Trying To Maintain

T H I R T Y - T H R E E

Timitrius

"Wuzzam bitch!" I clap up one of my little cousins I haven't seen in forever. Last time I seen him, he was a lil kid in school and shit. Cold at the school shit too. Nigga was the only one in our family to have straight a's.

I am so proud because he beat the odds. He is my Uncle Baby's oldest son Gerrell. Uncle Baby had him when he was sixteen and his ol lady at the time was fifteen. Gerrell himself didn't have any kids, and he did what neither of his parents could do. Not only did he graduate high school, but he went to college on a academic scholarship. I'm proud of him and glad I get to see him, amongst other family members, in person now.

Instead of going to wherever the fuck Drevon said we was going, he brought me back to Granny house. They threw me lil welcome home party. There is a lil bouncy house here for all of the little kids. Toots been in there since we first got here. She going to sleep good as fuck tonight.

"Ain't shit, mane. How you doing?" He replies with a wide smile.

"Good nigga! Happy to be out."

"That's what's up. Stay out this time."

"I'm way ahead of you. I'm not going back in that bitch."

"Shit, they must be preserving y'all nigga's in there. You look my age and shit. I know your ass at least forty." He says jokingly.

"Fuck you, dick. I'm only thirty-three."

"I'm fucking with you. You look good though. Look the same as when you left, ain't age a lil bit at all, mane."

"I appreciate it." I give him a smile. "I heard you in college and shit mane, I'm proud of you."

"Yeah. Out at TSU in Houston." He smile shyly, staying humble.

"That's what's up mane!" I hug him, happy to hear he made it out. "What you studying?"

"Simple shit. Business management with a minor in at risk youth. I don't want work for nobody else, and I wanna come back and help kids in the hood, ya heard me."

"Look at you, cuz. Finna be the hood's hero."

"Man, I don't know about that, but I do know I want help these lil nigga's out here. They be down bad mane."

"Shit I know it. I was one of them once upon a time." I shake my head. "You sti—"

"Uncle Pootie!" I hear making me turn around to see Tink walking towards me. "Granny said to come in the house, she need to show you something."

"Damn," I hear lil cuz mumble. I look at him to see him practically undressing Tink with his eyes.

I turn back to Tink, "I'm coming," I say as I start to walk towards the house. Tink walks away, leaving me behind as she walks back inside.

"Hol'up, Pootie." Gerrell says pulling on my arm. "She kin folk?" He asks me quietly.

"Yep." I lie without thinking twice. He in college, she in high school. That's a case. "Besides. She only fifteen. How old you is now, lil cuz?"

"You lying; she ain't kin folk, plus I'm only nineteen, mane."

"Anything more than two years older than her and you got yourself a case."

"I'm not even trying to fuck on her like that...at least not right now."

"She off limits, lil cuz," I say and leave him standing there to see what my Granny needs from me.

When I walk in the house, I go straight to the kitchen since I didn't see her in the living room. "Look who's here, Pootie." My Granny cheeses so wide that I take a mental picture, noting how happy she is in this moment.