Pretty Brown Affair

Chapter 5- There's More to Tell

After showing them the videotape and them questioning little Lunie, we went to the kitchen. "So, it's a possibility LJ is probably Stokley's kid?" Mary said getting a glass of wine. "Hell, I'm still fucked up about you going down on him and eating off my shit!", Leigh said. "Leigh, shut the hell up! Forreal Jelly, this some crazy and twisted shit!", Maryanne lectured. "I know. But, I know that Lunie's LJ's father." I said propping a sit on the counter. Leigh looked at me saying, "How you know, we just saw that Stokley was raw dogging you in that video?" I replied, "Cause when I came back, I had sex with Lunie multiple times, thanks to my high craving for sex at the time." "But, look at this though Jelly, LJ sings, he can play instruments, and I know damn well we don't have no one in our family with a gap in their mouth, I don't think Lunie's family does either. He's like a mini-Stokley or the 7th member of Mint Condition or some shit!", Mary said.

I never really cared to look at my son's features, but I know Lunie Jr. is Lun'elle's, even though his mother told him in his heart that LJ doesn't resemble him. "So, I know my son...", I stopped my sentence because the guys came home. "Hey ladies!", Poppa said kissing us on the foreheads and cheeks. All three of us said, "Hey Poppa." Terry then said, "Yo, y'all didn't go with the girls this time?", kissing Leigh. "No, not this time. We three just decided to stay and have a chat about some private matters, right sisters?" I looked at Maryanne like "Really?", but I replied with, " Yeah, just some sister to sister time." Lunie walks towards me and kisses my lips saying, " Well, ain't nothing wrong with that. Me and LJ had a father son moment together too. I taught him how to grill." "What!? That's amazing." I said with a smile. " Yeah, I guess," Mary said under her breath. About 20 minutes later, Momma and our daughters came back home, talking about how much fun they had at the mall and out to dinner. We all were in the living room talking and joking amongst each other, until Rodger found a DVD of a collection of old shows and programs like Video Soul, Live in LA, The Soul Train Awards, and a lot of old shows. "Yo, let's show this kid about our day?" Rodger said. Everyone agreed and he popped in the disk. It was good to show my kids the first 106 & Park, before Free and AJ, we had Sherri Carter and Donnie Simpson and his hazel eyes.

We were looking at the shows reminiscing about the last great era of music and television. Then, the 1997 Soul Train Awards came on. Lunie said, "Man, I remember that Soul Train awards, it was cool." Christina said, "I liked it. And, you know Auntie Jelly did, her group performed." Then, Leigh's oldest son said, "Oh yeah. He had them Medusa dreads." Everyone laughed, I chuckled a little even though I loved his dreads like that, it was just his style. "I remember when Jennifer asked me if I would do my hair like that." Really Lunie!? And, you wonder why I fucked Stokley on the side! Mary said, "For real, and what you say?" He replied, "I like Stoke and all, but HELL NAW!!!" Terry says while laughing, "I KNOW NIGGA!!! Them dreads were a little too eccentric for me. I mean, he went from a Prince perm and a half goatee to a regular high fade, to some ok sized dreads, to shit all over his head! I was like, NIGGA DAMN!!!" Everyone laughed except me. As we were still watching the award show, Brandy introduced Mint Condition, and they were performing the song that hunts me, "What Kind of Man Would I Be".

"There it is!" Terry said laughing making everyone laugh. "Good Lord, hell wrong with his head!?", Poppa said making everyone laugh. Myles, Maryanne's 19 year old son said, "I can't with that hair dawg!" Then, my son said, " I like it. I would get my hair like that since I've always wanted dreads. Yo Dad, can I get my hair like that?" Mary and Leigh side eyed me as I was looking down. "We'll see son.", Lunie said. "I would love to see that definitely.", Leigh said as Mary agreed with her. Fuck them! As we continued watching, I started getting those uncomfortable feelings of regret and hurt from '98. "Can I be excused?", I said getting up anyway. "Baby, you ok?" Lunie said as I ignored him and went to my room silently closing the door. I set on the bed and started crying with the memory of the last meet up I had with Stoke that I always try to eject from my memory.