“Dad did brunch,” Mundo informed them, enjoying his.
“I better not, need to get home.” Crystal murmured low, it was obvious that was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Ah - no you don’t, you’ll feed the boys and eat first.” Shawn ordered, “So grab plates and get some food down you,” He wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Angela was the first to lead the way to the counter, grabbing small plates for Darren and Isaac. Looking over her shoulder at Crystal, “Dad has spoken.” She grinned, making her father look down and wink at her.
Not putting up much of a fight, Crystal walked over and started a plate for herself, helping Angela with what to put on the boys, “Victor is going to be fit to be tied.”
“He’ll live, let him wait - you’ll be back there soon enough,” Shawn grumbled.
Joining her brother with her food, Crystal remembered the call from Ben the night before, “Have you heard from Ben this morning? He called last night, said he sent you pictures to download for PenTab’s new website?”
“Haven’t heard from him yet.” Shawn returned.
“Well, he said to delete the first batch and download the second,” She went on to deliver the remaining of the message.
“Thanks, I’ll check my emails in a bit. Hey ah, you wouldn’t happen to know about what went on last night would you? Have I missed anything?” He asked just in case she knew more than he did.
“Emmm, not sure what you mean?” She was completely in the dark.
Shawn realized that and waved it off, “Never-mind, eat - I’ll find out soon enough I’m sure.”
Just then they all heard Mama Jojo groaning a bit, making her way towards them on her walking frame.
“Mornin’,” They all called out to her.
“Mornin’ ya’ll,” They could all tell by her tone she was still tired.
Shawn was the only one who hadn’t said good morning, noticing how tired she was, “You sound like you’ve risen too early, think maybe you should go back and try for some more sleep?” He suggested. Her welfare always his first concern.
“I be ah’right, sides - I’ah get plenty enough when I’m dead.”
“Hey! None of that now.” He complained.
She only smiled, he was always so serious, “Chile lighten up. ‘Sides, gots to get thangs ready for the B & B, got two bidness folk to get ready for, they checkin’ in tomorra. Gotta hook’em with my good cookin’, lord they love what I dish up.” Mama Jojo bragged, grinning - bringing a smile to everyone’s face. She loved the work she did for the B & B, it gave her reason to get up every morning, taking care of people. Because it was a business, she enjoyed it even more so. It was her own contribution that gave her a sense of pride. All the years of cooking and taking care of her kids and grandkids, she loved nothing more than cooking up big meals and being praised for how delicious it was. She was getting that and more from the B & B, in fact, they were getting referrals because of her. Her treatment, her age old wisdom and advice, her food.
Picking up where she left off, Shawn reminded her, “That’s tomorrow - today you need some more sleep.”
Mama Jojo looked at the kids, grinning and ignored Shawn for the most part. Mundo leapt from his chair to pull one out for her to sit down. Once she settled in her chair, to Shawn, “Get me my decaf sugah, some eggs, bacon and whatever fruit up there, please.”
Doing as he was told, Shawn shook his head at her, “You as hard headed as they come, you do know that don’t you?” fixing her plate, having her there and taking care of her, meant as much to him as the arrival of Jesse James, “…don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.” From there he went on to tell her, “Mom left hours ago, early this morning, she hadn’t gotten much sleep either.” He moved in to try and get info from her.
Delivering her plate before her, he set her cup of decaf before her as well - Mama Jojo nodded, “Thanx’ya sweet,”
“What happened last night?” He cut to the chase, “What time you two get to sleep?” He was eaten up with curiosity.
“Chile we was up late, an’ last night, what I see, is it’sa small world, tha’s for sho.”
“Yes it is, so - how is it that my dad made you feel that way? It was seeing him that triggered it all wasn’t it?”
“Is it all right with you, if I was to eat first?” She sassed him.
Shawn blushed, “Sorry - yes ma’am - you should definitely eat first.”
Mundo snickered, then whistled searching the ceiling for things that weren’t there.
Shawn got him, “You hurry up and eat, we have a nursery to do remember? I’ll let you start without me by taping up the base boards, door frames and windows for when we paint.”
