Affinity

Chapter 10: A Familiar Face

" Iy bambino." The cashier at the grocery store gushed at James as he smiled at her from his seat in Jaz's shopping cart. There Jaz stood smiling that proud mother smile as she thanked the woman for her compliment. I wanted that smile. I let this thought wander for half a second before I tabled it for another time. One where my sister wasn't rushing me through the grocery store so that she could rush me into the car, and in eventual terms convince me on the car ride home to never speak to my brother again.

This had been her tune since the weeks had passed since I'd told her of his re-entrance. I'd made a conscious effort not to speak his name aloud around her, but every time we spoke or saw each other she'd made the inquiry nonetheless with a, " have you seen him, spoken to him?" Which, when my answer turned out to be no, she'd shake her head and curse him aloud for doing the whole absentee act for a second time.

" So I was thinking, how long you gon wait this time?" She had waited just long enough for the trek through the crowded grocery store parking lot and me to shut the door to the passenger door of her car. She in fact had not even entered the car, she was posing this question as she strapped James into his car seat.

" Not today Jaz, let's leave it be ok?" I was tired, ok let's not dress it up, I was fucking exhausted. The emotional toll of the past month had been ridiculously tiring, and sleep hadn't exactly been my friend lately.

" Am I being overbearing? Honestly? Because I just think I'm being a protective big sister. An attribute I would like to note that most sisters would appreciate." I didn't want to respond. I didn't want to because this sounded and felt like the tipping point of a fight. I was getting serious flashbacks of our tween/teenage discourse and I in no way, shape, or form wished to continue down that path. I stayed quiet, I did not engage. I stared out the window pretending to be lost in the houses we passed on the way to her home.

We were stopped at a red light about a mile from Jaz's house when I saw him.

" Ayo, that's the dude!" I hit Jaz impatiently on her arm as I lifted out of my seat in surprise.

"What dude! Who?" Jaz was in full on protective mode, a reaction I had not stopped to account for. The stoplight turned green and I urged Jaz to pull over into the gas station where the man had just walked into the convenience store.

" Ok, now tell me exactly who he is." She turned to me as I followed the man with my eyes as he navigated the aisles in the convenience store.

" Remember that man who came to our house looking for Hakim all those years ago, the one who knew my name? That's him, that's Jaelyn." It had been years since that encounter but that was that man. Lanky, with a medium brown complexion and sharp cheekbones, that was definitively him.

" Ok, all that aside your not going in there." She was emphatic as she glanced back at a sleeping James and then back at me.

" Five minutes that's all." By the time she could grasp the full meaning of my words I'd hopped out the car and shut the door behind me. Jazmine was cursing up a storm through the car door, but I had to go, something was propelling me into the store.

I walked in and made a b-line for Jaelyn. It was noted that this was a potentially crazy move but my thirst for any information on Hakim aired caution to the wind.

" Hey Ab." I was still at least three feet from him when he spoke my name without looking up. I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at him, how the fuck did he know it was me?