Page 39
I grabbed Daddy’s cup of ice and grabbed Em’s hand. If my aunt came in here, I knew shit would get messy. She was just like my mama. Always in somebody’s business, but she didn’t have a filter. Aunt Mookie would say whatever came to mind.
“Yes, Auntie. This is Emery. Emery, this is my aunt Mookie.”
“Oh, hey, Emery. You the one that be on TV playing ball, huh? Well, you know Savi is hard to tie down, baby. Gotta hold this one tight.”
Em smiled, staring down at me. “Nice to meet you. But I ain’t worried, Auntie. I treat her right. She knows that. Right, baby?”
“Yup, he sure does. Auntie, let me get out here to Daddy. Emery got a chess match with him.” I rushed, hoping she didn’t have anything else to say.
“Oh, lil’ girl, you ain’t gotta drag that man outta here. Let him sit for a minute. I got a few questions for him,” she said, dropping into the chair next to my mom.
“Mookie, let them kids go. You so damn nosey. Go ’head, babygirl. And tell your lying ass Daddy I said to go light on the liquor or he’s sleeping on the couch.”
“Yes, Mommy.” I dragged Em behind me, hauling ass out of the kitchen.
“Come on back for Christmas, Emery. Lil’ fine, chocolate self,” Aunt Mookie called behind us.
“She get on my damn nerves. Flirts with anybody,” I muttered.
Before we made it back to the table, I could already hear Daddy’s loud, boisterous voice above everybody else.
“Nigga, you set for the third time! Get yo’ ass off my table!”
“I can’t prove it, but you cheated, nigga!” Uncle Dusty yelled, throwing down his cards.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get yo’ sad ass up. I gotta chess match to win,” Daddy replied, gathering the cards.
“It’s cool. Ima get yo’ ass next time,” Uncle Dusty said, picking up his hat. “Let me go see if I can get a piece of chicken or somethin’.”
He kissed my forehead on the way out, and I slid the cup to Daddy. Em sat down in the same seat Uncle Dusty was sitting in, and I sat across from them.
“Mommy said you gon’ be sleeping on the couch if you get too drunk. I promise I didn’t tell on you,” I said and snickered.
He shook his head and moved the chess pieces on the board. “That woman don’t miss shit. I ain’t gettin’ drunk. I’m sippin’. There’s a difference. Ain’t that right, Em?”
Em nodded, preparing himself to get beaten again. He wasn’t seeing Daddy in chess. I let my baby believe he could win one day, but my dad had mastered chess.
Once all the pieces were placed, Daddy let Em make the first move. I watched, knowing Emery was about to make the wrong move, but I couldn’t say anything.
“Now why would you do that, Em? You fucked up. You know that, right?” Daddy said.
Emery grabbed his head, realization flashing across his face. He knew he fucked up. My niece Jiovanni came and dropped in my lap like she wasn’t almost as big as me, smiling hard like she was about to beg.
She leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Can I have some money?”
“Jiovanni, all you do is beg! How much?” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Fifty dollars.” She pouted. “I want to get this nail kit, and my Daddy said I’m over my monthly limit of begging.”
I sucked my teeth. “Apple Pay or Cash App, little girl?”
“Apple Pay. Thank you, Aunt Savi.” She kissed my cheek. “I won’t ask for nothing else until Christmas.”
“You a damn liar! You better not tell your siblings I gave you no money, and you better not get in trouble between now and Christmas, or you ain’t getting nothing from me. Got it?”
“I won’t. I promise. And Mommy said she was on her way back. She told me to tell you.”
She kissed my cheek again and bounced off. Jiovanni acted just like Shaina when she was her age. Always had a new hustle and begged Aunt Mookie for shit just like my niece begged me, but she loved her siblings. I watched her flop on the couch next to her little sister, Jaida, and they snuggled up, watching whatever was on her phone. Jiovanni kissed her face, and Jaida wiped it off, but she didn’t move from beside her.
