Giovanni

by Dominique Butler

  " Most likely, we are going to eat and relax then go to Grandma G's house where everyone is staying," I tell her.

  Just thinking about spending time with them makes me depressed, I thought, leaning my head on the window, my phone rings in my hand. I look at it to see Gio calling, and I answer it.

  "Hey," I said.

  " How was your flight?" he asks.

  " Good," I tell him.

  " What are you doing?" he asks.

  " On my way home in a cab instead of in my brother's or dad's car," I tell him.

  Gio just laughs. "I'll call you later. I have a meeting to attend in five," he tells me.

  " Ok, bye," I say.

  " Bye," he said before hanging up.

  We pull up to the house I grew up in, two-story home with five bedrooms, basement, attic, garage, fenced-in backyard, two and a half bathrooms. We get out the cab with Angel paying the driver. We grab our bags following behind Brandi up the steps. She unlocks the door, and we walk into the sunroom where Tammy keeps her plants.

  "We can drop our bags off here. Just don't knock over the plants," I tell them.

  We walk into the living room to see Brandon playing the Xbox with his headset on. I walk up behind him, smacking the back of his neck. "Ow," he yells at the top of his lungs, jumping off the couch, holding the end of his neck. He turns around to see us standing behind the couch. "Why did you do that, Mille?" he asks, walking around the couch, giving me a hug.

  " You should have heard us coming in. Where's Tammy?" I ask.

  " Somewhere upstairs, but she told me that breakfast is covered in the kitchen," he said, grabbing the controller.

  " I'll go get Tammy. Y’all can go eat just save me some," I tell them, walking to the staircase.

  I look around upstairs to see that the same pictures are still hanging on the walls from when I was a kid. I walk to the master bedroom at the end of the hall to see the door cracked. "I don't know what's she gonna be able to do. All I know is that her and Ricci are getting close, so she might have some influence on him. Mama G, the way things are looking, we might gotta take all the money out then get Dre to flee," Tammy said. She pauses for a moment.

  "They should be here any minute. They took a cab since Chris and Rico had to pick something up before they could go to the airport," Tammy said. "Okay, mama, I'll call you before we leave," Tammy said, hanging up the phone. I hear her huffing and mumbling to herself.

  I take a minute before I knock on the door. Tammy opens the door. "Mille your home," Tammy said, pulling me into a hug. "How was your flight?" she asks, grabbing my hand, walking towards the bed.

  "It was quick. What happened to Chris and dad picking me up?" I ask.

  " Oh, they had to pick things up for mama G," Tammy said. Why do people have to lie? I thought.

  " Ok, I'm gonna go eat breakfast with the others," I tell Tammy, getting off the bed.

  " I made your favorite. I'll be downstairs in a moment," Tammy said.

  I walk into the kitchen to see pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and home fries on the counter. This is the one thing about Tammy that I miss; her cooking, I thought grabbing a plastic plate off the shelf. I piled my plate with home fries and pancakes, and I walk to the table to see that they are almost done with their food.

  " Why didn't you tell me that she can cook like this?" Tisha said. I look at her then eat my food.

  "How’s the food?" Tammy asks, walking into the kitchen.

  "Wonderful," Tisha said.

  "Thank you, sweetie. Who’s this good-looking man?" Tammy asks, looking at Angel.

  " This is Angel, Tisha's boyfriend," I tell her. Tisha side-eye me.

  " Really, how long have y'all been dating," Tammy asks, taking a seat across from them.

  "Ma’am, we've been dating for three months," Angel said.

  " Well, I'm Tammy, but people call me T sometimes. Guys, we'll be leaving in a couple of hours heading to mama G's," Tammy said before getting up from the table.

  After we got done eating, we cleaned the table then Brandi goes to her room while the rest of us go in the living room to see Brandon still playing 2K. "You golden state?" Angel said, sitting in the chair next to Brandon.

  " Yea," Brandon said, making a three.

  " You know the real team is the Lakers," Angel said.

  " Nah, they okay but not the best," Brandon said. Angel and Brandon go back and forth.

