Black Rose

Fifty Three

"Happy birthday to Mammaw! Happy birthday to you." Screams and hollers filled the dining room as the traditional song came to an end.

Mammaw sat at the head of the table since she is the main creator of everyone at the tables existence. Aside from the man above Himself, that is.

"Make a wish mama." Nina told her.

"Even though my wish has already come true, I guess it wouldn't hurt to make another one." Mammaw closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and blew her candles out.

Everyone clapped once again and Aunt Regina, Uncle Ralph's wife passed out cake and ice cream to the children first, before serving the adults theirs.

Melrose sat next to Mammaw and Raine on the other side of her, engaging in conversation with Devon, her cousin. Lisa sat across from Melrose, staring her down as she'd been doing all day. She didn't necessarily dislike Melrose, she just tried to figure her out. In other words, she needed proof Chris was truly her father. Feeling Lisa's eyes on her, Mel met her gaze and asked a simple question that sparked an argument that almost got out of hand.

"Can I help you?" 

Bewildered by the question, Lisa head jerked back. "Excuse me?"

"You're staring at me, so I thought you wanted my attention for something."

"Little girl, I don't know where you're from, but down here in the south, we respect our elders." The entire table had gotten quiet, everyone watching the two women share words.

"I'm not being disrespectful at all, Lisa. What's disrespectful is you calling me a little girl when I'm clearly a grown woman like yourself. Also, I'm from Florida, so I know exactly how it works in the south." Mel calmly gave Lisa a piece of her mind.

Unique, one of Lisa's ratchet daughters intervened from the far end of the table. "Oh, no baby. You must be out of your mind if you think you gone talk to my mama like that. Don't get me started 'cause I'll beat yo ass.

"I know that's right." Her sister, Dixie cosigned.

"Unique, you don't want these problems, girl. Remember what happened the last time you talked out the side of yo neck." Kelsi jumped in, defending her sister.

"Girl, was I talking to you?" She queried, rolling her neck extra hard.

"You were talking to my sister, so yeah you were talking to me."

Unique waved her off, not responding to her remark, but Tasha felt the need to keep the feud going. "If you want to get shit popping, we can. It ain't nothing but space and opportunity out here. So, what's good?"

Mammaw banged her fist on the table, ceasing all talking. "See, that's what we're not about to do in front of these young children or in my house period. All this profanity and threatening one another needs to be put to rest this instance. We agreed to have a peaceful weekend out of respect for my birthday and Melrose meeting the family. Unique, Dixie and Tanya-"

"Tasha, Mammaw." She corrected her with an eye roll.

"I don't give a damn what it is, Tina. And don't ever talk when I'm talking again." Tasha dropped her head and nodded. "I bet not find out y'all laid a hand on this woman because that will be the day I raise hell on earth for everybody. As for you Lisa, whatever self-hate you're dealing with to cause you to dislike Melrose, I highly recommend you get it together. Your nose has been turned up since she walked in the kitchen this morning. Now, what could she have possibly done to you on the first day?"

"Nothing mama. I don't dislike the girl. Hell, I don't know her. I just think we shouldn't get too attached to her so quickly. We don't know if she really belongs to Chris. Her mama could be looking for a come up." Lisa shrugged, sipping her soda as if her comment wasn't offensive.