"Comm check...
Testing, one... two...
Kwes Boaz speaking.
...you a hear me?
Ah. You ever wake up and feel like something's...missing? That's my life. Seven years after. Now I'm back, but nothing's the way I left it. Not even me.
Amnija happened righ...
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"Santa finally find wi this year!" a laughing Nana says, her hips tossing, in her matching pajamas."Felix Navidad!"
I nearly choked on my sorrel.
"Yuh nuh understand yuhself eno lady," I point the glass cup at her, before taking yet another sip. "Soooo goood!"
Just enough rum.
Just enough ginger.
"A who make the sorrel?" I called out, lifting my voice just enough. Laughter bounced off the walls, the kind that only happened when too many cousins shared one space and not enough chairs.
Everyone's talking over each other.
Dem sound louder than Uncle Cobra sound box.
"A so we family did big?!" Cadence stops dramatically. A drunk Zoe trailing behind her.
"Mommy... pretty boy," Zoe whines.
"A who give the baby rum?" I point with a laugh.
"One a we drunkin' Uncle dem," Cadence retorts. I turned slowly, soaking it in. Mommy was on the veranda, carefully placing gift boxes beneath the tree.
I'm just... happy.
Happy I'm financially stable.
Happy I could give my family the kind of Christmas we've dreamt of. We always made the most of what we had, simple, sweet memories with some real soul food.
But this year? This year, I went all out.
Most of my family are not able to afford gifts, some can, but most are just doing their best. I didn't want anyone feeling left out, so I made sure to buy something for everyone.
