Break!

Chapter 4: Sunshine

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, and Bridget is having a major hangover. I couldn’t sleep at all last night with the whole Troy thing, having to pick up my sister from the police station, and dragging Bridget to bed.
I get up and head for the shower to freshen up. I put on a loose white t-shirt, shorts, a pair of red low tops, a red and black flannel around my waist, and black snapback with swag stitched on it. I looked like a basic white hipster girl, but I don’t care. I grab my skateboard from the garage and skate around the town a bit. It was about noon, so I stop by my local ice cream parlor.
I opened the door, “Auntie Labeke, how are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m great thanks for asking sugar,”  she comes around the counter and gives me a big hug. “I just made lunch upstairs, are you hungry? You look a little thin,” she said pinching my chin.
“I would love some, what did you make auntie?”
“Just some homemade gumbo,” she smiled, grabbed my hand, and we walked upstairs.
“Where’s Uncle Maku?” I asked.
“Maku went back to New Orleans, his brother’s sick,” she replied shaking her head. We sat on the counter and Labeke handed me bowl of her famous gumbo, it was delicious. The flavors were perfectly combined to create a masterpiece.
I noticed a picture of Grandma Zoe and Papa Sukuo, I don’t think I have ever seen a picture of them smiling together, they were always so serious. Grandma Zoe’s ivory white skin was reflecting the camera flash same with Papa Sukuo’s dark ebony skin. I’m not trying to be racist talking about skin color. I admire my grandmother for falling in love with a man who wasn’t accepted in their society, Grandma Zoe was a hero in doing that.
“Was this picture always here?” I asked Auntie Labeke.
“No, I put it up after Papa went into the heavens,” she said looking at the picture. I miss Papa, he was so nice and calm. I remember one time when I was about five, I wanted to go outside, but it was raining so Papa got out some of his instruments and played the whole afternoon. He was so talented, being able to remember how to play multiple instruments.
After Auntie Labeke and I finished eating lunch, we headed back downstairs to the parlor.
“Thank you for lunch auntie.”
“It was my pleasure honey,” she smiled, “would you like some dessert?”
“I though you’d never ask,” I giggled, “I’ll have a pink unicorn.”
Labeke rolled her eyes and laughed, “you and your crazy imagination, you remind me such much of Papa.” She plopped two scoops of strawberry ice cream in a cup, swirled some whipped cream, and topped it off with rainbow sprinkles. I grabbed my cup of ice cream off the counter and made my way to a seat near the window. This is the best ice cream you could find in South West California, it’s creamy, sweet, but not overloaded you sugar, and its homemade!