Snatched (August Alsina)

Chapter 16: Mama Issues

The next day I was sitting on the couch watching TV and trying to get my mind off things, when I heard a few knocks at the front door. I'd assume it was August, but it'd be weird for the visitor to be him because like I said before, he just walks right in.

I quietly made my way to the door and peered through the peephole, where I saw Cliff waiting outside with his hands shoved in his pockets and his feet shuffling slightly. I gladly opened the door and greeted him.

"Hey cliff" I said happily, flashing him a welcoming smile.

"Hey, I heard about your aunt and you friend and shit" He said, immediately getting to his point.

"Let me guess, Ebony told you?" I assumed, rolling my eyes and tightly crossing my arms. He chuckled and nodded, but soon enough his face dropped and he looked at me with a bit of sadness in his eyes.

"Aye, I'm sorry about all that happened" He apologized. "I uh, um, I came to ask you something."

"What?" I asked, allowing him in and sitting down on the couch with him following and sitting near me.

"I uh, wanted to know if you wanna go to that carnival thing with me. Everybody's goin."

The carnival isn't as fun as you get older; people go there and get high and get in trouble with the police, people go for memories, parents take their children, or people go because it actually has some really fun rides. I personally didn't mind it; it's always been a fun way to get out of the house.

I grinned at the invitation. I'd be happy to leave the house and further my friendship with someone.

"Sure, I don't see why not" I answered. He grinned and said "cool, I'll pick you up at six."

August's POV

Today was a guy's day with Melvin and I. As brothers, we always been really close, but we hadn't hung out with just the two of us in a while. Either he's busy, I'm busy, or we both are. Life gets that way as you get older.

 As of right now, we were at the tattoo parlor; I was getting my faded tattoos touched up, while he was getting some abstract design on his arm. He'd gotten the outline done a few days ago and now he was getting it filled in.

"Lookin' good so far" I told Melvin, referring to his in-progress design.

"This hurts like a bitch bruh" He said in a chuckle.

"Man how you think I felt when I got 'em all over my upper body?"

"You a trooper" He replied, shaking his head.

"Man up" I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"Aye man, have you talked to mama since you left?" Melvin asked, changing the subject. I narrowed my eyebrows and shot him a befuddled look. My mama and I got some history, I have my reasons why I don't talk to her.

"No" I answered. "Why?"

"She called me the other day and I been needing to tell you."

"What?" I asked, my eyes widening. We haven't talked to that women in who knows how long... why was she calling all of a sudden?

"How she even get your number?" I asked.

"Phonebook."

"What she say?" Me and my brother both have a bad past with her, but I'm guessing she called him instead because even though we had our history, she knew us really well. She probably knew Melvin would be more calm and laid back; I on the other hand, am more stubborn and rude about wanting to talk to her about whatever the fuck she had to say.

"She say she wanna see us."

"For what?" I asked, growing a bit annoyed yet surprised at the same time.

"She wanna talk to us and get the family back together and shit" He answered.

Those words made me tisk. We stopped bein' a family a long time ago and I've been doing just fine with that. I'm a grown ass man now and I don't need no mama in my life no more. She can replace us and adopt two little african children and bond with them for all I care.

"What you say back to her?" I asked. Melvin hesitated and I could see his slight adams apple move as he took a big swallow. He sucked in his cheeks and stared at the ground for a moment, then looked back up at me as if waiting for me to say something.

"Melvin" I began slowly, growing impatient and a little mad, because I now had the assumption that his answer was gonna be what I hoped it wouldn't be. "What did you say?"

He let out a hefty sigh and looked me dead in the eye.

"I told her we'd go see her this saturday."

I was right, he did say the answer that I hoped he wouldn't say.