Again

14

"We gon finalize ya party shit when you come back from Houston." I told Mani when I picked her up from practice.

"Ok. Where's mom?"

"Dang, you'on like me or sum?"

She giggled. "It's not that, I just thought she said she was picking me up."

"She was, but sum came up at ha sto, so she had ta go take care'a that."

"And Ant?"

"Alex picked him and AJ up ta'day." She nodded. "What's goin on?"

"Nothing, why?"

"You seem panicked."

She sighed. "I had this weird dream that something happened to mom, Ant got kidnapped, and you got locked up."

"That's something you won't ever have ta worry bout. Me and ya mama ran the streets of NOLA ta'getha, just cause you'on see it, don't mean she ain't strapped at all times. I killed the beef I had wit niggas befo I quit the game. We'll put our lives on the line befo we let anybody hurt eitha one'a yall."

"Ok." she smiled. "Where are we going?"

"Nanny house, Ant supposed to be ova thea."

__

"Nanny!" Mani yelled huggin my mama. Even though my mama been up hea fa a while, Mani ain't really seen ha due ta ha basketball and workout schedules.

"Mani! How's my pretty basketball playa?" Mama kissed ha cheek.

"Great! The last game before the championship is coming up."

"Friday, right?"

"Yes, at 6."

"I'll be thea."

"Daddy!" Ant ran straight into my legs.

"What's up? How was school?"

"It was good, but she gave us more work to do at home." He frowned. He'on like homework at all.

"Yeah, but doin ya homework make ya smarter."

"That's what school is for." Smart ass.

"But doin ya homework makes ya even mo smart. Ya mama made me do my homework, and now I'm glad because I can be my own boss. I thought you wanted ya own business when you get olda, like ya pops."

"Ok, I'll do it."

"Boy, what I tell you about that lyin?" Mama got on em.

"Sorry, Nanny I just really didn't want to do it."

"That don't mean you lie ta me. And because you lied, you don't get any cookies."

"And you on punishment fa the rest of week. All you gon do is ya homework, read, and all ya chores, and you not gon half do em eitha." He betta be glad it's me who punishin him and not Rel, she does NOT spare the rod.

Ant got mad and sat on the couch ready ta cry.

"Don't start that crybaby shit unless you want me ta tell ya mama." He straightened his face up real quick.

I looked at mama. "We gon get outta hea, since somebody got homework ta do."

"Alright, I'm goin back ta New Orleans in a few weeks. Anwar and Aniya coming back."

"What about Jay?"

"I think she gotta work."

"Aight, we'll prolly go down thea too."