Off The Grid | j. christopher

019

"I'm sorry grandma. I thought you were one of the guys," Ayoluwa winced and sat up in the bed.

"Yeah, well. I'm not. Anyway, I finally found my cell phone. Lost it for a couple days... How are you?" Camille asked.

"Uh, I'm about a 4.8 out of ten right now. Things have been kinda crazy here. Would you be willing to-."

"No, I'm not picking you up. Imani's started showing."

The last comment made Ayoluwa widen her eyes, "I thought she told you she was only two months. You don't start showing at two months."

"I know. I know." Camille's tone signified that she was drained of energy.

"Has Lauryn noticed anything?" Ayoluwa asked, a little anxious.

"No, not yet. I was gonna wait until you came back so we could talk to her together. I'm supposed to go with Imani to her doctor's appointment because Jamal bailed for the week." Camille said.

"Then who's running Oasis?" Ayoluwa furrowed her brows as she sunk down in bed.

"My assistant manager for right now. I'm debating not even going. I feel like she only asked me because she couldn't find you to torture."

"Then don't go. This is just her being selfish again. She's-." The door to the bedroom swung open and Joshua strolled through.

"Hold on grandma. Yes?" Ayoluwa directed the first word to where Joshua was standing.

"Um yeah. It's almost eleven. Come hold your end of the deal. What's that on your head?" Joshua asked, his eyebrows scrunched.

Ayoluwa patted the multi patterned satin head scarf tied around her locs, "It's for my hair. And I'm on the phone, give me a second."

Joshua scowled but left the room and the door wide open.

"Is that Josh from next door? What's he doing there?"

Ayoluwa snickered, "Oh, Reef didn't tell you the whole story, huh?"

Camille chuckled, "I guess not."

"Is Lauryn there? Can I speak to her?"

"She's on a play date right now with her friend Claire. Shareef said he would drop her back home around two."

Ayoluwa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Palmer! Palmer!" Joshua yelled from downstairs, making Ayoluwa roll her eyes.

"I have to go feed this man-child. I'll call you later. Love you."

"Don't do nothing stupid with that boy. I don't need a third grandchild to stress me out. Love you too, bye." Camille hung up the phone.

Ayoluwa untied her head scarf then retied it to the headboard of the bed before going to brush her teeth, wash her face, pulled her hair into a high bun then zipped up a gray hoodie over her shirt so that she could hide the fact that she was braless.

When she got downstairs, Joshua was waiting at the circular glass table, tapping his fingers, "Well it took you forever!"

Ayoluwa chose to remain quiet.

She decided that she had already done enough damage to Joshua without verbally causing more.

Opening the fridge, Ayoluwa pulled out the egg carton, the package of turkey sausage links, onions, green peppers and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Ayoluwa connected her phone to her speaker which she left in the kitchen then clicked on Solange's A Seat At The Table.

Seconds later, Don't Touch My Hair began to course through the air.

"Don't touch my hair, when it's the feelings I wear," Ayoluwa sung to herself as she washed her hands before turning back to the stove.

"Do we have to listen to this? Can't we listen to something else?" Joshua groaned.

"You don't have to be here while I cook. There's like ten more rooms in this house." Ayoluwa pointed out as she cut up the vegetables for the omelettes.

"I would but I need to make sure you don't poison me." Joshua replied.

Ayoluwa turned to face him, "You basically licked the plate I made you for breakfast and dinner yesterday."

"That's because I was desperate," Joshua leaned back into his chair, "Today, I'm not. Now can we change? This is putting me to sleep."

"To what?" Ayoluwa continued to chop, then added them to the pan full of beaten eggs.

"Uh, I don't know... You like Lil' Baby?"

Ayoluwa flipped half of the eggs over to make an omelette then pulled out another pan to start searing the turkey sausage, "I'm not big on rap like that. I'm more of an R&B type of girl."

"Okay, uh you like Brent Faiyaz?"

Ayoluwa paused, "Yeah, actually."

Joshua gave her a tight lipped smile, "Can you play Sonder Son?"

A minute later Brent Faiyaz's Stay Down filled the kitchen.

Ayoluwa turned back around to continue cooking.

"Call me, I'll be right away, tell me if you're gonna stay down." Joshua sung lowly to himself.

Ayoluwa bit back a grin at the sound of Joshua singing.

He actually has a decent voice.

Not that Ayoluwa would ever say so to his face.

NOTE FROM KY
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