fucked up childhood trauma that found each other in college and made our own family.
Your kids, Kyrie and Donnée’s kids, and God-forbid Ashton has spawns – none of them should have to have a glimpse of the hell we went through. Even if their father is Ashton.”
Jahlil shook his head, laughing silently. “Yeah, you right. Before I be the fuckin’ adult, I’d still like to punch the niggas lights out.”
“Need I remind you about the final cost of making Emani’s shit go away?” Carson posed.
“Nah. And I don’t care what the cost was. If it takes everything I got to keep her, I’d do it.”
Carson didn’t respond immediately. He looked out into the open space and sighed. “I really love the way y’all love each other. Like through the time apart, the family you’re creating. That shit almost makes me change my mind.”
“Oh, you finally gonna let go of the idea of stealing my girl?” Jahlil joked.
“I was never going to steal your girl,” Carson clarified. “That shit was fun to say to watch your nostrils flare. I know where her heart is and who owns it. My only job was to protect her as much as I could.”
“So you’re going to settle down?”
Carson shrugged. “I don’t know. I just look at where I’m at right now and the next years of my life and I’m not trying to be that old nigga running behind all the young girls trying to hold on to some false sense of youth.”
“I hear you. Don’t end up like Ryan Jones. Nigga finna lose out on seventy-five million dollars and his chair at SportsTalk because he can’t seem to get it through his thick ass, Bigen painted head that he’s damn near seventy,” Jahlil stated.
“I’m not never trying to be on a podcast talking about how many blue pills I pop to fuck a woman half my age. That shit is crazy as hell,” Carson replied.
“My point. Listen, bro. Follow your heart. You know how this life shit goes and I’ve learned it’s a lot easier to do it when you got someone on your side who has your best interest at heart and you do theirs,” Jahlil shared.
“Those seven years…I’d have to do them again to get Sanaa, but when you know better, you do better. ”
“I hear you. I don’t know, maybe I need to take my black ass to therapy so all this trauma isn’t unloaded on someone else.
‘Cause if I do this shit, it’s got to be healthy and whole and I can’t be the reason everything goes to shit,” Carson commented, before swiping his hand over his face.
“I’ll have you know I hate you muhfuckas. ”
Jahlil laughed. “What we do?”
“Got me considering shit I’ve been against since middle school. That’s how you know what y’all got is some powerful shit. You know once my mind is made up, that’s it.”
“Don’t I know it. I just need to be the best man right behind E, because I know you got her pegged for the best woman and keep whoever she is away from Ashton.”
Carson kissed his teeth. “I can’t even trust apples and plates around that nigga. You think I’m going to let my lady around him? Fuhhhhhccckkk no.”
Jahlil dropped his head back in belly aching laughter. “Ashton already hit your momma, he’ll for sure try your girl.”
“My point. Remind me again why you didn’t let me kill his ass?”
“Because the little shit is a resourceful leprechaun and you know Sanaa needs a life-sized doll to play with,” Jahlil stated, making Carson almost spit his drink out.
“Tell me you still got the pictures of him in that fairy dress!”
Jahlil smirked. “Know me, nigga.”
As the night went on, the group started to disperse with plans to fly out to Ocean City for the Halloween weekend faceoff with his old team.
Jahlil sat back and watched Andrew clean up the minimal mess before bringing him the game controllers.
Jahlil observed him, fresh haircut, new clothes and some confidence in his stride – the Emani effect.
“You had a good night?” Jahlil asked, nodding to the nearby chair as he took the controllers.
“Yeah, I like courtside more than being in the box. Even though Sanaa kept arguing with the refs,” Andrews laughed at the tail end of his comment and took a seat. “The ref was loving it though. She’s lowkey famous now too.”
“Y’all were distracting as hell but that shit was funny. She gets that shit from our mother. On her good days, she was just like that. Energized and animated. The life of the party and quick-witted.”
“You miss her?” Andrew asked.
“Every day. What makes it easy is your smile and Sanaa’s personality. It’s a reminder that her spirit is free and she’s around. I hate you never experienced her beauty,” Jahlil shared as Andrew rubbed his hands on his jeans.
“I think the way you take care of us without second thought is the beauty. I’m sorry I took advantage of that,” Andrew replied.
“Bro, listen to me. You’re going to stumble, it’s life.
Just don’t lie to me. I will go to war for you but don’t abuse my trust. One of these days, I’m going to go from being your daddy to your brother and I’m going to trust you to take the lessons I taught you and do good in the world.
It’s me and you, we all we got, don’t fuck that up,” Jahlil lectured, holding his fist out for a bump.
“You neither. You making it to my first game right? It’s after the game in OC.”
“Have I ever missed a game before?” Jahlil posed.
Andrew shook his head and stood up. “Don’t start now.”
Jahlil smirked, flipped him the birdie and threw his head toward the living room. “Put the rebel in the bed for me.”
Andrew looked into the house, finding Emani half sleep, holding a sleeping Sanaa. She tenderly kissed the top of her head, rubbed her back and whispered things in her ear. Andrew could only assume it was the same affirmations Emani whispered to him when he was younger.
“Hey,” Andrew started, grabbing Jahlil’s attention as he stood.
“What’s up?”
“You think after you and Emani get married that she’ll want to like…adopt us?” Andrew started. “Neither of us really had a mother.”
Jahlil smiled. “We’ll talk about it.”
“Aight,” Andrew muttered, walking in toward Emani and Sanaa. Before he took Sanaa, he hugged and kissed Emani’s cheek. “Thanks for tonight.”
“Any time. Get some sleep. I’m on drop off duty tomorrow morning.”
“Oh word,” Andrew gleefully replied, adjusting Sanaa on his body. “Good night, E.”
“Night, Drew-Drew.”
Jahlil roamed in after Andrew was half way up the stairs. “Can I have your lap now?”
Emani tiredly laughed and patted her lap. “Come on.”
Jahlil stretched his body over the couch and laid his head in her lap, pushing his hands up her skirt for warmth. “You had a good night?”
“Witnessing you break your own record? Hell yeah. Probably the best game you’ve played in the last seven years,” Emani hummed, rubbing his head. “Made me very proud.”
“You didn’t sit down all game. Had them niggas talking shit, too.”
“You got the baddest chick in the game, baby, let them talk. Oh, guess what?”
“Hm,” Jahlil asked, his body getting heavier in her lap.
“I have a studio session with Lucci and some writer tomorrow night,” Emani shared, making Jahlil roll over and look up at her. “What?”
“You nervous?”
She shook her head. “Nah, it’s Lucci. I know it’s going to be great. I just don’t know how it’s going to work out with the label shit.”
“Fuck that label shit, don’t be nervous. You a star and you were made for this. And sometimes, you got to go home to remember who you are.” Jahlil laced his fingers in hers. “Goes for both of us.”
“It feels so good to be home.”
“Damn right.”