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Nyna
“Ny baby, this is Big Mama. I’m trying to see if you’re going to make it home for the holidays like you usually do. I’d love to see you this year. I know it’s been a rough year but get home so I can love on you. Love you. Talk soon.”
“Ny, it’s Big Mama. I haven’t heard from you. I heard the weather in the middle of the country is bad. Call me back so I can hear your voice.”
“Nyna. It’s Big Mama. I was looking forward to seeing you this Thanksgiving. Maybe I’ll hold out for Christmas.”
Nyna couldn’t bring herself to listen to the rest of the voice messages left. Between choosing herself – finally – traveling with a broken phone and being delayed and rerouted, she was happy to be back in Los Oceania. She might’ve been three days past her initial arrival date and restarting her life, but she was back in the city by the ocean. Unlike the east coast, there wasn’t the breeze of fall, but the ocean breeze soothed her soul, nonetheless. It was exactly what she needed, replenishment. After years of being away, she wanted to fall into Big Mama’s arms, lay her head on her lap, and let her spirit get the love it needed.
Nyna’s exit from Woodshire and 50thwasn’t the easiest departure. There were no rainbows or birds chirping or happiness. There was blood, death, and sorrow-filled sobs. For as long as her mind could remember, it’d been her, her younger sister, and Big Mama. No known mother, no real father – not even a grandfather. Just the three of them moving through life.
In her eyes, Pearl Chambliss, was a hero and needed a street named after her. Her love was bountiful. It never stopped at Nyna and her sister; it extended to the block. Many friends had either moved on – migrated, married, murdered, or incarcerated. The harsh reality that no matter how much you love the neighborhood, sometimes it doesn’t love you back. Especially with gang tensions on the rise the way it was before she’d left.
As the JoyRide maneuvered down the street, Nyna took in the towering palm trees, the sun casting light down without warring with the canopies of treetops. Home. The wheels quietly squealed to the stop. The house hadn’t changed. There was still the swing on the front porch with her pillows placed on them. The metal screen door had a fresh coat of paint, the yard was between cuts, and her car was parked with the hood up.
Before Nyna could pull her things up to the door, she silently took inventory of what needed to be done before she rang the bell. House power-washed, fix whatever was wrong with the car, get the yard manicured again and whatever waited inside for her.
She swayed anxiously as she waited for Big Mama to appear at the door. Nyna didn’t know if Big Mama was going to pull her into her arms or fuss at her for not calling back. Another knock, a minute later and no answer. Pulling her phone from her back pocket she called, anticipating an answer. Instead, was greeted by the roar of an engine, a very distinct giggle and a bass that rattled her core like the first day she’d heard it.
Her body tensed. Her eyes closed. Her hand gripped the doorknob of the metal door as the car came to a stop where the JoyRide had been almost ten minutes ago. Nyna was positioned behind the tall Mister Lincoln rose bush. Its large, deep red blooms hid her as she peeked at her grandmother andhim.
The fragrant flowers obscured her full view of him, but it didn’t hide her grandmother’s wide smile.
“DJ, spin me back around the block,” Big Mama requested. Nyna watched as the engine revved, almost lifting the metallic space gray, black trimmed, ’68 Chevy Chevelle SS, sitting on twenty-twos lift, before speeding off.
All Nyna could hear in the wake of the car speeding off was Big Mama scream in glee. “Woooo woooo!”
Apparently, a spin around the block meant that DJ, was going to do donuts, drift around the corner and speed through 48th, 49th, and 50thwith her grandmother sitting shot gun. When they pulled back in front of the house, Big Mama stepped out, straightened her wig, and let out a puff of air.
“DJ, you know how to make an old woman feel alive,” she cheered. “Thank you for driving me to the store.”
The rumble of his voice made Nyna’s body ache. “Anytime, Ms. Pearl. Soon, we’ll be racing down the street again.”
As Nyna peeked, she watched DJ go to the trunk to get the bags of groceries. She silently cursed to herself, realizing the interaction was happening. After leaving almost all of her possessions in Lavendale, Nyna wasn’t just starting over financially and emotionally, but romantically too. Although, the romantically part was at a permanent standstill. Indefinitely her heart was on ice and would remain there until it was repaired. But hell even then she didn’t see herself handing it over again.
Big Mama took the minimal amount of stairs to her front door with ease, freezing when she laid eyes on Nyna.
“Nyna Rae Baby,” Big Mama crooned loudly with longing. Abandoning opening her front door she opened her arms drawing Nyna’s feet to roam to her. Once close enough to pull her into a warm embrace she did. That’s what she needed. But she couldn’t break down here. Not with DJ mere feet away.
So Nyna let out a soft croon of her own, kissed Big Mama’s cheek and then pulled away. “I’m going to assume your heart medicine is working overtime to keep you level. All of that spinning around the block you were doing.”
“You used to like it,” DJ’s voice rumbled making Nyna freeze and fight looking up at him.
There was no use to fight it. Domineaux Jones was drop dead gorgeous and even though he was a man and should’ve been considered handsome. The thick long lashes framing his almond cut eyes. Fresh line up edging the loose knot of locs with ringlets of curls at the ends. Perfectly shaped pink freckled lips surrounded by and mustache and beard she’d smother if she were at any other point of her life. All of it proved differently.
She looked away attempting to regulate her temperature, but that didn’t coax the image of him away. Athletic build, muscles from his neck to wherever covered in tattoos. And that smell – fresh, woodsy, and heavenly. It was just to enough to cover the hint of lingering Azul Kush. That’s what snapped her out of it. The Azul Kush. Nyna sniffed the air and grandmother again before cutting her full eyes at him.
“Were you smoking around my grandmother?” Nyna’s voice came out with a snappiness he was used to. One he liked because it offered a challenge he didn’t get from most women he encountered.
“Girl,” Big Mama huffed. “He wasn’t smoking it was me. DJ bring those in for me.”
“Yes ma’am,” he spoke as Big Mama unlocked both sets of doors. He locked eyes with Nyna as he stopped to allow her to walk in front of him.
Nyna went to grab her things and was stopped by the grunt of his voice.
“Girl, don’t even play with me like that. You know better,” he spoke making Nyna’s hands withdraw, push into her pockets and scurry past him.
