KG and Pookie made it to their grandmother's house in no time. It took them almost an hour to get to Terra's Cabin, but only thirty minutes to get back to the city. The whole neighborhood woke up when KG bent the corner, whipping onto his grandmothers street.
There were already cars parked along the sidewalk and people crowding the street. He could feel his heart beat through his throat. It was unreal. Everyone loved his grandmother. Everyone. She was mean at times and straight up evil other times, but she would bring anyone in who needed it. She'd cook you up a plate and send you on your way even though she herself didn't have much. She'd raised KG without any hesitation.
KG was anxious, but he wanted to slow down. He didn't want to face the truth, but he had to. And the closer he got to her driveway, the more he felt in his heart, he'd never see her alive again.
"Grandma!" he shouted, yanking the car into park right in the middle of the street. He blocked half the neighborhood, but it didn't matter to him. Someone coming in and stealing his sounds and his stereo didn't matter. He'd left his car running. He'd left his wallet in the glove compartment. He yanked the door open and ran inside.
"Happy Birthday!" his family screamed, jumping from all parts of the room.
KG bent over to catch his breath. He covered his eyes with his hand and tried shaking off his headache. And when he opened his eyes back up, there standing there in her infamous grannie gown, her favorite one with the faded flowers was his grandmother.
"We didn't know how else to get you here," she said smiling.
KG walked over to her, his hands stretched out wide, wearing a huge smile and he pulled her into his chest. Her head nestled in his arms as his heart raced with relief. He nodded his head, trying to laugh down his anxiety.
"Ya'll didn't have to do me like that," he said. He kissed his grannie on the forehead and then hugged his sister who'd come up to him next.
"It was your idea. Wasn't it?"
Cathy looked up at his big brother and smiled. "Yep."
Pookie walked over to the stereo and turned it on. He reached down into the glass case and flipped through some cassette tapes. He popped his grandmother's favorite artist in, "Marvin Gaye," and started the party off right.
KG held his hand out to his grandmother and danced with her.
"I told you to stop worrying about me," his grandmother said. "When it's your time to go, it's your time to go."
As they danced, around in the middle of the living room, KG watched his uncle pull out the liquor, the glasses, clacking against each other as he grouped them in his arm and the bright red cans of Pepsi. His Auntie Dee Dee, cousin Janice and little cousin Sherry brought out plates from the kitchen. One by one stacked up high. The pots and pans he was sure was full of his favorite, sweet potato casserole and collard greens. But he had to guess what was on the plates. They were each perfectly wrapped in aluminum foil, steam bursting through the sides as they were placed neatly on the table. KG smiled some more. He could only imagine what good food was under the foil. Fried chicken, homemade potato salad, cornbread muffins. He would soon find out.
"Hey, KG," his cousin Fat head said, walking through the door. His cousin Fat head was the flashiest cousin he had. Not only did he wear the latest addidas, making sure the tongue poked out perfectly, wore the thickest chains and biggest rings on his fingers, but he also had the most beautiful girls following behind him. He was ugly, but he had the most girls. He came in carrying a case of beer and every female with him did the same.
"What's up?" KG said, giving him a fist with one hand while spinning his grannie with the other.
Before long, there were so many people in the house, they were spilling out into the street. Kids were playing curb ball, tossing a football in the air trying not to get caught hitting the cars with it and sucking on bright red Icees. Some of his cousins stood in a pack clowning one another and showing off for pretty girls.
