Remember Me

VIII

"Ma!" He screamed loudly, falling on her lap.

Laura jumped and looked at him, alarmed, but when she realized nothing was wrong, she smacked his arm, ignoring his laughter. "Stop Takashi. I thought something happened." She put a hand on her chest, continuing her phone conversation. "Girl I'm telling you...these kids are something else."

Takashi stared at her long eyelashes, poking under her chin while she continued to talk on the phone. He loved his mom but she was always gossiping. He was surprised nobody showed up at his doorstep trying to catch a fade with her. Laura smacked his hand down, "Hold on girl," she said looking down at him. "What Tee?"

"Me and Nerd wanna go to the amusement park. Can you gimme some money please."

Laura rolled her eyes, "You need a job like Toryn," she then pointed to her purse sitting on the kitchen table. "Look in one of those zippers and take out sixty bucks."

Takashi kissed her cheek, "Thank you ma," he said going over to her bag.

Takashi went searching through the bag, pulling up a couple bills as he started to count it out.

"And I said sixty Takashi, don't play with me." Laura warned. Sometimes she'd send him in to take out a certain amount and he would take an extra ten or twenty, trying to use the excuse of saying he thought he heard her say something else.

Takashi gave a big smile like that's what he had been planning, "I know, sixty." He made sure to count off sixty dollars and put the rest of her money back.

Toryn slowly came walking down the stairs. She had on a long teal colored sundress. Her hair that reached past her shoulder blades was in a neat bun in the center of her head. She wore small diamond earrings and some brown sandals that showed off the teal colored nail polish on her toes. Her glasses were on and she had her small little purse slung across her body with her money and little makeup accessories inside.

Laura gushed. "Aww, look at my baby. You look so adorable."

Takashi stuck his bottom lip out, giving Toryn a stink face. "You always gotta be so extra bruh. We going to an amusement park. Not some fancy dinner. Long ass civil war dress." He mumbled.

Laura laughed and even Toryn chuckled. Laura waved him off, "Don't worry baby you look beautiful. Takashi gonna have to be fighting all them little boys at that park today."

Toryn cheesed harder, the compliment boosting her ego. Takashi on the other hand grilled Toryn, looking at how hype she was.

"Okay baby, you guys go have fun...you both know the curfew. Eleven o' clock. And I'm not playing. Eleven o' clock."

"I know ma," Toryn said racing over to give her a hug. They kissed on the cheek and Takashi did the same, bending down so his mom could kiss his forehead. "No separating and watch each other's backs please. Go before you miss the bus."

Takashi knew his mom was directing her words at him in terms of looking out for Toryn. So he nodded his head and they said their goodbyes before they were out the door.

******

"THAT WAS SO FUN! I THOUGHT I was going to fall out!" Toryn remarked with a big smile on her face, holding her stomach. They had just come off the Luna 360 and were looking for more rides to go on. They'd been at the park for three hours and still had five hours more before they had to go home.

Takashi sucked his teeth, walking next to her with his hands in his pockets. "Man, that ride was ass. All it kept doing was spinning and going upside down." Takashi said. The sun was hot and humid. The plain gray t-shirt and basketball shorts on his body was perfect for the weather. The coconut oil he put in his hair glistened, making his waves shine ridiculously. His rich brown skin was being kissed by the sun, making him seem to glow.