I chuckled. “Sounds like a lively crew. Imma be on my best behavior,” I joked.
“They might not be,” she muttered. I parked, then walked to her side to open her door. Hand in hand, we walked to the street the business was on, which was blocked off.The Juice Boxxwas in big, bold yellow letters, and the smell of ribs permeated through the air. There were a couple of bouncy houses, an inflatable water slide, and a lady passing out snow cones, while another one was face painting. Through the distance, I heard Yung Joc blaring over the speakers, and people were all outside and inside, drinking a variety of colorful juices. We walked over to a mixed group of people, and immediately, the bullshit started.
“Pay up niggas!” the one whom I assumed was Chewy yelled to the crowd surrounding him. Begrudgingly, Cherrice, Joyy, Rae, and who I assumed were Reign, Linx, and Domo each handed him a one-hundred-dollar bill. Reina dropped hands with me and scowled at them all.
“What the fuck did ya’ll bet on?”
“Well…. Chewy betted that you would show up with him, and we all said you wouldn’t,” Joyy said sheepishly. Reina rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“Vasiah… these are the treacherous ass people I call my friends and family.” She put names to faces, and I dapped them all, saving her brother for last. She was correct about his stoicnature, but the women of the crew, plus Chewy were lively enough for us all.
“You into anime?” the guy Domo questioned, looking at my shirt. It was a One Time graphic tee that I got in Japan when I was studying abroad a few years ago. I confirmed that I was, and he shared that he was too, which sparked an easy-flowing conversation. All the while, my eyes followed Reina, who was bouncing around the parking lot, making plates, dancing to whatever the DJ was playing, and truly enjoying herself. I smiled when our eyes locked, and she blew me a kiss.
“TEE-TEE REINAAAAAA,” a group of young girls yelled and rushed her, hugging all over her legs, and she crouched, giving them all the tightest hugs.
“My kids love her, man,” Chewy said with pride outta nowhere.
“They all yours?”
“Yeah. Four girls and one boy.”
Damn. I couldn’t even imagine taking care of a goldfish, let alone five kids. But damn if watching her interact with Chewy’s girls didn’t make me wonder what a mini her that was half of me would look like.
“You got kids, bro?”
“Hell nah,” I blurted. Chewy smirked, obviously not offended.
“Good. That damn girl is a handful all on her own.”
I looked curiously at him. “Whatchu mean by that?”
“Nothing major, bro. Just that to some, LaReina may be too much or a handful. She don’t need nobody that would try to dim her light or make her feel like her being her is a burden.”
I nodded. I could tell that Chewy cared for Reina a lot, and he was absolutely right in the way that she was perceived.
“Never that, man. I love that girl, and yes, she can be a handful…but that’s why I got two.”
Chewy’s head jerked in my direction, surprised that I admitted my love for her, and I ain’t even know him from a can of paint.
“You love that girl? Did she force you to say that? Blink twice if you need help!” This nigga was silly as hell, man. We shared a chuckle, and then he dapped me, leaving to tend to his guests. I watched Reina get barefoot and jump a game of Double Dutch, looking happy and carefree. Watching her made my heart throb.
“I ain’t seen her this happy in a minute,” A gravelly voice said from beside me. I ain’t even see nor hear this nigga Reign coming. I turned to him, giving him my undivided attention. I figured this was the part where he would threaten my life when it came to his sister.
“I really wanna make her happy,” I said without pause. I searched his face to see if he was affected by what I said, but he was hard to read, like his sister at times. Its like he waited on me to finish my thought, so I did.
“Why you wanna make her happy?”
“She deserves it.”
He paused. “Yeah… that she does.”
“So… wassup, Reign? Ain’t this the part where you threaten my life if I hurt her?” I joked. This nigga ain’t crack a smile.
“You know… Chewy told me that you said you love her. And I know Reina, because not only did we share a womb, but I also molded her into who you see today. Gave her some rules to live by. An average nigga would fold. Now Ion know shit about you and don’t really care to…yet. My sister don’t keep niggas around long though.”
“Good thing I’m not just niggas, and I’m in it for the long run then,” I shrugged, my annoyance growing by the minute. Nothing pissed me off more than being doubted or underestimated, especially by mothafuckas who didn’t know me. I was almost 33 years old, and it ain’t been a day in my life whereI’ve felt I’ve had to prove myself to niggas, and I wouldn’t start today.
Reign flicked his nose and squinted. “I hear you talking, dawg. I just know my sister. I ain’t gotta make a verbal threat because if you do some shit to her, she gone fuck you up before I ever get a chance to.”
