“I’ve been calling you,” Big Mama spoke once Nyna was within earshot.
Nyna lifted her eyes toward her sending the silent message that she didn’t want to get into all of that with an audience lingering. Not because DJ was harmful or a gossiping weak nigga who’d side with the man. But because he was a fixer and a doer and she wouldn’t bring him into her drama.
So Nyna bounced her shoulders as DJ placed the bags on the kitchen table and roamed back out to get her duffle bags and a small rolling suitcase. He past the pair of women and made his way to her childhood room to put them down.
“The weather,” Nyna started. “There was a snow storm I got stuck in.”
Big Mama let her eyes roam over her granddaughter. That light she held in her eyes damn near gone. But there were other indicators that she’d get into once they were alone. “Go, get out your traveling clothes. I got some leftovers I’ll heat up for you.”
Nyna nipped the inside of her lip before nodding. “Yes ma’am.”
When out of view but not earshot she could hear Big Mama huff and the paper bags rustle. “Thanks DJ.”
“Don’t mention it, I’ll be by later to finish putting your car back together. Call me if need anything,” he spoke as his voice got further away.
“You know I will,” Big Mama stated, her voice becoming further away before both disappeared behind the front door.
two
DJ
“You’re coming by for dinner tomorrow,” Big Mama stated not giving him much room to object. Although he wouldn’t either way. If Big Mama said it, it was the rule – the law of the land and he dare not challenge her authority. “Worry about that car later. You drive me around half the time.”
DJ chuckled letting the smile show the dimples in his cheeks. “What can I say you’re good company.”
Big Mama grunted. “Mhmm. I’m the closest thing you got to her.”
DJ’s eyes looked past her to the spot on the porch where Nyna was standing mere minutes ago. A faint smile crossed his face before it fell. Big Mama had a point but he wouldn’t fully validate that. Not yet and not now where Nyna’s and her supersonic ears could be lurking. She could hear his thoughts if he thought loud enough. So he refrained and changed the subject.
“You want me to send Lil’ Tony by to cut the grass?” DJ posed.
Big Mama let a smirk of her own cross her face. “You too busy to cut an old ladies grass now?”
DJ laughed softly. “I don’t have time between your car, the shop and staying out the way. I didn’t want to over step.”
He was referring to Nyna. They were over before they got started only because he assumed responsibility for something that nothing to do with him for real. Something that broke her into pieces and he had no clue on how to put her back together again. Not even four years later she was back close the same state she left in and that was causing him some angst.
Big Mama looked back at the door and pulled in a deep breath. “You know sometimes you can’t fix everything but you can just be there. Just keep being here and it’ll fall back into place. I’ll see you tomorrow for Sunday dinner.”
“I’ll be here. See you Big Mama,” DJ said departing the steps that saved his life.
“See you baby. Be good don’t get caught in no shit tonight,” she warned before turning around and going back in the house.
DJ waited until she secure in the house, the indicator was her turning on a light he could see through the smoked glass window on the door. He folded his tall body back into his Chevelle and pulled off from 964 Woodshire Drive and onto 50th.
For years, he could function with the thought of Nyna in the back of his mind. Staying close to Big Mama not only kept him alive but kept that feeling – that thing he couldn’t put his finger on – for Nyna alive.
When she left everything was heavy. She’d stood quietly and strongly by Big Mama as they lowered a sister and grandchild into the ground. In turn, in true fashion, Nyna and Big Mama held him up as he lowered his brother into the ground. They needed each other, it’d always been that way until it wasn’t.
The events of that great loss were permanently embedded in his brain. There was a party. Him and his brother, Phoenix, had had plenty. The hood would come through. The girl he wanted and the girl his brother had would be safely tucked in the cut.But that night was different. They were fresh off of a mission for the gang. According to the plan everything went smoothly but it didn’t feel smooth. Nyna had suggested that maybe they should’ve laid low for a night. Let the dust settle so they could see any potential problems. But Phoenix and Veya were pressed on having the party.
They were ambushed and there was nothing more that DJ feared than losing someone he loved. He lost three. Veya and PJ gone in and instant his body on top of Veya’s, attempting to shield her, and Nyna who couldn’t take the reminders anymore.
Four kids from the neighborhood just trying to find their way around when they really should’ve just been with Big Mama, kicking it. Her space was the safest full of love and fullness. DJ clearly recalled him having other things on his mind that couldn’t be done, let alone attempted in Big Mama’s house. The one time he stepped into Nyna’s room to grab a charger Big Mama threatened to beat his ass until he passed out.
The memory made his soft grunt turn into laughter. Pearl Chambliss already had one daughter that got away from her. A daughter that only came back to drop her children off and go back to do whatever she was doing prior to. She wouldn’t let Nyna or Veya get away from her. So keeping the boys out of the room and her eyes on them as much as she could was at the top of her priority list.
The one time she turned her head for more than a second, tragedy struck and it came with a vengeance. DJ couldn’t even remember their mother showing up to Veya’s funeral. But that was then and he couldn’t rewind the hands of time to take Nyna’s pain away. He could, however, be there moving forward.
