“Some friends. Do you mean your girlfriend? A girlfriend I have yet to meet?”
“You don’t need to worry about meeting anyone right now, Mommy.”
“We’ll see about that. I also want an update on your plan after your test, but I won’t ask you now so that you can focus on the plantain that you are about to burn.”
Sizzles and bubbling drowned out their words. They stirred and flipped in silence for a few moments.
“Speaking of women—”
“Mommy.”
She ignored his wary glance and adjusted her skirt. “Your cousin’s wedding is coming soon.”
He remained silent.
“The date is only a few weeks from now...”
He placed golden slices of plantain on the waiting plate.
“And there will be room at our table...”
Solomon lifted his bowl to slide more raw slices into the oil.
“And since there are only five of us...”
He spread the slices evenly before turning toward her. “What are you trying to say?”
She smiled, her eyes flashing behind her glasses. “Maybe it is a good time to bring thatgirlfriendwith you.”
“Ahh, I don’t know about that.”
“Why are you trying to hide her? If this is someone who is important to you, why would I not want to meet her?”
“Mommy.” He popped a slice of cooked plantain into his mouth.Yes!He chose one that wasn’t lava hot. “How many of our significant others have you met over the years?”
“I’ve met”—his mother paused, looking up at the ceiling—“all of them. Yes, I think I have met all of them, including the one that you let get away.”
He groaned. “Not again. It wasn’t about her. It was about another business acquisition.”
“Why should it not be the same thing? We need to expand, we need to grow in more ways than just profit.” His father’s voice entered the room before he did.
“Hello, Father. Simon.” Solomon stepped away from the large island to give his father a hug. He did the same with his brother, though he felt Simon’s stiffness.
“How are things?”
His father sat down on the love seat in the seating area off the kitchen. “Fine, son, just all-day meetings with our eastern warehouses.”
Simon grunted. “That’s the way it is when you work a business and not run from it.” Before Solomon could respond, Simon pulled his cell out of his pocket and left the room with purposeful steps.
“Don’t mind him. He will have less to stress over in a few months.”
“Oh.” Solomon dared not ask more lest he start a conversation that would point to the outcome they expected, which he wasn’t ready for.
His father tossed a few cashews from the side table into his mouth. “Now”—he swallowed—“continue.”
Solomon turned back to the pan. “What I was saying is that Mommy, both you and Pops have met all of our potential dates and every time you meet one, they get scared away.”
“That is not true. We’ve enjoyed meeting all of the ones you’ve been dating.” His mother carried a platter of warm fufu to the table.