Making a face, with his mouth dropping open, Mundo displayed a tiny fit, but said not another word. While Crystal took her turn to snicker at him along with Angela. Mama Jojo also laughed shaking her head at Mundo, “Po’baby, got’s t’have seniority to get away wit’ thangs, otherwise, hush up and ack right.”
Crystal was cheesing with all her teeth showing, “Yeah, bwoy - when you gone learn?”
“Uh, you can get’on home now - where you live.” Mundo reminded her.
“Don’t start, don’t start, i’s early in the afternoon, don’t have me so I can’t digest…” Mama Jojo fussed.
Angela did a quiet laugh pointing at Mundo, teasing him.
Shawn took that moment to head to his office to get and check his emails, finding what Ben wrote him, as well the links to download his work for the following week. He was also looking into what he would need to decorate Jesse James’s nursery. Crystal poked her head in, “We’ve eaten - I love you Papah-Shawn, going home now, talk to you later.”
Shawn glanced up over the top of his computer monitor, “Love you too. Hurry up and get to the point where you’re leaving the schmuck, kay? I’ll be waiting.”
Smiling, rolling her eyes to the ceiling, and shaking her head she turned gathering her boys to head for home.
Next to show up was Mundo, “Dad, food was great, I stacked the dishwasher - I be back in a bit-…”
“Oh no you don’t, taping the nursery remember? Get it ready for painting, remember? Right?” He reminded him from behind his monitor.
Mundo made faces, danced a bit, and then giving up the battle, “Can I take off for a bit after I get through taping?”
“Long as it’s done right, and don’t be gone long - we’ll be painting later. I’m heading out to buy supplies and will expect you to be here when I get back to get it done.”
“Oh man, I might as well stay’on here then, shoot.” He whined from the doorway.
“My thoughts exactly,” Shawn smiled at him and winked.
“Ma-a-an, there goes my Saturday, I was gone make some money and thangs,”
“You don’t need no money and thangs,” Shawn mimicked him, grinning, “… you have plenty coming. Go get that room taped, you can go with me when you’re done.” He ordered over the monitor from his desk.
Mundo sulked off to do as he was told, on his mobile he texted a few and phoned a few breaking the bad news to those who cared, he wouldn’t be hanging with them that day. After all, he was now popular Mr. Cool, and everyone wanted to hang with him. Though he put on a good show otherwise, in truth, Mundo was going to be spending his Saturday exactly as he most enjoyed, with his “dad” - decorating Jesse James nursery. He went and got his radio, set up a table with his tunes, the CD’s with mixes of current jams as well dusties - and then got busy. Of course, the dusties were for when Shawn joined him.
In the office, Mama Jojo joined him because she knew him - he was being eaten up about what took place the night before. While she was not free to tell him everything, she would give him something. After all, he was the reason she had a new leaf on life - a reason to rise and smile in the morning. He’d come to her via Jesse James Douglas. He was quite possibly, her brother’s grandson. Quite possibly, flowing through his veins, was her mother’s blood - Virgi
nia Ruth Piercey’s. Even if he wasn’t, she loved him as if he were from her own. As far as she was concerned, she owed him - there was that something in her, that felt more compelled to be loyal to him, over Gert. There were things that only Gert knew for a certainty. In time, whatever truths there were - Gert needed to come clean on it. However, she wouldn’t rush it, because there was a part of Mama Jojo that wasn’t so sure if he could handle the truth, if it was different from what all thought.
“I tell you the truth - tha’s somethin’ else how somebody can sit on a computa’ and jus’ do stuff an’ make money.” She commented sitting across from him.
Shawn was all smiles, having moved from behind his desk for Mama Jojo. She was one of the few women in his life he looked up to, besides his mother and his wife.
“Computers are good for all kinds of things, making money is only one of them. You been on yours today?”
“Chile please, why? Guess I do one day, Sylvia been teachin’ me. I’on know, got no reason to get on there, who I know?”
Thinking about it, Shawn answered, “Your brother in California. I bet he uses a computer, is online. Just think, you could keep up with him that way, you two could chat - go on video calling, all sorts of things.”
