by DhNAi Divine
Dyondrei lightly cracks open the front door, he spots the glow from his mother, before she noticed his presence at all. He knew she was washing dishes and would be on her way to bed soon. Her golden skin was shined up, the kitchen cleaned, and dishes almost done, which was her before bed routine. He closes the door gently behind himself, then clears his throat to announce himself.
Gucatha turns around with her eyebrows raised. “Hey boy. How'd it go tonight?” Her smile spreads further across her face as she answered her own question, “Must a went well, 'cause you comin' in so late.”
Drei sighs with a shake overtaking his face, “Naw, it didn't go too well. It went pretty bad actually.”
“Aw,” his mama said, drying off her hands, “you wanna tell me about it?”
“Not really. I kinda wanna forget about it for the night. Besides I got somebody I want you to meet. She needs a pick me up too. Probably even more so than me.” His mother nods as Drei went to open the wood door. In came Khezzy.
“My,” Gucatha smiles, “aren't you simply gorgeous.”
I smile back, mumbling, “Thank you,” getting shy all of a sudden was not my style. But it touches my heart to hear a older woman, motherly like, compliment me.
Drei notices it, I hear him laugh under his breath, I nudge him.
“So,” Miss Gucatha starts, but stops.
“Mama! Mama!” Some loud mouth boy comes screaming down the stairs, rushing in the kitchen. “Mom!”
“I am here boy.” She raises her hand to slow him down. “You ain't got to be so loud.”
“My bad,” he reply, not noticing us standing near the door.
“What you want? Why you all shined up and jeweled out?” The woman leans on the sink.
The boy did a lil dance with a cute smirk on his face. “You remember Ahmazayne (Ah-muh-zayne)?”
“No,” she gives him, slowly shaking her head. “Should I?”
“Well...no...actually. No. What about Sagibu (Say-gee-buh)?”
“Sagi?” The boy nods. “Yeah, that big tall girl. What about her?” Mama folds her arms over her chest.
“She hookin' me up wit' her home-girl Ahma. Not only is she taller, but she plump and round in all the right places! Whoo wee!”
“But, didn't you kiss Sagi?”
“Yeah,” he leans his head to the side, “but Sagi wasn't feelin' me like that. But her home-girl Ahma got a lil crush for ya boy. I gotta get up wit' that. Mama, she is so fine! It don't make no sense.”
“So, what you want boy?”
“Ahma wanna meet up with me at Otua Park. Tonight. Can I go?”
“I'll think about it.” She gestures to the chair behind him, “Have a seat. Take a breather.”
He sits and don't see us till Drei spoke. “Uh mama—Kheznaria or Khezzy, Khez—my mama. My skee ball head brother Dhonjuh. As you can see, desperate for a woman's affection. The family.”
Dhonjuh smacked his lips. “Shut up Drei. Yo' game is minimum too. See.”
Little brat pointin' at me, my hand went straight to my hip. “Excuse me?”
“No offense sis—you pretty an' all, but why are you wearin' a full cloth? We don't get down like that?”
I shake my head. “I can do whatever I want. This my creativity at work. I like playin' with cloth and colors, this how I do it.”
“I love it baby,” Gucatha compliments again, I love her, “work it.”
“Thank you ma'am. See uh,” I look to Drei, “Dhonjuh right?” Drei nods. I kneel in front of Dhonjuh. “See man you messin' up. I got a lil sis about yo age, very available. You messin' ya chances. And she dress the normal way.”
He lights up, standing, I stand with him. “She look like you?”
“She my lil sis—what you think boy?”
“Bet—hook a brotha up.”
“Naw, naw, naw,” I place a hand on his chest. “I hook you up if you treat her like the young man I'm sure you could be. A gentleman like ya big bruh.”
He slaps his chest where my hand is not. “I can handle that.”
“I got you then.”
Gucatha laughs, the sound soothing. “She remind me of Dhoavah (Doe-ah-vuh).”
The room goes eerily quiet. Dhonjuh looks down, while Drei turns his head. Before I knew Drei was dragging me upstairs.
Buzz! Buzz!
Drei's bare arm slips from under the black sheet, he slaps the red clicker to answer the call. Raishana's face pops in the small mirror that lingered a few inches above the red clicker, suspended in the air.
“Khez! Wake up girl.”
Drei's muffled voice said, “It's for you baby.” He rolls her over to his side, which instantly wakes her up.
My eyes slowly crack open to the bright light, I see Rai's mellow face staring back at me. “Hey Rai,” my raspy voice whispers.
“My bad. I thought y'all would be up by noon.”
I blink my eyes, wiping my hand over my face. “It's cool. Whatsup?”
“Uh, Drei is good with me, but he still with the enemy. Meet us at the spot asap. Bring 'Mita wit' you.”
“A'ight,” I whisper once again. Then I slap the red clicker and roll my behind right back to sleep. I'll see the girls in a few.