Playtime Rules

Rule #23 Family is Important

What had she agreed to?

Meeting JeVonte's parents?

This was all happening so damn fast. She would not have time to get her hair and nails done, buy a new outfit, or do some research. She wanted to know more about them before she actually met them.

The best she could do was go on JeVonte's social media page and go through and see pics of his family. He only found two of his parents, they seemed to not like taking pictures. He looked like his father, only younger. His mother was lighter skinned and shirt with waist-length hair. Did not look old enough to be his mother.

There were several of his younger siblings, and she did not realize there were so many. He was the oldest at twenty-seven and they all were younger than him. There were five of them.

Maybe she should bring them gifts.

"Yancy, it's not Christmas or anything, and you haven't met them yet, no one expects gifts. Stop worrying," he said to her when he came to pick her up at her pace.  She was upset she could not find anything she thought would be appropriate.

"Just come empty-handed? Maybe bring wine or something to drink for your parents. What do they like?"

"Yan," he held her hands. "Babe, just bring this beautiful face."

He drove his car, not the Anderson's Lexus, which was a Toyota Camry. Simple, unglamorous car. It was older and needed some work done to it, it made a loud cranking noise, and no air conditioning in the middle of St. Louis' July weather. The windows were down and she was going to sweat out her hair before they even made it there. Jevonte said he did not like driving that expensive car into the city.

"Are we going to be in the hood?"

He chuckled at her. "Pretty much everywhere in St. Louis is kind of hood."

"Hell, I'm from Spanish Lake, we liked to think we were better than the city, but we're not."

JeVonte's parents lived in south city, on one of the "state streets" as they called it. Several streets named after states like California, Michigan, Oregon, Minnesota, and Missouri. They were on Nebraska, right off of the Cherokee Street shopping area. Cherokee Street was a center of commerce and culture with galleries, antique stores, music, and good eats. It was not too bad of a neighborhood, very diverse.

"I heard about this area," she said to him. "So you grew up with whites, Blacks, Asians, Latinos..."

"My parents wanted us to be around everything, all kinds of people. The Community Improvement District is doing some revitalization in the neighborhood. Right there on the corner of Cherokee and Nebraska. The Park is getting a new basketball court, a performance area, and community gardens. We all kind of help with it. "

"You and your parents?"

"My sisters and brothers as well. My ma is looking forward to having a garden there."

He pulled up in front of a house. It looked pretty small compared to some of the others around. It was well kept, lawn mowed, simple decor on the white stone house. 

"Yancy," he said, looking over at her while still in the car. "Just be yourself okay. They will love you."

Why was she so nervous though? She was hot, and not just because the car had no AC. She was hot because when she was nervous her body heated up. She pulled out a Kleenex from her purse and dabbed at her sweaty forehead. She pulled down the visor and checked her face in the mirror.

"You look fine, babe."

Enough stalling. She stepped out of the car and she and JeVonte walked to the front door. He used his key to open it.