  " Tisha, come with me to the basement," I said, pulling her off the couch. We walk through the kitchen, going to the open door next to the glass door for the back. I turn the TV on as then we both sit down in the recliners. " Tisha.” She turns to me. " I need you to do me a solid," I ask.

  " You know I got your back. Ever since your ass got me out of that situation with Marcus," she said.

  "Yeah, never again," I said, remembering when he used to beat her ass.

  " I need you to keep your ears open to anybody saying another about Ricci, money, or about me," I tell her.

  " I got you," Tisha said. We sit back in the chairs then turn the TV on vh1 to see love and hip hop New York. "Girl, this my shit," Tisha said we watch that and Black Ink Crew for a couple of hours before Brandi came down to get us. I turn off the TV then going upstairs. I walk into the kitchen to see Chris and dad talking in the corner.

  "Hey, where was y'all?" I ask.

  "Sorry, we thought that we would be done picking all the stuff up," dad said, giving me a hug. We hugged for a minute, then Chris snatched me up.

  “ How does it feel to be back in the A?" he asks.

  "It’s okay, just scorching," I say, releasing the hug.

  " So who's that boy that was playing the game with Brandon?" dad asks.

  “That’s Tisha's new man," I tell him, walking into the living room.

  " We're taking two cars. Me, your dad, and the twins are riding in the truck. The rest of y' all ride in the Tahoe," Tammy said. We all grab our bags heading for the garage waiting for Chris to pop the trunk. Angel walks up to me.

  " Your dad knows I work for Ricci," he said.

  " Okay," I tell him. Tammy and the twins get in the truck waiting for Dad.

  I walk back in the house to hear: “We need to get him away from us," I hear dad say.

  “Yeah, but you know how Mille is," Chris said they pause for a minute.

  " Where y'all at?" I yelled, walking into the kitchen. " What are y' all doing? We are ready to go," I say.

  " We are coming just making sure everything is turned off," dad said.

  " Did you get my message?" I ask.

  " Yes, I'm working on getting them," he said. We all walk to the garage.

  " Why is he here?" dad asks.

  " Who are you talking about?" I ask, continuing walking out of the house.

  "That white boy that's who," dad said with a little hostility in his voice. I turn around so fast it caused him, and Chris almost bumps into me.

  "Like I said before, that's Tisha's man. She wanted to bring him, and Ricci thought I would need some security while out of state," I tell him.

  "You’re with family. You don't need to be worried," he said, I raise my eyebrows.

  "Last time I was around the family, they damn near killed me thinking I took money out of our joint account when it was Keisha," I tell him. I walk to the car, helping put the bags in the trunk, then hopping in the passenger seat, putting on my seatbelt.

  "Mille," Chris said.

  "What Chris?" I said back.

  "Dad is just saying you’re safe with us," he said.

  "If that's what you want to say," I tell him.

  After an hour of driving, we made it to Grandma G's ranch style house with two acres of land.

  "There goes cousin Kevin," Chris said, pulling the car on the side of the curb. "Lil Kev," Chris said after rolling the window down.

  "Wassup Chris," Kevin said, leaning in the window.

  "Is that Camille?" he said, looking me up and down.

  "Hey Kev," I said.


  "Girl, I ain't seen you in years," he said.

  "Yeah, time flies when you’re outta state," I tell him.

  “What are you about to do?" Chris asks.

  "Trying to play some ball," Kevin said.

  "Alright, let me drop everyone off, then I'll head to the court," Chris said. Chris starts the car up again, driving for another couple of minutes until we pulled up to the house. There are a couple of family members that I know since we're friends on Facebook. We get out of the car.

  “Oh, my God. Camille is really here," aunt Staci said damn near running off the porch.

  "Hey," I said, giving her a hug.

  "Girl, you look good. New York has been doing you good, " she said.

  “ Yes, it has," I told her, knowing damn well I live in New Jersey. After that, a couple of uncles and aunts came to me, giving hugs. After all the introductions, we grab our bags.

  "Follow me I'll take you to your rooms," aunt Staci say.

  We walk into the huge living room to see kids running around then walk up the stairs going to the end of the hall. “Since y'all are the last to arrive, there are only the last two rooms at the end," she said.