Her sparsely gray brows went up at the mention of him, his possible grandfather, and didn’t even know it, “Ah shoot, tha’s what the phone fa’ - ‘sides, I ain’t typed in a long time. Gots to be fas’ on them things.” She thought, passing by the chance to discuss him.
“Mama Jojo, you have a good computer in that room of yours, I want you to learn how to use it, once you do, you’ll be on it all the time. You’d be amazed at how many your age, have found themselves a good time there by being online.”
“Yessim sa’ - I get right on it,” she teased him, “Any thang else sa’?”
Shawn chuckled shaking his head, “Yeah, stay away from my wife, she’s teaching you bad things,”
Mama Jojo was laughing as well, it was certain Shawn was one of her favorite people in the world since the death of her grandson, Jesse James.
“So ah, now that you’ve had breakfast, a laugh at my expense, wanna tell me about last night?” He tried once more.
She settled back, already knowing what parts of it she would share, “I knew yo’daddy’s daddy. An’ seen his daddy a time or two. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Seeing yo’ daddy las’ night, took me back to days as a child, a lil’ol’girl who saw thangs, but - didn’t know what I was seein’.” She nodded to herself and Shawn, who sat stunned, flabbergasted in fact.
“You - knew them? I - I knew you’d come from South Carolina, but… wow - what a small world.”
“Yes indeed it is chile, yes indeed it is - smaller than you know. Me and yo’mama, talk for a long time las’ night.”
“I - Mama Jojo, I don’t understand, why so secretive? I mean, why couldn’t you have said that to all of us?”
Mama Jojo sighed long and deep, sitting back in the comfortable padded office chair. She wanted to tell him much, but how much before it was too much? He was full of questions. Such a smart man, too much of her truth he might put it together himself, and she had to give Gert time to do this herself.
“Mama Jojo?” Shawn called her name in question.
She made up her mind how to word things, carefully of course, “What I know - could hurt yo’daddy. What I tell yo’mama last night, was thangs about his daddy.”
“What about my grandfather?” Shawn asked.
Mama Jojo knew that in truth, his grandfather might be his great-grandfather. She decided to swerve around that one, “Shawn - my lil’brother’s - the one alive, and the one dead was half white. Not only that, but - they was McPherson’s too.”
Shawn sat up straight, his eye’s widened in disbelief, but - coming from Mama Jojo, he had no choice but to believe that it was so. Now, quick as a flash, back in California - Sylvia had shared something with him that he’d dismissed about his family past and Mama Jojo’s younger brothers. It was true - there was a link between them - he didn’t know what to say.
“Reason I react like I do, ‘cuz yo’daddy - look like and sound just like the man who use to visit my mama all the time. I was a lil’girl and well, he saved us. He took care of my mama, he took care of me, my lil’sista’. My mama, have his first chile, Jacob Edward Piercey - but his real name was McPherson, cuz - Jacob Paul McPherson, I heard growing up, loved my mama. Gert say, yo’daddy don’t know - that he have mixed brothers born before he was even thought of. My mama run him off, ‘cuz they couldn’t be together back then. ‘Sides that, even his daddy, they used to call him GM, went for my mama. I find out way later - by a woman that used to be my mama best friend - that GM was killed while waiting to meet my mama.”
Shawn sat still, his mouth open staring and blown away.
Finally he said, “GM? George Marshall McPherson - that was my great-grandfather’s name,”
“That be him. I hear he was some kind’ah handsome man - Oooh-weee and into everythang. They say he was somethin’ else - head gangsta’ - bootleggin’, running numbers, selling drugs, you name it, he was into it. I know - these here thangs that yo’own daddy don’t know.”
“His father, my grandfather was a Baptist minister. He was strict, harsh and demanded a certain way from my father. And he was with a black-…”
“My mama! Don’t forget what I say… he was a young man, I’m thankin’ all this happen b’fore he choose God full time. Don’t you forget, young men will be, what they will be ‘til they grow up an’ be real men. ‘Sides, he was good to my mama, real good - like I say, to me and my lil’sista’ too. So, don’t you go t’gettin’ all wound up - you wasn’t there, I was - and even I didn’t know the full story until I grow up, and people startin’ to tell me what happened.” She sat back nodding her head, “I never thought - you - and my past - was one. I never thought such a thang. Well, now you know.”
