“Hand me that. Jah, I’m going to let go of your hand. You got it, son. Just get it closer, and I’ll catch it inside the net. Can you do that?”
“Yep, I got it! What kind of fish is this?”
“A largemouth bass,” Relic answered as he hung over the ledge of the boat, unbothered about if he fell in it since he could swim. “Spring is the best time to catch them, but I didn’t think you’d find one this large.”
“Can we hang it on the wall?”
“It ain’t big enough for that.” Shabu inserted himself. “Me and you gon’ show Relic how to cook that as soon we get back to the crib, though.”
“Yes! Can Grann Judy come over? She can bring the soup for Ms. Kennedy we’re supposed to pick up today.”
Relic swiped the fish into the net, hopped off the boat ledge, and unhooked the bait from inside its mouth before ambling to a bucket prefilled with water. After tossing the bass inside it, he addressed Jahleel.
“Who told you, I was taking you to see your grann?”
“Nobody. I asked her to make soup for Ms. Kennedy, and I asked Uncle Shabu to pick it up ‘cause I knew you’d say no. You’re not going to let her come over, are you?”
Relic could taste the word ‘no’on his tongue, but he clamped his teeth together while Jahleel and Shabu stared at him with twin hopeful expressions he struggled to turn down. He pointed at the fish before challenging his son.
“Since y’all want to cook this bass, we have to kill and bleed it, so it’ll keep its fresh taste. If you can do it without my help, I’ll let your grann come over.”
Jahleel met his gaze before accepting. “Deal. Tell me what to do.”
“First, you have to euthanize it.” Relic wet his hands before scooping up the fish with ease. He held it down on the boat’s floor before instructing, “Grab that stick, and hit it as hard as you can right here.” He tapped said spot and explained, “In front of the gill plate and behind its eyes is where the brain is. It’s the quickest way to do it.”
“Man, you really about to make him do that?” Titan gripped his torso like the idea alone turned his stomach.
“See, that’s the downside of not teaching you how to be a man early on, Titan. You can’t even kill a fish. Jah, if you can’t do it either, grab Indie so I can show Shabu.”
“I ain’t Uncle Titan. I got this.”
“Aye, get yo son,” Titan complained, pulling a laugh from Relic while Jahleel grabbed the fat stick and kneeled next to the fish.
He raised it up and paused before slamming it down on the fish’s head. The thwacking sound made him cringe, but he hit it again, noting the slight crunch and the twitch of the bass’s body before it went limp. A slow smile crept across his face.
“Is it dead?” he asked. Relic mirrored his son’s smile and nodded, satisfied that Jahleel didn’t cower about it.
“You got your switchblade with you?”
Jahleel hopped up and dashed off to grab it from his bag on the sofa. Shabu kneeled in his place, examining the fish while lowering Indigo, so he could touch its scales. He jerked him back when Indigo tried snatching up the whole thing. Relic smirked because his nephew was as fearless as his big cousin.
“Got it!” Jahleel reclaimed his spot, flipping open his blade as Relic’s attention wandered to the pink heart on its handle.
Jessica’s skeleton crept to the forefront of his mind as a reminder that he’d stolen her innocence, highjacked their son, and then terminated her life. He’d given her the blade to protect her from danger, but it did nothing to ward off the likes of him. If she were smart, she would’ve lodged it straight into his jugular vein years ago.
“Relic, I don’t know what to do!”
After a succession of swift blinks, Relic tuned into his son and pointed at the spot where the gills were. He lifted the gill plate while pretending he didn’t see the solicitous look Shabu and Titan wore.
“Cut down across the gills until you draw blood. Dip the fish in the bucket of water and hold it upside down to drain it. Then, cut along the center of its belly to remove the intestines.”
Jahleel took those instructions and did as told without assistance—draining the fish while Relic looked on, proud as hell. When Jahleel stuck the blade into its belly and split it open without flinching, a gratified smile stretched across Relic’s face. He stood to pull his son against his side for an elated hug, kissing his head while Jahleel continued to tear out the bass’s insides like he’d done it a thousand times.
“Good fucking job, Jah. You’re a natural pechè. Titan, you get him doing all this?”
“Yea, I got that nasty ass shit. Ain’t no way I’m doing that. I’m going back to my lil’ spot to chill.”
“And I’m gon’ catch me a goddamn fish before we get off this boat, because ain’t no lil’ ass kid about to show me up,” Shabu declared, and Jahleel simpered.
