There were a few things I would do differently in my life if given the chance but asking Essen to help me with my parents’ anniversary party wasn’t one of them. I spent sixteen-thousand dollars on turning my mom’s Pinterest wishes into a reality. Every detail, every custom piece my mom wanted, Essen provided. She had a rough night after shit hit the fan and I got into it with Shiloh. She didn’t doze off until close to three in the morning and hopped out the bed at six on the dot. She wasn’t the only one stressed over the drama. I stayed up just as long as her, chain smoking blunts and pacing around the living room. Off and on all night, I called Shiloh, but I received no answer. I wasn’t surprised. He had always been bullheaded and family oriented. I wasn’t going to chase no nigga, but I hoped my brother came around. Everything good and bad in my life, I went to my best friend with it. Our connection started after my brother died, and his presence covered the hole in my heart.
From across the room, I leaned against the bar and observed the crowd. The group was diverse. A blend between church folks, my rowdy family, and the bougie group my mom was related to. For the last three hours, they drank, ate, and partied like they truly believed in my parents’ love story.
The need for fresh air guided me to the outside patio. I pulled a fresh blunt from my blazer and sparked it, hoping no one bothered me about the smell. Alone with my thoughts, they easily wandered to Essen. No matter how much I felt myself falling in love with her, I still couldn’t believe it was our reality. I had watched her go through highs and lows, and I always felt inclined to celebrate her or press a nigga behind her. Now, I knew why. Essen was mine.
“What’s good, youngblood?”
I spun around and pumped my Uncle Jeremy’s fist when he walked up beside me. “What’s good, Unc?”
“Ain’t nothing. I should’ve known you were out here. You’ve never liked big crowds.”
“I still don’t. Not much has changed.”
He fingered the charm on my chain. “I see. You dropped some weight, but you’re still big and flashy. This party had to cost a pretty penny. Put yo’ uncle on. Let me hold something.”
I stared at him, inspecting his oversized suit and off-white teeth. “Uncle J, I appreciate the compliments, but I can’t help you with that.”
“What? That’s how you do me? I know you had to spend a grip on the function, but you can’t help family?”
“Help yourself, nigga.”
I smirked at my pop’s blunt delivery.
“Lawrence, don’t come out here starting shit. I can talk to my nephew.”
“Not if you’re going to beg. Loso goes to work and earns a living to take care of himself. He’s not giving you shit for your weird ass habit. Go back inside and get a drink.”
My uncle brushed him off. “I don’t have no money for the bar. That’s why I brought my own.”
I shook my head. “The liquor is free, Uncle J. Enjoy as much as you would like.”
“See!” He pointed at me. “I told you you got money, Nephew. We’ll talk later. I’ll take the drink for now!”
Even though I smirked at my uncle’s antics, my dad watched him with a screwed-up face.
“Cut him some slack, Pop. He doesn’t mean no harm.”
“Yes, he does. Family or not, some people don’t deserve your kindness. Remember that.”
I nodded and lifted my eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
For a second, we stood quietly. After the conversation we had yesterday, I didn’t know what to say.
“The party turned out nice. The ceiling tall Christmas trees were a nice touch,” he declared. “I keep hearing the ladies say it looks like Kandi’s wedding. I don’t know who that is, but she must have good taste.”
I chuckled at my father’s ignorance. “Yeah. Essen enjoys what she does for a living. It shows in her work.”
“If I haven’t said it, I appreciate you for taking care of the party. I meant it when I told Jeremy you don’t owe nobody nothing.”
“Nah. That doesn’t include you and Mama. Lucas isn’t here to do it, so it’s my job.” I eyed the cigar bar requested by my dad. He didn’t offer input on a lot, so when he made a request, I tried to accommodate.
“You want to grab a cigar?”
“Hell yeah. Yo mama usually has a fit about me smoking. I have to take advantage while she’s tipsy.”
Being a witness to his chill mood was contagious. Most times I could hardly breathe around him, and now, we were getting cigars. The interaction was foreign, but it felt good. I realized we were a lot alike just like my mom said, and he had been watching me from afar for some time. After we were done with round one, we got ready to throw back another drink and spark up, but my cousin came outside to tell us my mama wanted us around.
We ended our session and joined the party right as the “Wobble” started playing.