  "We should be fine," I said when we reached the last two rooms are across from each other.

  "Here we go. I'll see y'all downstairs," she said, walking back down the hall. I look over at Angel and Tisha.

  "What was that about?" Tisha whisper I shrug my shoulders.

  I walk into the room to see that it has a full-size bed, dresser, nightstand, and a rack to hang clothes on. I set my bags at the end of the bed I walk to the window across from the bed to see Chris talking to some man I don't know; I crack it.

  "She's here. I don't know if she'll go for this," Chris said.

  "All I need is for you to do is make an introduction. I'll do the rest," the man said.

  "You think that you got game like that," Chris said then leaves. I wait a few seconds to see a dark skin man with a fresh cut wearing a polo shirt and khaki shorts walk from under the window. Who is this, I thought? I walk out of my room knocking on Tisha's door, a second later she opens the door. I walk in, going straight to the window.

  "Angel, you ever see that man in the red polo shirt?" I ask. He walks up to the window staring at the man.

  "I have seen him once or twice. I think his name is Devin," Angel said. He sits on the bed, pulling out his phone, calling somebody. "A couple months ago, you met with a man named Devin," Angel said he pauses for a few minutes. " Well, he's here," Angel said then hands me the phone.

  "Hello," I said.

  "Love, I will need for you to stay away from him," Gio said.

  "What’s going on?" I ask.

  "A couple of months ago, Devin came up on behalf of your family to pay off Dre's debt if I would leave you alone. When I asked him what did he get for this, he said to you," he said.

  Damn so I'm going from one man to the other, I thought.

  "Okay, thanks," I said.

  "Be careful," Gio said. I hand the phone back to Angel. He and Gio talk for a couple more minutes then he hangs up.

  "So, what are we gonna do?" Angel asks.

  "We're just gonna play the game with them," I tell them, looking out the window. " For starters, we need to go downstairs and talk to everyone and pretend to want to be here," I tell them.

  We leave the room in a quiet hallway. Everybody must be outside or downstairs, I thought. We make it down the stairs to see all eyes on us.

  " Hey," I said, stepping off the stairs.

  "Is that my grandbaby, Cam?" Mama G said, getting out of the recliner.

  " Yes, " I said, walking up to her giving her a hug.

  "Girl next time you disappear like that, I'm gonna beat you," she said, laughing. She leans back. "You look good, just like your mother," she said.

  I just smile at her knowing she never liked my mom.

  "You remember," she said, re-introducing to people in the living room like I care. I look back at Tisha and Angel to see them trying to hold their laughter in.

  "Who are they?" aunt Karen asks, staring them up and down. I walk up to Tisha.

  "This is my best friend, Tisha, and this is her boyfriend Angel," I said.

  "Oh, she like the white chocolate,” aunt Angelique said, walking through the front door.

  "Hey auntie A," I said, walking up to her. She was the only one that I like.

  "Hey, baby," she said, giving me a hug.

  "How have you been?" she asks after releasing me from the hug.

  "Good, how about you?" I ask.

  "Good, we are going to have a talk later, " she said, whispering the last part walk whing past me going into the living room.

  “Hey mom," she said to grandma G.

  "Let's go to the back," I tell Angel and Tisha. We walk out the living room down the hall to the dining room that has a table that can hold fifteen people. Then we walk in the kitchen to see Tammy talking to some lady. She sees us.

  "Camille, I would like you to meet a friend of mines, Mitchell," she said.

  "Nice meeting you," I said, shaking her hand.

  " Where are y'all going?" Tammy asks

  "Just out back," I said.

  "Dinner starts at eight," she said. I shake my head then hit the back door.

  "You just did the best performance I ever saw," Tisha said when we made it a couple feet away from the door.

  "I had years of practice," I tell her. I look around us to see kids and my many cousins around.

  "Mille," I hear. I turned around to see Chris walking over to us.

  "Yeah," I say.

  "We have some drinks by the court. Want to come?" he asks.

  "Yeah," I said, following him.

  "Angel, you play ball," Chris asks.

