Page 33 of Where Is the Love

I ended the call without responding. Instead of succumbing to depression and misery, I got dressed and headed somewhere that would definitely be entertaining. When I left my room, CJ was running down the hallway in his drawers. I rolled my eyes and went the opposite direction. I was trying to move quickly, but his lil ass saw me anyway. “Jess! Where you going?”

“Mind my business. Why are you still up?”

“Mama let me stay up!”

“No, I didn’t, CJ! Get your butt in that bed!” my mama said as she came out of her room.

I slowly shook my head as CJ ran inside his room and closed the door. My mama turned her attention to me and asked, “Where are you headed?”

“To Uncle Storm’s house. I just need the drama, or I’m gonna end up high at Uncle Jasper’s.”

She chuckled, and I did too. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Just trying to deal with Brixton’s mood swings. I know he’s stressed, so that’s why he’s getting a pass, but it’s causing my mood to fluctuate too.”

“Yeah. I understand why now, since you wouldn’t tell me.”

I smiled slightly. “What made y’all agree to pay the back taxes too?”

“Philly dug into his background. He’s a go-getter. We could see that if he just got a fresh start with this, he would do what he had to do to keep it up.”

“Wow. That’s so amazing. I can’t wait until y’all tell him so he can release all the stress he’s harboring. That’s an amazing blessing for him and his mother.”

“It really is, and it felt amazing to approve it. No one was against it, not even Storm.”

“That’s great. You know, I think I’m going to Uncle Jasper’s house, because I might hurt one of those kids with the way I’m feeling.”

My mama laughed, then said, “You may wanna call him first. I would hate for you to go over there for him not to answer the door.”

She rolled her eyes playfully as I frowned. When realization set in, I laughed. Uncle Jasper and Aunt Chasity were known to get it in whenever and wherever. I couldn’t be rolling up on that. “You shol right.”

I sent him a text right then.Hey, Unc. You busy?

Naw. Sitting on the deck with Shylou and Kenny.

Okay. I’m on my way.

I’d forgotten that fast that Shylou was in town since I told him of Noah’s plans for me by text. It wasn’t like he hung around me. He was usually with Uncle Kenny. That was his best friend. “He’s on the deck with Shylou and Uncle Kenny. So I’m good to roll up on them. I’ll see you when I get back, Ma.”

“Okay, baby.”

I kissed her cheek and headed down the road. As I passed Brix’s house, I saw him sitting outside. I didn’t stop. He wanted to be alone with his feelings, so that was where I would leave him. It was like because we couldn’t find a room, that depressed him and caused him to sink back into his hole about the bullshit that had gone down. I was trying to understand, but that shit was hard for me. Most times, when I was going through something, no one was able to tell… except my mama and Nesha. No one else had a clue, because I went on with my day, pretending nothing was wrong.

When I turned in the driveway, I noticed Uncle Storm’s truck.Lawd have mercy.Shit was about to be on ten. I already knew it. He was gon’ be with the shits. Uncle WJ was here too. I supposed they were having a bruhs’ turnup or some shit. That was okay, because I was about to crash that shit. I needed a blunt in the worst way.

I got out of my car and walked around to the back gate. Once I walked in, I noticed Aston, Malachi, Philly, and Uncle Ryder were here, too, and upon further inspection, so were Uncle LaKeith and my dad. I thought he was in the bedroom with my mama. How didn’t she know he was here? Well, she probably knew now since Uncle Jasper had only originally said that Shylou and Uncle Kenny were here.

“Hey, baby girl. What’chu doing here?”

“Hey, Daddy. I’m sorry to interrupt y’all’s bromance, but I needed to chill out for a minute.”

Carter smiled big, and that never got old. It always made me feel good inside to watch him do so. As I walked up the stairs of the deck, Uncle Jasper held out a blunt for me. He already knew what the deal was. Just as I put it to my lips and Uncle Jasper lit it for me, Uncle Storm’s ass was hopping on my nerves.

“What the fuck you called this? A bromance? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

Aston chuckled. He was a mechanic at Uncle Storm’s shop, and his stepdaughter was married to Uncle Marcus, who’d just walked up behind me, slapping people’s hands. “Storm, it’s just a saying for when men have a brotherhood like we do.”

“This shit ain’t a brotherhood. It’s family. If one of y’all fuck up, I ain’t going down for none of y’all. So it surely ain’t a brotherhood. I got an election to think about.”