Kendra motioned to the sink. “Wash your hands.”
After hanging her purse on the back of a chair near the table, Samari walked to the sink and began scrubbing her hands. Kendra unwrapped the fish and placed it on the counter next to the farmhouse kitchen sink, motioning toward it. “You know how to clean fish?”
“I’ve never fried any before but I’ve fried chicken plenty of times. It shouldn’t be all that different.” Samari grinned, reaching for the fillets. Kendra walked her through the steps to thoroughly clean the fish. When Samari was done, they placed the fish in a glass casserole dish in cold water, with a little salt and a tablespoon of vinegar for five minutes while they collected everything else they needed.
Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, adobo, mustard, cornmeal, and flour to coat the fillets. Samari asked questions to make sure she was doing everything right ,but for the most part allowed Kendra to deliver instructions she followed. When the fish was patted dry and Kendra motioned toward the mustard, Samari frowned, not sure the next step made sense.
“We’re really putting mustard on the fish first?”
Kendra arched a brow while she made sure to put a few tablespoons of mustard in a bowl on the counter near the stove. “You learning or questioning?”
Samari grinned. “Both?”
Kendra chuckled. “This is to absorb the smell.” She pointed to the small dish of mustard she placed on the counter. “That is to make sure the seasoning sticks and gives it something extra. My mother taught me, her mother taught her, and you’re learning from me. I’m a southern girl and we do things a little different.” Kendra pointed to the mustard and the sauce brush she wanted Samari to use to coat the fish.
Samari didn’t know a damn thing about frying fish so she would have to trust Kendra’s guidance. She moved through the steps, brushing mustard on both sides of the fillets before she added the seasoning. Next they were coated in a mix of cornmeal and flour that also had Cajun seasoning and adobo blended in. Once each piece was breaded it was carefully placed on baking sheets waiting to be submerged in the cast iron pan of heated peanut oil.
The fish sat for fifteen minutes while Samari cleaned and cut potatoes into thick wedges chilled in ice water before she seasoned them so they were ready to bake while she fried the fish.
By the time they were done, Samari had fried perfectly golden brown fillets that were dark and crispy around the edges. She had also sampled enough to have her stomach full. Kendra had sampled just as much but used the excuse of making sure Samari was frying it right. The time spent had both women smiling and at peace because of the bond growing between them.
“I think I’m going to have to stay away from you and your kitchen.” Samari smiled, leaning back against the counter while Kendra organized fish and potato wedges into glass containers she’d removed from the cabinets so Samari could take what wasleft home to Asao. Kendra had already tucked some away for herself and Leedren.
“I wasn’t that bad.” Kendra grinned over her shoulder and it brought a smile to Samari’s face before she delivered a look that had Kendra laughing. Bad, no. Thorough, yes.
“I don’t play about my recipes.”
Samari grinned. “I respect that but you weren’t that bad, and honestly, I meant I needed to stay away from you because cooking means eating and that could be a problem if I’m eating stuff like this. It’s so damn good. I don’t know if I can stop myself.” She rubbed her stomach and groaned from the fullness. She had enjoyed more than enough but was still craving it.
“There’s nothing wrong with having curves, baby, and I have a feeling my son is going to be dropping you off if it meanshegets to eat. Good luck trying to avoid me.”
Samari laughed, absolutely believing that to be true.
“I don’t mind curves. They might actually help my career. It’s the fact that I might not be able to get the songs written and recorded from always being in a comatose state from all this good food.”
After Kendra had the containers tied up in grocery bags, she brought them to the table and pointed to one of the chairs. “Sit down, I want to talk to you for a minute.”
Samari did as asked ,feeling Kendra’s mood change. “Did Asao tell you why his father was in prison?”
“Protecting you…” Samari admitted. Asao hadn’t given her all the details but that much he had shared.
Kendra nodded. “We were out, which didn’t happen often. We had Asao and Lee was always running the streets to make sure the bills were paid. Our deal was, if I raised our son, he was to provide a home for me to do so in. Neither allowed a lot of free time, but that night we decided we deserved a minute to justbe. Me and Lee.” She smiled softly. “He took me to dinner,then we went to a club. Little hole in the wall spot that had strong drinks and too many people. The night was perfect until it wasn’t. Liquor makes people arrogant and stupid. A guy thought he had the right to put his hands on me and it ended with Lee taking that man’s life. It probably shouldn’t have gone that far but it did. Lee isn’t very forgiving when it comes to the people he loves. That cost him. It cost all of us but he’s home now.”
“I’m sorry.” Samari didn’t know what else to say. Kendra smiled, placing her hand over Samari’s and squeezing it before she lifted from her chair. She crossed the kitchen and returned with a phone in her hand. She navigated the screen then placed the device on the table.
“I don’t need you to be sorry. The past is the past. What I need is for you to do the best you can to ensure Lee’s past doesn’t become Asao’s future.”
Samari dropped her eyes to the screen and her heart raced as she scanned the article. Wallace Denton, known in the music industry as Cobra of Cobra Records, was found dead two weeks ago in his home. Gunshot wound to the head. It had been ruled a suicide but Samari’s mind went to the same place Kendra’s likely had. This was Asao…
Samari’s brows pinched when she lifted her eyes and found Kendra’s tormented browns still on her. “I know who that man is and I know the connection he had to you. Asao is so much like his father. He isn’t very forgiving either. I can only imagine what that means when it comes to you. There is nothing I can do to stop Lee from being the man he is, just like there’s nothing you can do to stop Asao. Just please keep that in mind. You care about him. I see that in you. I don’t want either of us to lose him.” Kendra squeezed Samari’s hand again.
“Y’all are awfully quiet in here. That means I can eat? Because it damn sure smells good,” Leedren said, entering thekitchen. His eyes bounced between the two women and he paused. “Everything okay?”
Samari exposed a smile and shared a look of understanding with Kendra. She didn’t have any ill feelings about a mother protecting her son, fearful of losing him. Samari shared that same sentiment because she didn’t want to lose Asao either.
“Well, she didn’t run me up out of her kitchen so I’d say that’s a win and I’m pretty sure I just mastered the art of frying fish.”
Leedren chuckled and glanced at his wife, waiting for her confirmation, but she waved him off. “Don’t look at me. You’re here to eat, go eat.”
