Page 37 of 4 Corinthians

“She needs the practice.”

“For what?” Granddaddy said, glaring at him. “She’s a damn kid. All of them are, yet each of y’all hound them about something like the world is going to end. We barely see them. Y’all are treating them like a meal ticket instead of y’all’s kids. Shit is sick.”

“Daddy-“

“Stop talking to me, Angel,” Granddaddy said, waving off Mama. “You're one of the main ones. Corinthians is always at some damn practice or match. Girl ain’t had no damn peace in almost two years since she started boxing.”

“Take this outside away from folks,” Madea said, pointing to the door.

Uncle Mathew stood on the side next to his wife. They both looked antsy and kept glancing around, as if they were expecting something to happen. Uncle Mathew scratched the back of his neck, then licked his dry lips. “Mama, you-“

“Out-damn-side, Mathew,” Madea said to him.

We walked outside to where the cars were parked.

“Alright, now we are away from everyone, you can tell us how we are bad parents for wanting our kids to be better, to have better,” Daddy said, looking at Madea and Granddaddy.

“Ain’t nobody said y’all were wrong for wanting more for y’all kids,” Madea said, opening her van’s door for us to get in. “I ain’t in the mood to deal with y’all shit today.”

“Our shit?” Daddy questioned Madea. “This is why we don’t come around like that anymore. Mary always has something to say and a bad-ass attitude.”

“And she shouldn’t?” Granddaddy asked him.

“No!” Daddy yelled. “We are all just trying to take care of our family. Kids are expensive. We are doing what we need to do to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Them being good at something and us wanting to push them into a career path that could make them a lot of money ain’t a bad thing!”

“You let them be kids, Ruben,” Granddaddy told him. “Yeah, they are good at what they do. Mercy is a hell of a basketball player; Corinthians and Cross are good fighters. Psalms got a green thumb, even with her being as little as she is. Ex got a way with numbers. Judge is going places in science. Krude has a way with words and navigating people's wants and needs, but let them be fuckin’ kids. Don’t put that pressure on them to pick a career while in elementary.”

“Nah, I’m making sure my daughters are set up for life; they won't struggle like I did.” Daddy wiped his hand over his mouth. “Y’all might have raised your kids with a silver spoon in their mouth, but I wasn’t that lucky. I had to work hard to get out of the streets and living in that big ass house.”

“Ruben, you talk to fuckin’ much for somebody who just got a job and started taking care of his family. How long was Angel the breadwinner in that household?”

“There you go,” Daddy laughed and shook his head. “Every time.” He clapped, then rubbed his hands together. “Every fucking time we have a conversation, you bring up the fact that I was unemployed for a little while.”

“A little while is a few weeks or even a month or two. Not years,” Granddaddy told him. “That silver spoon you like to bring up so much is how your family survived while you weren’t working. Stop with the bullshit.”

“You got one more time to disrespect me,” Daddy said, glaring at Granddaddy.

Granddaddy laughed again, then moved faster than anyone thought he would, grabbed Daddy by the front of his shirt, and slammed him into the car behind him. “Or what, Ruben?” Granddaddy asked him. “What are you going to do besides bitch and complain about it? You don’t run shit nor put fear in my fucking heart.”

“Gabriel, the kids are watching,” Madea said, closing the door to the van.

“Roll the window down!” Krude said, tapping my arm. “I want to hear Granddaddy threaten your daddy.”

“Me too,” Ex agreed. “Roll the window down.”

I cracked the window so we could hear them, but not enough that Madea would notice.

“Beating his ass ain’t worth it. At least, not right now,” Madea said, walking over to Granddaddy. She put her hand on his arm and shook her head. “We got other shit to deal with.”

“The only reason I’m walking away and you’re still living is because of my wife and those kids in that van. They don’t need to witness their first homicide just yet.” Granddaddy slammed Daddy into the car again, this time so hard that the driver's window broke from the impact, and then let him go. “The next time you step to me, remember that my being a Pastor was for niggas safety, not mine.” Granddaddy stood over him, then turned and looked at my aunts and uncles. “Anybody have anything to say?”

“How many people y’all think Granddaddy killed?” Krude asked as we continued to watch. “I bet it’s a lot.”

“Probably not as many as Madea,” Ex answered him.

“Madea?” Krude looked at him like he was crazy. “Not my favorite person.” He shook his head and waved him off.

“I live with them, remember?” Ex reminded Krude. “I hear things, and not just them having sex when they think I’m asleep.”