The Double-Tap Accident

Chapter Thirty-Five: Imaginary Halo.

"But that has nothing to do with African food, mom," I said. "You can't cook."

She raised a hand to swat me and I laughed, dodging her move but I caught the discreet smile on her face, "Sorry, but it has nothing to do with you not being able to cook something like fried rice."

"Well, she expects me to be the perfect wife."

"Well, you were born here." I reminded her. "And your mom didn't teach you how to make it but you tried. Grandma doesn't have to be such a—" I caught myself on my curse, not missing my father's raised eyebrows. "Rude person about it. If anything, she should help. Not kick you out of your own kitchen."

"She kicked you out?" Dad asked. "Physically kicked you? I know you're small Emi but--"

My mom glared at my father, hitting him lightly on the arm as he laughed and embraced her. "Leave me alone." She mumbled against his shirt.

"I'm sorry." But he didn't stop chuckling over her head, his love for her so clear in his eyes. It hadn't faded away in all the years they've known each other. I recognized that look in so many other versions of that love within my family. I thought I was about to have something like that for myself at some point.

My father's hand came tugged on one of the beaded twists I had put my natural hair in for the day. The twists framed my face so neatly, one would think I didn't get frustrated, storming into my sister's room in near tears when I was trying to do the hairstyle this morning.

"What's going on here?" The voice made me grin as I turned to face Abisola's dad, Henry, who poked his head into the open doorway. I gave him a big hug as my father cheered from behind me at the sight of his friend. 

"Hi Jaime," He said with a smile of his own that slipped off of his face at the sight of my mom's face. "Oh, no, what's wrong?"

"Mom." My dad said, pretending to shove me out of the way to get to his close friend. The two of them gripped each other hard as if they hadn't seen each other two days ago.

"Don't let her get to your head, Emi."

"Henry, you have her as your mother-in-law and you'll see." My mom muttered.

"Then it's a good thing I didn't marry David."

The two men laughed as Abisola appeared at the threshold with her husband, Michael behind her. My sister shared my skin, eyes, and height. She was less curvy than me and wore her natural hair short, shorter than her husband Michael whose hair was currently in locs that almost touched his shoulders. My sister was stunning and it showed even more when she greeted us all with a wide smile. "Dad! I thought I heard you."

"Hey!" The chattiness in my parents' bedroom grew even louder as Henry's wife and kids filled the hallway. My adjacent family entered the room, everyone greeting each other.

And for a moment, everything connected to Herringway, everything connected to Jasper Bay was gone. All of it. And I walked into the living room with Michael in tow, the two of us ready to play card games as more of my family entered the room and found their own spots.

This was my home. This was my constant. And this was what I was missing.

Christmas had been the same, tons of presents, arguments, and times I had been forced to play the piano sitting against the wall in the living room that I had been acquainted with for over a decade. I didn't mind it. I'd glanced over the heads of my family, adjacent and non-adjacent to see my sister standing next to her husband, shooting me a smile as I played songs I hadn't touched in a long while as everyone listened intently.

I'd seen some old friends, though not as many as I had in the past. Then again, most of the people I considered my friends were back in their own hometowns. Immanuel, I heard from the most over texts. I didn't expect to hear much from my roommates as they spent winter break with their family and old friends.