Chapter 15 #3
“Hello,” I addressed the room.
At the very end of the table was a thin woman with golden skin and long legs. Her natural hair hung down her back. Gray covered nearly every thread. However, it was the only evidence of her birth year. Her skin was glowing. She was aging well.
“Ishmael, Royce,” she greeted us.
“Royce, my mother, Janis. Indigo. And, Isaías.”
Indigo was no stranger. As he approached me, I extended my hand.
Indigo ignored my request and wrapped his hands around me.
The smell of marijuana was potent. It lingered on his black hoodie, jeans, and skin.
He pulled away with a smirk on his handsome face.
Gold teeth flashed, exposing a diamond-encrusted smile.
“What’s up, Sis-law?”
“Good evening, Indigo.”
I turned toward Isaías, still on Indigo’s side of the table. He didn’t hesitate to take my hand. His orbs were desolate, but on me, nonetheless.
“Grayson,” he informed me. “Isaías Grayson.”
After a curt nod he released my hand. I continued toward Ishmael’s mother. She was magnetic, pulling me in deeper with each breath she took. I didn’t extend a hand. I didn’t keep my distance. I didn’t abide by the personal space rules my mother had instilled in me.
“It’s so good to meet you.”
Her arms were around me. My arms were around her. And, my heart was heavy.
I miss my mother. I noted.
“You smell divine.”
“I’ll be sure to gift you a bottle.”
“Please.”
We parted, but my heart was still with her. Ishmael’s hand lowered to my waist.
“This way,” he instructed.
We stopped in front of the hand sink in the corner of the dining room. Ishmael pumped soap into my palm and placed my hands together.
I chuckled. “I can manage.”
“I didn’t ask.”
My claim didn’t hinder his plan. He rubbed my hands together until they were clean. Ishmael repeated the same steps for himself as I dried my hands with the paper towel he gave me.
Silently, he guided me to our seats. I was the first to sit. He pushed my chair up to the table and slid his back. He never scooted toward the table. He angled his chair toward mine and closed the gap between us. A hand rested on my thigh.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
I turned to face him, running a hand down the side of his face. He leaned in, kissing my fingers.
“Yes,” I murmured.
Though he masked it well, I could feel the uneasiness under the layers of polish he coated his presence with each day.
“Everything is ready for consumption,” Janis announced.
Ishmael stood. So did Indigo. So did Isaías. One by one, they removed the tops from the dishes, exposing the food beneath them. My stomach ached with hunger as I observed each option carefully.
Smothered chicken.
Steak tips covered in brown gravy.
Mashed potatoes.
Cauliflower.
Green beans.
Wild rice.
Cabbage.
Dinner rolls.
“Do you have a preference or would you like everything?” Ishmael leaned in to ask.
“Chicken. Potatoes. Cauliflower. Cabbage. Rice.”
He lifted both plates from the setting in front of me. One by one, he filled them with the choices I’d made. Indigo did the same for his mother. Isaías’ palms were against the table until our plates were returned. Simultaneously, the three of them began to pile their plates.
“Let me get some chicken, big throat,” Indigo exclaimed, shoving Isaías’ hand.
“If you don’t want your throat shoved down your stomach, I suggest you refrain from putting–”
“Hey. Hey!” Janis called out.
“That’s this nigga, acting like he been in the field eating them pouches full of that bul–”
“Indigo,” Ishmael warned.
“Aight. Aight. I’m done.”
“You’re lying.” Ishmael eased into his seat.
“I am, but that’s nothing new.” Indigo shrugged.
I suppressed my laughter. It was obvious who was in charge. It was just as obvious who was the most problematic.
“Next time you invite me, don’t invite him.”
“Nigga, why are you here anyway? We ain’t seen you in five months of Sundays. It’s been peaceful.”
“That’s extremely hard to believe unless you were absent yourself.”
“Yeah, whatever. Answer the question.”
“I’m here to support my brother,” Isaías revealed. “This is about him. Not me.”
“Fine time to support. You marched for this fucked up ass country but ain’t been to one door to ask for support from the voters.”
Isaías forked his food.
“We can take it outside, Indigo.”
“My heat on me right now. Why we going outside? I can light you up in here.”
“Is your weapon your only line of defense?”
“Indigo! Isaías! We have a guest.”
“I have six sisters and five brothers. This is not–”
“Damn, your people was doing a lot a fucking,” Indigo shrieked.
“Watch your mouth, Son!”
“My bad,” he apologized.
“Twelve children amongst four adults. Not that I’m explaining the size of my family. Whatever they were doing was their business. Not mine. Not yours.”
“I–” Indigo started.
“Some people don’t spend their entire adulthood chasing people they aren’t genuinely interested in or have no plans to properly pursue for marriage. How old are you, Indigo?”
“Thirty-two.”
“No wife? No children?”
“Nope.”
