AMIL's ANECDOTE

AA24

The day after thanksgiving caused for leftovers in the morning as breakfast, and immediately leaving the house to see what deals the mall had. After indulging in leftovers from all of yesterday's favorite dishes, Amil and her grandmother left the house, heading to their favorite mall. Considering that everyone else was probably there for the same reasons as them, parking spots were scarce. "Tell me if you see something." Laura instructed while slowly cruising through the mall's parking garage. "I am." Amil replied, looking for both any free spots and any soon to be free spots.

"Seem like everybody had the same plans as us today." Laura announced, circling back around the dimly lit garage. "All the stores advertising sales to bring everybody out." Amil replied with a brief chuckle. Just when she was about to announce an opening, she realized that the it was reserved as a handicap spot.

"Why you and pawpaw ain't got one of them tags that go on the mirror?" Amil questioned as she put her attention on her grandmother. Given that it was the holidays, her usual naturally curly salt and pepper hair was straightened and styled into a side part. Laura wouldn't be Laura if she didn't bump the ends, adding to her signature straightened hair look. "We old—but we ain't that damn old." Laura replied, making her granddaughter erupt into laughter.

"In a minute here, imma park this car on this sidewalk and go on 'bout my business." Laura spoke in frustration, Amil lightly chuckled. Her accent was still strong and showed zero signs of subsiding anytime soon. "We gon' come back out and the car gon' be good and gone." She replied.

"There go one!" Laura rejoiced, swinging her husband's Lincoln truck into the once vacant parking spot. "Thank you Jesus." She added while shutting off the engine and reaching in the backseat for her Brahmin handbag. Granny had a habit of thanking Jesus for small things throughout her day, such as snagging parking spots.

Amil hopped out the truck and turned around to look at her reflection. She toyed with her hair, while pursing her glossy lips together. Unlike her grandmother, Amil's hair was still in its natural state, regardless of the holiday that just passed. Amil was going no heat on her tresses until graduation. "You ready?" Granny asked, causing Amil to look over and see her grandmother sliding her purse onto her shoulder. Amil briefly shook her head yes before joining Laura's side. Moments later, they stepped into the mall by making way through the fragrance department of a popular department store.

"Ou! Can you write down the recipe for the etouffee, when we get back to the house? I want to make it for Zion." Amil announced. A smile slowly formed on Laura's face as she glanced at her granddaughter. "Etouffee, huh?" She questioned, Amil shook her head yes. She couldn't resist mirroring her grandmother's smile.

"That's a dish that definitely requires a labor of love...you really like that young man, Mil." Laura replied while walking side by side with her granddaughter. "Yeah...I do." Amil smiled.

"Well, I'll have that recipe and a few others written down for you by Tuesday." Laura replied.

A few steps into the store, Laura's phone began to ring. She stopped in her tracks to dig in her handbag to redeem the ringing device. Seconds later, she pulled the phone up and slid the bar across her screen to answer the phone before pressing it up to her ear. "Yeah...we're here...we came in through Dillard's—you can meet us at the women's fragrance department." Laura spoke to whoever was on the other side of the phone. Nased off of her response, Amil was holding the view that someone was meeting them there, she assumed that the someone was her aunt.

"It's something I gotta tell you, Mil." Laura announced, sending a shock of angst through her body. Her eyes slightly enlarged and a small knot formed in her throat. There was something about the tone that her grandmother used that worried her. "Marie is gonna meet us here." She broadcasted, causing Amil to softly kiss her teeth as she looked away.