•AMANI WEST•
"AND ONE NIGGA!" Amir yelled, jumping up closer to the tv. We were both chilling in the basement until our guests arrived for dinner. Amir playing the game while I was scrolling through TikTok on my phone.
We had been back from the store for a while and had nothing to do besides wait.
Naturally, I began to zone out thinking about the boy from earlier.
The whole encounter was awkward, I can't believe I froze like that...I thought.
That was completely out of character for me, I'm usually not one to shy away from confrontation. I started to think about things I could've said instead of freezing.
"Helloooo...you good?" Amir was waving his hand in front of my face.
"Yea I'm good, move!" I said, smacking his hand out my face.
"So, you ain't hear nothing I just said?" He was powering his game off. "No what did you say?" I asked turning my phone off and giving him my undivided attention.
"Never mind I don't feel like saying it again" And he stood up and walked upstairs. I smacked my lips, stood up, and begin walking up the stairs behind him.
I've had enough of Amir for today, I thought while following him.
When we finally got upstairs I saw my mom rushing to open the door quickly. She screamed jumping up and hugging a woman who looked about the same age as my mom.
"Oh, my God! It's so good to see you!" My mom pulled the lady back to look at her before hugging her again. "How long has it been?"
"Too long." The lady said smiling as wide as she could. Her husband I assumed, was behind her smiling as well taking in the scene in front of him.
Finally, my mom let go of the lady, giving the husband a quick and tight hug.
"So...you gonna let us in or you just gone have us freeze out here to death?" The husband chuckled
"Well excuse me! Y'all can come in I guess." My mom said jokingly waving them inside.
They came in and suddenly all eyes were on me. I looked around seeing that Amir was nowhere to be found.
Great... I thought, I began to put on my fake "Meeting People" smile that I always do when I meet someone new.
The lady gasped bringing her hands up to her mouth.
"I know that is not baby Mani!" The lady started walking towards me with her arms out. I accepted her hug with an awkward chuckle.
"Uhh yea it is Mani," I said, She pulled back from the hug looking at me.
I made eye contact with my mom behind her hoping she could give me clarity on who this lady is. She just laughed to herself taking humor in the fact that I had no idea who I was hugging.
"Mary" my mother mouthed to me.
"How are you, Ms. Mary? It's good to see you!" I spoke with fake confidence now that I knew her name.
"I'm good baby, you have grown so much I could cry!" She was now standing next to her husband her smile beaming at me.
Mary was a brown-skinned woman with long jet-black hair tied into a neat bun.
On the other hand, her husband next to her was a tall dark-skinned man with a gray beard and a bald head. He was looking at me with knowing eyes like he knew something I didn't.
"Where's Amir? AMIR GET IN HERE NOW!" My mother began to yell, quickly my brother comes out of the kitchen with a guilty look on his face.
He was chewing food and his eyes widened at the two strangers in our living room.
