excuse any mistakes.
ALEXIS MCGEE.
"mommy, when are the floats coming?" ayesha whined, as she held onto my legs with a pout. desmond invited us to his family cookout that was in new orleans , he said it was traditional because they always did the cookout around parade season in new orleans, to catch the zulu parade . he promised me a coconut! it would also be my daughter and i's first parade because i never went to parades even though i lived in louisiana my entire life.
"i don't know how, go ask daddy." i looked down at her and took a seat in the red fold up chair , i watched as she ran to desmond, whom was talking to his father. ayesha and i officially met his parents, they were upset that he hadn't waited til marriage but loved their grandchild with everything in them she had them wrapped around her fingers. "we came two hours early." desmond announced as he sat down in the blue chair next to me, i whined as ayesha laid on top of me.
it was cold because i decided to wear overalls shorts with a matching black crop top. "surprised you didn't bring your girlfriend." desmond eyed me, then took a sip out of his bud light, "don't start, lex. she isn't my girl." i shrugged and took a small sip of the wine cooler, "sure, okay." it was hard to tell, because when you see desmond, you see her hoe ass . i'll admit it, i'm jealous but he isn't mine. "my parents don't like her, so i didn't invite her." "wonder why." i played in peaches's bouncy plaits.
TWO HOURS LATER:
ayesha and i were feeling claustrophobic because of how many people were surround us, but i wasn't going to leave because i felt uncomfortable so i stayed and had ayesha on my neck. "aye! give me that coconut!" folks shouted as the black folks danced to the african music, waving around coconuts or bags of them. i wasn't the one to scream or yell so i stayed quiet.
after the dancers passed, the horses came and they let the kid's pet them but ayesha was too busy looking for the other floats. when that time came, i swore i became deaf. "mommy! i can't reach." "i can't see why, you're on my neck." i whined as i tried to stand on my tippy toes, but it was useless. i was only five feet and three inches!
"lemme see her." desmond grabbed our daughter from my neck and sat her on his shoulders. "throw me something, mister!" ayesha and i shouted, as we waved our hands in the air. a man with a fake afro, and a zulu designed shirt, threw me a rose and i faithfully caught it smiling, i turned to see desmond staring at me. "what?" i asked, he licked his lips, "we don't take things from strangers." he replied, which made me roll my eyes, and put the rose into ayesha's bag. "shush."
throughout the zulu, we caught more stuffed animals than beads and i loved the dance academies as well. when the zulu was over, we made our way to the cookout which looked like the food was almost finished, "omg, it was so crowded." i told mrs. butler, "i know, i can't do that. i'm hella claustrophobic." "i caught you a coconut." i smiled and handed the black and gold painted coconut to the elder woman. "thank you," she smiled and held onto it, "i like you more than his lil' girlfriend. she a lil' hot inna' ass. she ain't right for me son, you are."
she shook her head, and stood to fix plates. "he likes her, i ain't finna' change his mind." i shrugged and popped open the cream flavored check cold drink. "mhm." was all that she replied, and i stood from the chair and made my way to desmond who was talking to aaron. "where is q?" i asked, eyeing him up and down, "oh, she went to go get her wallet." "i haven't seen her since peaches's play."
"cause i've been keepin' her busy." he signed, with a smile and rubbed his hands. "must be nice." i commented, "it is." just as he said that, queen made her way over, carrying her wallet. we hugged each other and walked away from the boys to have our own talk. "anyway, y'all staying for the truck parade?" queen asked, as she leaned onto a nearby pole. "i'm tired and my feet hurt so maybe not." i replied.
"imma go with peaches. this is her first parade." "have fun and bring me some food." i sighed, as i patted queen's shoulder as she nodded, "if they ask where i am, i'm in the car." "alright, have fun!" i watched as queen walked to the boys and i made my way momma butler. i fixed myself a little bit of crawfish, but before i could walk off desmond grabbed me. "we leavin' after the truck parade." he announced and i nodded, " i'm takin' a nap in the car." i told him, he nodded and slapped my ass.
i mugged him, and walked to the car, i had to cross multiple streets before making into the fence, and unlocking the car, i got in and finished my crawfish. i wiped my hands, then i made sure the car door was locked, and the car was off before grabbing the blanket and putting the seat setting back. i closed my eyes and sighed.
