“So she can cuss some more?”
“That’s on you and she knows where the Azul’s stay creeping? Yeah, I’m calling the people on you.”
30 /JAHLIL
“Alright, Drew, you’re on dishes,”Jahlil stated as he moved from the kitchen table to the kitchen sink. He was sure to ruffle the top of his head before moving away. While he had to parent Andrew, he always wanted him to remember at the end of the day, he was still his brother and he’d love him regardless of the mistakes he made. He hoped to show him in his own journey of manhood, that you were always more than your mistakes.
“Aight,” Andrew replied, stuffing another bite of the French toast in his mouth. He was on his third helping and if Jahlil had left any on the plate, he would’ve ate that too.
“You did a good job,” Jahlil complimented, watching Emani and Sanaa use the markers for coloring and not chain smoking. “Who knew you could cook and not just pick out the pot. Aunt Violet is going to have a time with this.”
“She’s going to cuss me out,” Andrew stated with a mouthful. He swallowed and mocked his aunt. “All this time I’ve been here slavin’ over these pots and you can magically make a damn meal?”
Jahlil laughed. “You forgot, ‘you’re fuckin’ ass’.”
“I didn’t. I promised E I wouldn’t cuss because of Sanaa so no,” Andrew assured as he stood up and gathered the plates left behind.
“So Emani makes y’all stop cussing and I’ve been trying to undo it and no one listens to me?”
Andrew joined his brother at the sink and started to wash the dishes. “You’re not Emani. She just has it. Like naturally and not forced, like she who shall never be named again.”
Jahlil gritted as he laughed off the bitter thoughts. He couldn’t house those anymore. Bitterness would hinder the blessing he prayed for on the nights he held his infant daughter in his arms and wept. “I’m not too arrogant to say I messed up.”
Andrew shrugged his shoulders. “I’m learning we all mess up. It’s how we bounce back. That’s what makes us men, right?”
Jahlil snickered. “That’s what makes me a man. You’re still a boy coming into his own shit. But yeah. That’s what makes you or breaks you. Tell me…how you plan on bouncing back?”
“I talked to E this morning and she said y’all did a lot of illegal stuff to keep me.”
Jahlil corrected. “Her more than me. She did a lot for us. She really sacrificed herself and delayed her dream to make sure I could play ball, do school, and keep you. She’s fuckin’ amazing.”
“Yeah. So because y’all probably could’ve gone to jail and I almost did, I’m going to listen to you. It’s clear you know more than I do.”
“I’m not even going to hold you,” Jahlil responded to Andrew’s statement. “I’m a little salty that E comes in here and the house falls in order.”
“You shouldn’t be salty. That’s just what she does. Without her, it’s been chaos,” Andrew shared. “You moving her in?”
“That’s the plan, why?”
Andrew smirked. “I was going to ask if I could stay with her if you weren’t.”
“Oh shit,” Jahlil hooted. “Y’all really don’t like me.”
Andrew laughed. “Nah, bro, we love you. Look at Sanaa.”
Jahlil looked at the two, comparing pictures.
“When is the last time Sanaa wasn’t off the chain? It’s Emani. Like I said, if it ain’t E, it’s not going to ever work. And lowkey, you owe her your life.”
“You ain’t lying about that. She’s an angel.”
“For sure,” Andrew buzzed.
After they finished washing the dishes and putting everything back where Aunt Violet designated, Andrew watched as Jahlil made his way to the couch where Emani and Sanaa were now cuddled up, watching a show that was age-appropriate. Darting around him, Andrew jumped on the couch next to Emani and cuddled up next to her.
“That’s my woman,” Jahlil protested as Andrew laughed and shrugged, and Emani wrapped her free arm around him.
“She can’t be your woman. You didn’t even ask her right,” Sanaa huffed before pointing to the other end of the couch. “There’s room over there.”