“Seems to me as all you’re doing is–excuse me, Ms. Janis,” I paused, “Fucking.”
Ishmael, Isaías, and Janis were unable to contain their sniggers.
“Luckily for me that coochie only a couple hundred. I can’t say the same for everybody.” He laughed, eyes trained on Ishmael.
My lips turned upward into a smile.
“Which lets me know that you aren’t ready for a woman of my caliber.
Because you’d understand that the two point five million Ishmael paid for my services was a discounted rate.
A friend of the family rate of sorts, you know.
He has the rest of our lives to settle the rest of his debt.
From my understanding, it is the best investment he’s made to date. ”
Janis’ fingers snapped as she nodded. Isaías remained silent, eyes twice their size.
“I like her,” Janis blurted. “I like her a lot, son.”
“Me too,” Indigo admitted. “She ain’t afraid to rumble.”
“I don’t rumble, Indigo. And, you won’t need to head outside to figure out why. I will heat you up right where you’re seated. Concierge came with my Glock. Courtesy of my clip.”
“Royce,” Ishmael mumbled, squeezing my thigh. His sniggers didn’t go unnoticed.
“According to your aim, I don’t thin–”
“There’s nothing inaccurate about my aim. I’ve never missed a target I intended to hit. Exactly where I wanted to hit them.”
“Why was my son your latest target?”
I tilted my head and took in a deep breath.
The truth was never hard to come by. It was always at the tip of my tongue, yet, I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news.
Ishmael was Janis’ son. And, if it were me, I’d have him walking in the opposite direction.
We were different, though, in almost every aspect of our lives.
“Because, your son was warned. He put his penis in a place it didn’t belong. Should he find himself in questionable territory again, I won’t hesitate to remind him of his shortcomings.”
Gasps rounded the table.
“And, he was down in the polls. I’m certain his misfortune has put him ahead of Daniels. I am here to ensure Ishmael wins this election. Failure is not an option. He has to win. He’s going to win. I won’t rest until he does.”
Janis’ lips rolled between her teeth, forming a smile.
“I don’t think he will need another reminder. And, I look forward to seeing him make his post-election speech, declaring his victory over Daniels.”
“Me, too.”
Food and drinks flowed freely around the table. Though reserved, Isaías loosened the straps of his boots slightly. Indigo didn’t give him much of a choice. Janis reminded me so much of Roaman. Yet, just like Roulette, she was the ultimate host.
I learned about her past through stories she’d told a hundred times or more but the boys still loved to hear. There was hardly a whisper about Ishmael’s father. When his name was mentioned in a retelling, Janis quickly skated over the details and his involvement.
She was still anguished by his absence. She’d loved once and had been handed dead flowers as a consolation prize. Since then, she vowed to never give her heart to another man. There was no room. She saved everything she had for her boys.
I witnessed it in the way they looked at her. The way they waited on her. The way they quieted when she spoke. The way they made room for her.
“You good, my baby?”
Ishmael’s hand hardly left my thigh. Not inside his mother’s home and not in the car on the way to his home.
“Yes.”
Mentally, I began organizing my calendar to include a week-long visit to the island. Everything needed to be rearranged.
“She’s lovely,” I yawned.
“My mother?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“She is.”
I wasn’t sure when I’d fallen asleep. Neither was I sure how long I’d been asleep. Soft tunes played in the background. The car’s engine was still running. However, we weren’t moving.
I lifted my seat using the button on the side. The point of the trip where I’d reclined was blurry. I didn’t remember lowering the seat.
“Hey?” I groaned, peering at Ishmael.
We faced the brick home with a perfectly manicured yard. My surroundings were familiar. So was the man beside me. He stared straight ahead in deep thought.
“Is everything okay?”
Ishmael shrugged.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m beginning to wonder if this race was truly for Berkeley to meet their next mayor or for me to meet you.”
“Is–”
“Since that night, Royce, I’ve faced one deterrent after the other.
While my confidence in my ability to lead Berkeley hasn’t wavered, my confidence in the voters have.
It doesn’t matter how much good I’ve done or how much I’ve invested in the youth of this city, they’ll only remember those headlines.
“False accusations. And, quite honestly, the work I do won’t change. It won’t. No matter if I’m in office or just a nigga who cares. The work won’t stop. It won’t change. So, again, I’ve been wondering if his race was for Berkeley or just a part of our fate.”
“Both. What if it’s both?”
I lifted a hand to his chin and pulled it in my direction.
“It can be both, baby.”
“I’ve been trying to go about this the right way. I don’t think I’ve ever fought fair in my lifetime. Daniels is no saint, which makes this shit even more challenging. He’s killing our neighborhoods and the children’s chance at a bright future.
“He’s going to be the death of Berkeley. I can’t let that happen, Royce. I won’t. Should he win, retirement won’t be able to keep me grounded.”
“He won’t win.”
Ishmael nodded. “He won’t.”