The Urban Daily

Chapter 3

Chasity

Later on that morning after I ate and got dressed, Zeke and I decided to go visit Pops. Pops was actually my Uncle Garrett, Tyree's brother, but I called him Pops because he helped my mother raise Christina, my older sister, and I after Tyree got sentenced to life a few years ago. We thought we'd spend today to go visit old friends and family since tomorrow we would have to start filming. "You think he's here?" Zeke asked as we walked up the stairs to the front door to Pops two bedroom house. "You know he works sometimes on the weekend."

I shrugged. "He might be here, I dunno. Won't hurt to check though." Zeke held the screendoor open for me while I knocked a couple of times on the door.

"I'll be there in just a second!" I heard a female voice call out from inside. I looked at Zeke with the 'who the hell was that?' look and he looked at me, mirroring the same expression. A few moments later, a lady who looked to be in her early forties, maybe late thirties. She had a head full of short, curly, black hair with a few strands of gray in the front and a little beauty mark on centered directly in the middle of her chin. I frowned wondering who this lady was and why was she in my uncle's house.

"Hi, um is Garrett here?" I asked her. "I'm his neice Chasity and this is Zeke." I introduced. For a minute, she just stood there with a slight frown on her face until she snapped like something had triggered her memory.

"Oh! So you're Chasity? Garrett has told me such much about you and Zeke! He never stops talking about you two. I'm Gwendolyn. But please, feel free to come on in. Garett went to the store to pick up some stuff for dinner tonight, he should be back in a few." She stepped aside and I gladly walked into the cinnamon scented home. Pops always had this house smelling like cinnamon and occasionally, vanilla. That was one thing that I loved about coming here. It was nice to smell something different besides weed and alcohol because that was all my house used to smell like.

"Nice to meet you Gwendolyn." I politely replied, sitting down on the couch. Zeke took the liberty of sitting down in Pops black recliner chair. "But if you don't mind me asking, who exactly are you?"

"I'm Garrett's fiancee, we've been engaged for about three months now." She stated proudly, showing me her ring. After I heard the word 'fiancee', I was put into a state of shock to look at how big and flashy the ring was. Pops was getting married and he didn't tell me? Matter of fact, he didn't even tell me he had a girlfriend! Pops and I talked almost every week on the phone and not once did he mention anything about a woman, nor him getting married. Glancing over at Zeke, I could tell he was suprised too.

"Oh really? Pops didn't tell me he was getting married. When's the wedding?"

"We really haven't decided on a date yet, but we're thinking about holding it in the spring of next year. You guys are welcomed to come." She told us, looking over at Zeke and then back at me. Before I had the chance the answer, the doorknob jiggle and soon the door opened, revealing the man I considered to be my father.

"I'm back honey!" Pops yelled out, having his back turned to us as he locked the door. There was only one register open." He turned around and a smile attacked his face as soon as he saw Zeke and I. Hopping up from the couch so fast, I ran into his arms so quick that I almost knocked him down. "Well isn't this a lovely suprise. Baby girl, what are yall doing here?" He chuckled, hugging me back. It felt so good to be back in his arms being as though I haven't seen him in two years now. That's why I called him every chance that I could because haven't gotten the time to come out and visit him, but that's going to change soon.

I let him go and then helped him put some of the groceries away. "Remember I told you I was coming back here to start the filming of the documentary? We're going to be here for the next few months. We actually start shooting tomorrow, but since Ma and Tyler are just flying in today, we had a free day. We wanted to come stop by and see you." I watched him as his smile got even bigger. Pops sort of reminded me of Fredick Douglass, but without all of the gray hair. He still had a little bit of youth still in him.