Shawn sat back, thoroughly hushed. But something nagged him, and he said it, “There’s more to this, isn’t there? What more is there? Besides that is - that your brother is my uncle.” Shawn was blown away, “This is amazing, simply amazing! Jesse James found me, took me in - took care of me, and all this time - we’re connected - that makes you, my step-aunt? Right?”
Mama Jojo only mumbled a, “Emmm,” because she knew that she was more than that - she was his actual aunt if Gert had given birth to Edwin’s child.
Shawn waited for her to elaborate, to add more, and when she sat unwilling to say anymore, he knew that was it coming from her, “Is that it then? Is this all there is to it? Nothing more right?”
“I’ve never lied to you chile, ain’t bought to start now. What more there is, I can’t say - ain’t to me to say.”
“I don’t know what you mean, what more could there be?”
Mama Jojo struggled up onto her walking frame. “When the time right, you know the res’… tha’s all I’m sayin’, don’ axe me no’more - you hear? I mean it, tha’s all I’m sayin’.” She turned and made her way out of his office.
Shawn sat back with his mind trying to put the pieces together, but no matter how many ways he tried to fit the puzzle, he hadn’t a clue as to what the rest was - because he didn’t have all the pieces. Before Mama Jojo made it out the door he called asking, “Well - who does know the rest? My mother? Why would you tell her, and not me? I don’t get it.”
Mama Jojo stopped in the doorway, “I don’ said, all I’m gone say.” And went on about what her day would include setting up the menu for the B & B meals.
Series 13 - Episode 105 - Chapter 316
Sylvia was sitting on the side of the bed. She’d gotten up and used the bathroom - washed up and on the way out of the bathroom a bad wave of dizziness hit her. She made her way to their bed as quickly as she could in fear of falling to the floor. Trying to give it time, she hoped that it would pass. She was still tired, and needed to eat. Just as she was about to stand their phone rang. She was right beside it a
nd so answered it on the first ring.
“Sylvia,”
“Hey, it’s Vivian,”
“Mornin’, or afternoon I should say, what’s up?”
“Shanna been by there and told you what went down this morning here yet?”
“Uh oh, that don’t sound good. Why, what’s going on now?”
She heard Vivian audibly sigh on the other end of the line, like she was disgusted, tired or just didn’t know where to begin. “Meribel came by here this morning to get the kids, this after Mama Gert left in a strange mood as well. She didn’t have much to say to anyone.”
“I thought she was supposed to be staying by you all?”
“Em, well - she changed her mind, because she went home, or I’m assuming she did.”
“Dangit, I wanted to ask her about last night. I slept later than usual because of heartburn and reflux half the night. Oh well, anyway - what did I miss? From the top please?” She asked leaning sideways rubbing Jesse James down from her ribs again. She was hungry, needed to eat and had to get downstairs to do that. She was not about to call Shawn about it. Therefore, she stood as Vivian was gearing up and found herself to be still, dizzy. She figured, ‘fine, I’ll crawl,’ she thought to herself and did so, slid down off the bed to the floor. She perched the phone between her head and shoulder at her ear and began crawling across the floor out of the bedroom, laughing at herself - heading down the hall. All the time praying no one caught her, like her husband for instance. Because she definitely didn’t wish to hear it. When she got to the stairs, she sat and began easing down them on her rear step by step. She was unlikely to fall by going down that way because she was still light headed. Meanwhile as she made her way down Vivian was going on, “Okay, from the top huh? Well, Gert came this morning acting - well - closed. I don’t know what happened or was said last night between her and Mama Jojo, but whatever it was - it was not good… - uhhh, what are you doing? You and Shawn not getting busy are you?”
Beauty of Man and Woman - Volume 13: Bomaw Page 28
