As Above and So Below

8: Home

It's the weekend, and that means I get to visit grandmere, papa and Destin. Since Gio, Koza and Cachiche don't have family within Louisiana to visit they're visiting with me instead of being stuck at the academy all weekend.

We walk through the door with book bags full of clothes and supplies in them on our backs and suit cases in our hands. Papa is at the door and pulls me in for a big hug.

"Waxtuygi, mon amour, how was school, Uci," he asks me in Chitimacha which is basically lost at this point, most Chitimachas have lost their language due to colonization but papa at least knows some words, 'waxtuygi' being a greeting. He cupped my head in his hands, covering my face in little kisses, smiling.

He glanced over to my friends behind me, smiling nervously. I chuckle, "I love you papa but, chill," I say smiling, motioning my friends inside.

"So, this is Giovanni," I say, motioning the curly haired Dominican vodouisant towards my papa.

"What's up, sir, you can call be Vanni if you want," he says, shaking papa's hand.

Papa smiled, "nice to meet you man, The names Raël Laveau, Capucine's papa, if you haven't noticed, but you can call my Rae if that's a mouthful, I'm not too worried about the Mr.Laveau typa' thing," he said, over talking as usual.

Giovanni nodded slowly, pulling out the finger guns smilin', "aight sir, I gotchu," he said, pushing Koza forward.

"That's Koza and Cachiche," I say, pulling Hadali forward to be in between Koza and I, smiling bright, while Cachiche was super nervous as usual.

Koza smiled, the complete opposite of Cachiche, they had no idea what to say and both, nearly in unison just smiled and said their 'hi's.

We got inside and since Tata Anaïs and cousin André moved out we have two extra rooms, so Gio took André old room and Cachiche and Koza took Tata's since they're chill with sleeping together.

Destin walked up to us as we put our stuff away pulling me in for a hug while simultaneously sticking his finger in my ear.

"Gotcha witch bitch, what's up sis, you ain't text me since you been at that school," he greets me in a brotherly manner.

I roll my eyes slapping his hand away, "you coulda came with me if you weren't born so damn early, old ass." I shot back laughing, "so that's on you." I added, "nah but they don't let us use our phones, we gotta call using landlines but I just ain't had the time with our studies, sorry bro."

Destin scoffed, "aight, Uci, you prolly busy with ya' new boyfriend," he said, eyeing Gio who chatted with Grandmamman who sat in her rocking chair telling them how far back our vodouisant family history goes back and told Giovanni new rituals and spells to study.

I gasped, playfully punching him, "hell nahhh, I don't fuck with him like that he's just a friend, Des." I told him while simultaneously blushing.

Destin shrugged, "I don't know sis, I see the way he looks at you," he whispered, snickering.

I rolled my eyes, "you haven't even seen us both in the same room yet, that's what every person in the chick flick romances say, your two spirited ass watching too much of 'The New World" and "Love and Basketball" I stopped though, "I'm extra cool with you liking guys though, Malik was chill," I tell him, nudging him and winking, "how ya boyfriend been anyway,"

Destin went to hit me jokingly, "first of all I don't watch that mess," he said crossing his arms, "and me and Malik are good, we went on a date yesterday... he asked how you were doing I said you prolly got a sour jar with ya picture in it already, with your gossiping ass."

I giggled, "ok Destin, you believe that," I replied moving over to see Grandmaman, waiting for her to notice me standing in front of her as she chatted with Gio.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me your ma is Ambroisie Dubois!?!? One of the greatest fuckin' priestesses to be? Nah, Ms.Dubois, you gotta be lying," he said smiling.

Grandmamas slapped Vanni on the shoulder, "I better not catch you swearing in my house, frisé," she snapped, with a big grin on her face.

Vanni smirked, nodding, "I'm sorry Ms.Dubois, I won't again," he apologized, bowing his head.

Grandmaman caught me in her field of vision and smiled a big smile, "why ain't you see me earlier ti bébé, mwen espere que vous me saluerez pi vit la pwochen fwa!" she said, scolding me lovingly, opening her arms for a hug.

I giggled, "aight, granmama,mwen juste inyoré papa et Destin pwochen fwa," I replied speaking in our family tongue.

"What are y'all even saying," Koza asks, obviously intrigued.

"I think it's Haitian," Vanni added in.

Cachiche shrugged, "nah definitely French," she pitches in.

Vanni rolled his eyes, "oh my god, Dali, Haitian is super close to French!" He said challenging her.

"How about we stop playing 'guess what Capucine and her grandmaman are sayin' and actually let me tell you!" I snap, jokingly mad but honestly, I'm slightly annoyed.

Koza nodded, "ok, go ahead."

I took a breath. "Aight, so. If you ain't know this, my grandmaman from Haiti." I told them, showing them my grandmaman. She smiled and waved like the old ass optimist she is, although she can be cranky she loves her attention. "So, In Haiti we speak French or Haitian Creole, in this case we speak Haitian Creole, it's a Creole language coming from French, West African Languages and Taíno." I tell them and they listen while Vanni nods totally basking in the fact he was kinda, somewhat right.

"Ok, and my Papa, he is Chitimacha which is Native American, but since colonization happened most of em' lost they language so here in New Orleans, people like Papa speak a sort of Cajun or French, but my dad speaks something in between Louisiana Creole and Cajun. It's like our family has our own little dialect." I explain to them.

There was the silence of them Tryna process it until grandmama go and say, "yes , ti bebe, you explained that perfectly!"

And that, that right there gave me a sense of pride. Grandmaman is some of the last I got of my momi. Hearing her approval makes me feel one step closer to my mama again...