Quentin's Way

Chapter 13

            I can't even lie, it felt so good being back in Morrison Heights for the first time since the summer. The first thing I did after getting off the Greyhound bus was take in the fresh air. The next thing I did was get an Uber to come pick me up and take me to my Morrison Heights Terrace neighborhood. I'd never been so happy to be in the town I'd spent most of my life living in. When I got to my house, I damn near tripped trying to get inside. The first thing I smelled was my grandma's cooking, which immediately made my stomach growl. I dropped my bags in the living room and hurried into the kitchen.

            "Grandma," I said, catching her by surprise.

            She turned around from the stove and smiled big as she said, "There's my baby."

            I ran over to her and hugged her. My grandma had been taking care of me since I was in middle school, so she was more like my mama. I think I heavily reminded her of my dad sometimes because she'd mistakenly call me Curtis, which was my dad's name. She wasn't senile or anything like that; I just think she missed my dad so much and I looked so much like him that she got confused. I couldn't even remember the last time we'd gone to visit him at the prison.

            "The food isn't ready yet," she told me after pulling back from our hug. "I thought you weren't going to be here until at least six."

            "My bus got in early," I told her. "That food smells good."

            "It's your favorite, sweetie. I fried up some chicken, cooked my infamous turnip greens, my black-eyed peas are still cooking, the macaroni and cheese and cornbread are still in the oven, and..." She went over to a nearby counter and took the lid off of a cake pan and continued, "I baked this vanilla Bundt cake just for you. I'm gonna put the icing on it as soon as it cools."

            "Grandma, you didn't have to make all this."

            "Yes, I did. I'm so proud of you, Quentin. I tell all the girls down at Bingo about my college football-playing grandbaby."

            "Dang, grandma, it's just college. You make it sound like I'm a pro or somethin'."

            "You will be one day. And I'm gonna be in the skybox cheering you on while wearing the designer clothes you're gonna buy me." She laughed as she went back over to the stove.

            "I'm gonna go unpack, grandma."

            "Alright, sweetie. I'll call you when dinner gets ready."

            I headed out of the kitchen and back into the living room to get my stuff. I took everything into my bedroom, which I didn't realize how much I missed until I was standing in it. I quickly unpacked my clothes and other stuff and then collapsed on my bed. Everything was exactly how I'd left it that summer. I knew it would all be how I left it, but seeing it with my own two eyes helped make me feel right at home. After relaxing on my bed for a little while, I suddenly remembered my car.

            "Damn, I missed you," I said to it as I opened the driver's side door.

            "Mmm, I missed you, too," said a voice from behind me.

            I quickly turned around to see it was my neighbor, Ms. Jeffries, standing at the fence that separated my house from hers. I put on a fake smile and said, "Hey, Ms. Jeffries."

            "Now what have I told you about that Quentin? Call me Miss Veronica."

            "My grandma said it's rude to call someone grown by their first name."