  "Yeah," Angel said.

  "Good, we're playing a game," Chris said.

  "I'm with it," Angel said.

  At the court was a couple of picnic tables, two hoops, and paved concrete under them; the tables are packed with coolers and everybody standing around them. As we walk up again, all eyes on us. We grab our drinks when some girl walks up on me.

  "If it ain't little miss bougie," the girl said. I look at her wearing a crop top, jean shorts with holes, and some flip flops.

  "Do I know you?" I ask her.

  "You see, she hasn't seen her family in years can't even recognize anybody," the girl said, trying to make a scene, but if memory serves me right, the only person that tries me like this is Keisha.

  "Keisha, what do you want?" I ask.

  "You finale figured out who I am," she said, laughing with her little friends behind her.

  "Yeah, you know, after you steal from the family, you become dead to me," I tell her, taking a sip of my Smirnoff. She opens and closes her mouth.

  "I didn’t steal. That was just a misunderstanding," Keisha said.

  "Okay, let's keep it that way," I say, then she walks away.

  " What did she steal?" Tisha nosy ass asks.

  "Money out the joint business account," I tell her.

  "Damn, she a savage, " Tisha said.

  " Nah, that's just a broke, lazy bitch that doesn't want to work," I tell her, taking a seat on the other side of the court. Kevin walks in the middle of the court, holding the ball, saying, " Everybody that playing gets on the court."

  Angel finishes his drink. " Watch your man beat some ass," he said, walking on the court.

  "You ever see him play basketball before," I ask, watching Kevin and my brother pick teams.

  " No, just play 2k," she tells me. Angel ends up on Kevin's team. The game starts with Chris's team getting the ball first.

  " Hey ladies haven't seen you two around here before," somebody said I turn to the sound of the voice to see that it is this Devin guy.

  " I haven't been to a reunion in a couple of years," I tell him looking back at the game to see that Angel just blocks the ball.

  " I'm Devin," he said.

  " I'm Camille, and this is Tish
a," I say.

  " So you’re the famous Camille I heard about you," he said.

  He won't stop talking, I thought. " Nothing but good things, I hope," I said.

  " Yes, they were," he said.

  Angel gets the ball dribbling down the middle of the court, making a three, Tisha gets up cheering so loud then she sits down. " My baby is good," Tisha said.

  "Yeah, your baby is," I tell her.

  " So, Miss. Camille, I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me," Devin asks.

  I know this nigga didn't, I thought. " I'm comfortable here," I tell him.

  " You caught my eye I want to get to know you," he said.

  " Look, Devin, I'm talking to someone at this time," I tell him.

  " It’s cool that you're not in a committed relationship, so I might get a chance," he said.

  " Don’t know about that," I said, looking back at the game to see that Chris has the ball.

  "We’ll see. Nice meeting you, ladies," he said before leaving.

  Chapter 17

  The game ended with Kevin's team beating Chris's team. Angel walks over to us, " y’ all see my skills," he said.

  " Yeah, I see you, boy," I said, hyping him up.

  " Hey Angel, good game," Kevin said.

  " You too, man," Angel tells him. Angel takes a seat in between us. " What did he talk to you about?" Angel asks, looking in Devin's direction.

  " Nothing much just trying to flirt," I tell him. Angel shakes his head. I look at the time on my phone, seeing that it's 6:30. " Come on, guys. Dinner starts at 8 and Angel, you need a shower," I tell him.

  " I don't stink that bad," he said, smelling his underarms. We walk through the kitchen to see all the females cooking.

  " Ladies come in and help us cook," Tammy said.

  " What do you want us to do?" I ask.

  "Y'all can wash the greens," she said.

  We grab the basket with the greens in it then go to the sink. " Where they get these from?" Tisha asks.

  "Grandma has a little patch of farmland where she grows a little bit of everything," I tell her.

  " Come on, ladies, it hour till dinner," mama G said, stirring a pot on the stove.

  Everybody was joking and laughing while Tisha and I are having our own private conversation.

  "Camille," I hear someone call my name. I turn around to see Keisha looking at me, " do you have a man," she asks.