Jungle 3: Revisited

Chapter 29

Song in multimedia: Key Glock- Spazzin Out (this beat so fire 🥵)

Mardi Gras-February 25th, 2020

"Hey, everybody!" Ebony jumped out of her Jeep, greeting her family on Sharon's front porch.

"Happy Mardi Gras, Tee. You missed the parades this morning." Tiana hugged her aunt.

"Yeah, I stayed in. I figured y'all would still be out and I could catch some of the action, but that's okay. I went to plenty yesterday and the day before."

"Tiana did our hair. Ain't it cute?" Aaliyah showed off her neat, purple, yellow, and green cornrows.

"Tiana, you did that? Y'all growing up too fast, that look like a professional did it. Edges swooped and all." Ebony grinned and picked up Aniyah.

"Yup. I gave Kayla a purple bun because she wouldn't sit still enough for me."

"You know she funny acting like her daddy sometimes." Ebony laughed, nudging Hakeem.

Making her way to the backyard, she spoke to her two uncles—Sharon's husband and her uncle from New York. They were busy on the barbecue pit, cooking up some food for the family. Her uncle Redd gave her a hug and asked her if she wanted anything to eat. Ebony asked for a grilled burger with cheese so Redd stopped what he was doing to make it for her.

"You want one, baby girl?" Redd looked down at Kayla as her wide eyes followed his every move.

"Yes, please. I wan' that." Kayla pointed to a rib.

"It's not done yet. How about a burger or a hotdog? You like hotdogs?" Redd passed Ebony her plate.

"Just break her off a piece. Here, it's hot." Sharon gave Kayla some meat fresh off the pit.

"Thank you!" Kayla smiled and ran towards the other kids.

"She getting so big. Still greedy as fuck." Ebony grinned while dipping her cheeseburger in Sharon's homemade barbecue sauce.

"Where was you, miss thing? Had us coming out here for the parades and you was nowhere to be found. I caught plenty of beads though, I still got it." Her aunt Diane came from out of the house with a drink in hand and colorful beads all around her neck.

"Home. The parades been going on since January so I went to some already. I just wanted us to spend this holiday together and I'm here." She answered.

"Where's Rudy? She's apart of this family. And where's Mike?" Sharon passed out more meat to the kids.

"Rudy is with her other family today. Mike is also with his family, I think. I was with him earlier and he left to go uptown with his people."

"Is Mike somebody I should know?" Redd asked.

"My boyfriend." Ebony smiled.

"Ohhhhhh. Invite him over. There's no telling when me and your uncle will get the opportunity to meet him. He can show his face and leave. Niece, I thought you was a playa like me." Diane crossed her leg and put on a pair of sunglasses.

"See...I don't know what happened, auntie Diane. I get my pimping ways from you, but I slipped up." With a shrug, Ebony laughed.

"I can tell you why, but my holy sister will give me that look."

"Diane, hush. It's kids out here." Sharon fanned her hand.

"Them kids ain't worried bout me so I ain't worried bout them kids." Diane joked, giving Ebony a high five.

With her burger in one hand, Ebony used her other to text Mike. She told him if he had the time to stop by so he could meet some of her out of town family. Mike told her he would be right over when he had the chance. In the meantime, Ebony waited on the food and conversed with her brothers.