Chapter 6 #2
“I did, but baby, I don’t think it meant nothing. Shuga just don’t play about being late to Sunday dinner.”
“I’ll ask Reya. You don’t pay attention but I bet she knows what I’m talking about.”
“Watch. It ain’t shit,” I say, then kiss her lips. She’s looking pretty as shit in some jeans and one of my Sharks jerseys. I love when she wears my stuff. I don’t even care that she has the side of my jersey all jacked up in a knot.
The door leading into the house opens and my pretty little niece comes rushing out. She practically runs into me and Kyrah.
“Uncle Shiro!” she yells. “Look.” I glance down at her pointing to a smiling tooth attached to her shirt with a fifty-dollar bill hanging from it.
“What’s that for?” I ask.
“My tooth,” she says, then opens her mouth wide. She’s missing a front tooth.
“Aww. Look at you. It came out,” Kyrah gushes.
“Yes, and I got some money last night under my pillow,” Niya says excitedly.
While touching the fifty-dollar bill and lifting it lightly, I ask, “You got this from the tooth fairy?”
“Yeah and Mommie put it on me.”
“For what?” I ask right as Quintus and Sis walk out. I look at them and direct my question to him. “Why she wearing this?”
“So, we can add money,” Kyrah says.
“Exactly,” Sis cosigns as she hugs Kyrah. “With all of her uncles and big cousins, I figure she can clean up today. I brought extra pins too.” Mireya looks down at Niya. “Sweetheart, tell your uncle and auntie how much you want.”
“She wants five dollars,” I answer before Niya can. “That’s what we got growing up, five dollars. That’s it.”
“Inflation, bruh. Give my baby more than five,” Quintus says before we dap.
“Give me fifty, Uncle. Please,” Niya pleads and I just shake my damn head as I pull my wallet out because I already know I’m giving in. Shuga thinks she runs the family, but it’s really my little niece.
“Don’t forget your Auntie Kyrah,” Sis says before walking over to the fridge Shuga added out here last year. My brother is right behind her too. He was already up on her all the time, but now that she is pregnant, Quintus doesn’t let her breathe.
“Auntie,” Niya says.
“I didn’t bring my purse, baby,” Kyrah tells her, then looks at me. “Give her another fifty from me.”
“I’m getting hustled,” I utter.
“Thank you,” Niya gushes and Kyrah attaches the two fifty-dollar bills to the pin.
“What are you going to do with all this money?” I ask.
“A lot. Get some snacks, a purse, and some legs,” she says, referring to her favorite food, crab legs. My little niece can eat them shits every day.
“Legs cost a grip, so go get your other uncles. They all got money on them too and don’t take no for an answer,” I say.
“Okay,” she says before taking off.
“Oh, Niya,” I call out and she turns around. “Get your Nana too.” Just for Kyrah ears, I utter, “Since she’s a millionaire.” Kyrah knows Shuga’s secret. I told her because I trust her; I’ve trusted her from the start.
Shuga walks back out into the solarium, and with her damn dog ears, she hears me.
Her little hand shoves my chest then she says, “Y’all stop saying that millionaire stuff.
I never said that. I’m comfortable. Com-for-table and my boys and grandbabies will be comfortable when the Heavenly Father wants me to paint for Him. ”
“He not ready to have your little bossy ass up there yet, so you and your millions are stuck here,” I say and she rolls her eyes.
“Please handle him,” Shuga tells Kyrah.
“Yes, ma’am. Trust me, I got him.”
“Good ’cause he loves to run his damn mouth. Come, let’s eat anyway.”
Shuga turns to walk toward the food table and Kyrah starts to follow her but I grab her arm and pull her back into me. When her soft body lands against mine, I wrap one arm around her.
“You got me, huh?” I ask.
“You know I do. I got you just like you got me.” She kisses me slowly then tilts her head to the side and says, “We better get in this food line before all the stew is gone.”
“Zongo, baby. This ain’t no regular stew. It’s your man’s favorite stew.”
“Then you need to teach me how to cook it so I can feed my man his favorite.”
“My favorite is in these jeans, protected by some thick and pretty thighs. I’m going to want that when we leave here. I was talking about stew,” I tell her and she smiles.
“Nasty ass,” she snickers.
“Yo’ nasty ass though.” After pecking the side of her sweet-smelling neck, I tap her ass then lead her to the slow-moving line of my nephews loading up their bowls.
“Hassan, nigga, you can come back for more,” I scoff when I see him damn near overflow his bowl.
Then he has the nerve to get six boiled eggs. “Ay!”
“Leave him alone. He’s in college and doesn’t get to eat like this every day.”
“’Preciate that, Dean,” he says before walking to his seat.
Hassan and Hussain are in their last year at CFU and live in Crescent Falls.
Thursday attends too, but I think she’s a sophomore or junior.
She’s really been coming around a lot, especially since Asali don’t really fuck with her.
The man I thought was so solid when I was a jit really ain’t shit.
He’s definitely not the man he made us believe he was.
My brothers and I are grown, so we’re straight; but Thursday isn’t even twenty.
She’s a damn teenager; he’s wrong for abandoning her.
“Where is Thursday?” I ask Hussain.
“She had to stay on campus and study but I got her. Shuga said I can take her some food back.”
“You sure she’s studying and not trying to be up under some nigga or some shit?” I ask.
“Shiro, that’s her business,” Kyrah interjects.
“Nah, Miss Dean, that’s our business.” Hussain nods. “We on her, Unc. Ain’t nothing happening under our watch,” he assures me and I nod.
“Y’all are really a mess. I feel bad for Alami and poor Niya when she grows up.”
“Ahh nah. Niya never dating,” Hussain says before walking to the table.
Since we finally made it to the pots, Kyrah grabs two bowls and a plate.
I fill one bowl with everything then add Zongo to the other and a scoop of rice and two eggs onto the plate.
She likes her food separate. I carry the bowls and she takes the plate to the table with Quintus.
As soon as I sit down, I ask Mireya about Thursday because she spends most holidays and breaks with them.
“Does Thursday have a boyfriend?”
“What? How am I supposed to know?” she responds.
“I know,” Niya says with a smirk.
“Niya,” Mireya says in that motherly warning tone.
“Yes. I didn’t say his name. I just said I know, Mommie,” Niya says, confirming what I expected.
Thursday doesn’t miss Sunday dinners. Once Shuga opened her home to Thursday and welcomed her like only Shuga does, she has been here.
Missing this month when we all knew Shuga was cooking Zongo was a dead giveaway.
I’ll make sure I get the nigga’s name from Niya later and put the twins up on it.