“Hey, Ki,” she smiled as soon as her pretty face appeared in the camera when I called her back. She appeared to be in bed as well with her hair full of rollers.
“What’s up, Mama? You went to the salon today?”
“Yep, and I’ve had these rollers in all day. Your father is not pleased.”
I laughed because I knew he was talking junk to her about that. He hated when she kept it pinned up after she left the salon because nine times out of ten, they had somewhere to go afterward, but she’d always stay in the car because she wouldn’t be caught dead going in public with rollers in her head.
“I bet he’s not. Where is he anyway?”
“I’m right here, son.” I heard his voice before my mom turned the phone so that I could see him. “What are you up to?”
“About to turn it in when I finish talking to y’all.”
“This early?” my mom quizzed. “You’re normally a night owl on the weekends.”
“I know, but I have an early morning.”
“On a Saturday?” she questioned.
“Yeah. That’s actually why I was calling…”
“Oh, Lord, what’s wrong?”
“Let the boy finish talking, baby,” my father fussed.
“Well, he’s not talking fast enough.”
“Give him a chance, love,” he chuckled pulling her into him and kissing the side of her head then turning his focus back to me. “What’s up, son?”
“I’m going to grab a tree tomorrow.”
My mother immediately started going off. “What? A tree? Kiyan, you know we?—”
“Trina, relax and let him finish,” my father cut in, “what’s going on, Ki? Why the change of plans.”
“I met this woman?—”
“Oh, my God, yes!” my mother exclaimed. “Who is she? Does she live there? Where did you meet?” She fired off question after question.
“Trina,” my father laughed, “if you say something else.”
“Oh, Keith, please.” She elbowed him. “We both have been praying that he met someone.”
“It’s not like that, Ma,” I chuckled. “She’s married.”
“She’s what?!” she snapped. “Kiyan Ward!”
“Mama, it’s not like that,” I repeated. “She was stranded outside of my house.”
“Your house?!”
“Okay, Trina, give me the phone,” my father reached for it. She tried moving, but his arms were longer, so he was able to successfully get it from her before appearing in the camera. “Okay, son, tell me what’s going on.”
“Janet hit me while I was at work a couple of days ago and told me that there was a car parked at the bottom of my driveway. I watched it for a little while and figured they were probably pulled over to do something, but it was still there when I got home, and when I approached there was a woman and child inside.”
My mother gasped. “Like living inside?”
“Had I not asked them to come inside, then potentially.”
