Cruel Summer

Chapter 9

Saturday, September 8, 2018

*Forest Missionary Baptist Church*

11:20 A.M.

~Dina~

"Is everybody in line?" I heard the funeral director asked he walked towards the church's double door.

"Wait! Wait!" I said as I pulled my dress down and fixed my hat.

"Oh my goodness, Dina?"

I turned around and seen my mother and father standing in line.

"Mother and Father. What do I owe this pleasure?" I asked smiling.

"Our grandson is about to be laid to rest and you come to the funeral in this mess? Lee, I didn't raise her this way!" My mom said as she shook her head.

"Mama, what are y'all doing here? Derrick didn't tell me y'all was coming."

"Dina Latrice, what is wrong with you? We moved. We are closer to you now. Why wouldn't we show up to our grandson's funeral?" My father said as he took his shades off.

My parents didn't play games. They were very strict when my brother and I were growing up.

My father is a pediatrician and my mother is a hairstylist. We come from a wealthy background, so I always had nice things. When I met Derrick in high school, he didn't have much. Like people always say...opposites attract.

"Baby, you ready?"

"Who is this? This isn't Derrick." My mom asked as she looked at my father.

"Mother, mind your business. I'll see you inside. Come on, Babe." I said as I grabbed my man and moved my way toward the front.

"Dina, why are you la—"

"Derrick, I'm walking in front of you. Ryan can walk in with you." I said as I flipped my blonde hair.

My girl Keyshia hooked a sister up with 613 straight hair that was 26 inches long.

"Who the hell is this nigga? Huh? Get the hell out my way!" Derrick said as he pushed through us and grabbed Ryan.

"My man, we got a problem?" My baby said as he looked Derrick up and down.

"My nigga, you with my wife. That's a problem! I'll whoop you and her as—"

"Derrick, don't you cuss on the church ground! Dina, you and your man need to get to the back of the line. You didn't help my son pay for nothing!" Alice said as she pointed to the back of the line.

I rolled my eyes. Alice gets on my nerves. She's always butting her nose in her son and I's marriage. She needs to worry about why her husband treated her like a dog for thirty something years.

"Girl, did you tell that to your step children when you had your husband's funeral two years ago? Huh? You know Papa Jackson was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home." I said rolling my eyes.

"Wait, Mama did help pay for the funeral! She was here planning it, Grandma. We talked on the phone when she was at the funeral home." Ryan said as she pushed her hair back.

"Ryan, she's a liar! Don't believe her! Oh, and to help save you from a beat down, don't mention my husband's name!" Alice said as she fixed her hair.

"Kiss my ass!" I said as I flipped my hair.

"We are on church grounds! Stop it!" Aimee said as she wiped her eyes.