Parys and Carmelia sat next to eachother at the dinner table picking at their cornbread and macaroni. Carmelia babysat a lukewarm ginger ale while Parys kept flipping her cornbread over her macaroni to make it seem like she was eating. She really didn't want to worry the older folks there and honestly she ain't even wanna be there. In this state. In this situation.
She just wanted her brother back.
Auntie Rita sat with Peaches at the opposite end of the table. Parys was watching Auntie Rita mouth things to her mama but because of the full house she couldn't really make heads or tails out of what she was saying. When Peaches did nothing but nod her head frantically with Redd patting her on the shoulder it made Parys eyes narrow all the more.
"CC. Look at mama."
"Huh?" Carmelia pulled her focus from the flat soda and eyed her and Redd suspiciously. "What they doin?"
"You tell me. Don't say nothing but-" Parys voice turned into a hushed whisper as she leaned closer to her sister. The humid Louisiana air from outside sticking them together. "Amaree tol' me that mama thinkin' about movin' out here."
"What?!" Carmelia tone pitched higher than what Parys was ready for. "Shh! Don't say nothin' till its confir-"
"Everyone!" Peaches stood to her feet, summoning everyone's attention. Her voice was so soft and her body was so thick you'd think that she did nothing but bake pies all day. But everybody that knew Peaches in her youth before the babies knew she ain't play that shit and she was a hustler by heart. But then, like every hustler eventually, she fell in love and left the game alone to gain happy weight and make babies.
Redd stayed in his seat and just rubbed Peaches lower back in slow circles while everyone stopped what they was doing to listen to her. Jay'Shyan, A'maree, Dakari, Jamaree and Deshaun all came from outside but In'dya remained in her seat with her focus on my mama as well.
All siblings stood together anticipating the news that Peaches was prolonging to announce and the trembling in her lower lip made it apparent that she didn't feel to confident to even say it. But, with a cheesy look at Redd, she nodded at him with a small smile and took a long breath, bringing her chubby fingers together in a prayer-like position.
"Friends, family, I- well our family wants to thank you for coming together at this time and-" her voice began to shake "I know my baby D would have loved to see all y'all and have some of Auntie Rita cookin but-" she dabbed her eyes briefly, clearing her throat to continue.
"Me and Redd have decided that, we are going to move out to Louisiana with Auntie Rita to find answers to who killed my baby. And-"
"What?!" almost every sibling but A'maree and Parys reacted in shock at this announcement which caused a death-like stillness to spread across the room.
"Ma, D just died and talkin' about moving the family?" Dakari held his arms open in disbelief, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed. "Did Redd tell you to do this shit?"
"Language, Dakari!" Auntie Rita chimed in.
"No, he didn't tell me to do this. Don't y'all want justice for D?" Peaches face was turning red at the across-the-board disagreement in front of close and extended family.
"Of course we do, but we decide this as a family not at the repass!" before Dakari spoke up again, he just sucked his teeth and stormed out of the house, throwing his hands up in the air.
"This some bullshit dawg!" Parys' eyes closed at Dakari outburst. She could feel herself crying all over again.
"Now, babies," Auntie Rita dusted her hands on her apron as she took over the announcement, leaving Peaches to walk to the front of the house with Redd. "Ya mama just want to find out what happened to D and I told her to stay with me. I mean, look at this hea house. Chile, I could use someone else but Jamaree and Deshaun here. Now, please," Auntie Rita eyes pleaded to the rest of the siblings as the guest's eyes darted across the trable anticipating the outcome.
"Do this for me. Do this for your mama. Do this for D."
Parys said nothing but walk to the back porch with Dakari with Carmelia following behind her.
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Short filler chapter but trust the next chapter gonna be longer. The rest of the story is going to be in 1st person tho.
How we feeling so far?
See y'all next chapter!
