My face went stale as I looked over at her. She knew she was the only woman that had unlimited access to a nigga. Ididn’t mind her being around me and she knew it. I respected her asking first though. My parents was a touchy subject for me. There were plenty days I found myself in a depressed state thinking ‘bout the what ifs. It wasn’t shit but that lil’ boy in me missing the love of his mother.
“Come on Ma, you know you ain’t got to ask. I had plans on going after breakfast since I got to go by the warehouse today. It’s few meetings I must attend.”
“You can drop me off in town afterward and I’ll find my way home then,” she said walking to the table with her plate and cup of juice.
“No, the hell you not. Shop for a lil’ bit or something while I handle them fools and when I’m done, I’ll swing back and scoop you. Find yo’ way home? The hell you take me for Daisy.” I felt offended lowkey.
“Watch your words with me. I was only saying you didn’t have to worry about me, that’s all. Today is an emotional day, and I didn’t want to tie you up with my crap,” she expressed.
“It ain’t no thang Ma.” My plate was grabbed off the counter and walked over to the table shortly after.
Sitting across from her directly, we joined hands and blessed the food. Aunt Daisy was as religious as they came. She ain’t play ‘bout giving OG thanks for everything we had. New day, same routine type shit. I was mixing the eggs with the grits as she went through the stack of mail that sat in the middle of the table.
I had us put up on the outskirts of Miami. The city was too much for Aunt Daisy. I knew what kind of scammers was waiting to prey on the old and auntie looked damned good to be in her late seventies. She still moved and grooved like a woman in her early fifties. Hell, to make it even worse, she wore labels from head to toe. She wasn’t yo’ average senior citizen and I made sure of it.
The slippers the woman walked around the house in was Balmain. The car she drove when she wasn’t chauffeured by me was a Porsche 911. She smelled like old money and anyone with eyes could see it. She stepped as long as I had the means for her to.
“My God,” she uttered.
Looking up from my half-devoured plate, I locked eyes with her to figure out what had her attention. A single envelope was in her small trembling hands, but fear was in her brown round eyes. She was moving as if she seen a ghost or something.
“Wassup Ma? What’s that?” I inquired.
“N-Nothing baby boy. How’s the food?” She stuffed it back into the pile of mail as if that was gon’ shut me up.
“Same as it always is. I asked you a question though. What that is?” I repeated.
She put on a fake ass smile and shook her head from side to side saying, “It’s really nothing. So, I was thinking we take a vacation soon. It’ll be fall before we know it and the weather will be changing.”
I released a sarcastic laugh as I stood from my seat. I was done. I tossed my napkin on the plate and reached for the stack. Of course she snatched the entire pile back keeping me from prying. Daisy was the number one woman in my life but like anyone else, all that shit could be cut.
“You think I’m a child or something? Give me whatever that is you trying to hide Ma,” I said pocketing my hands.
She stared up at me and neither one of us budged. That stare down happened for what seemed like an eternity before she released a deep sigh saying, “I guess it’s time.”
Picking up her glass of orange juice, she damn near swallowed half of it before standing as well. However, she didn’t hand over the piece of mail I was inquiring about. Instead, she walked out like she ain’t heard shit I said. I followed behind her‘cause this was anything but over. I wanted to know what the hell she had going on.
“Time for what?”
I was on her heels following her down the hall into her office. Clearly, it was something she knew that I didn’t, so I was curious to see what was good. I knew ‘bout the safe behind the portrait that sat over her desk. She was punching in the code to it without hesitation. Once she had access, she pulled out a thick ass manilla envelope. When she looked at me, that small dose of fear was gone. She looked more nervous than anything. She turned the envelope upside down and a waterfall of letters fell from it.
Taking a seat on the arm of the sofa, I got comfortable. The thing is, I wasn’t always up this early, and I never bothered with the mail simply because I didn’t have shit being sent to the crib for real. I had a throwaway spot where all my bullshit went to and if it was of anything of importance, it was emailed. Seeing how she collected shit, I couldn’t help but wonder what this was about.
“You’re well aware that you’re an Atkins, right?”
“What that got to do with anything Ma? I’m starting to get irritated. Say whatever the hell you need to say so this shit can be done,” I answered.
“Your damn mouth Bentley!” she snapped.
“My bad Ma. A nigga just ain’t up for no surprises right now. What’s all that?” The level if irritancy I had with her was quickly rising. I lived a laid-back life and didn’t like things that came from left field. This bullshit was very much that.
Another deep sigh was exhaled as she picked up the stack of letters. She walked them over to where I was sitting and took a seat on the sofa. The letters were tossed on the table with her handing me the newest one. It was addressed to me from Taylor & Taylor Law Firm.
“Who the fuck is this and where the fuck is… Sage Springs?”
“Just read it boy.”
Opening it, I scanned it immediately noticing the wordspassed away, will & testament, and inheritance.I started from the top and took in each word.
