Tidal [HIATUS]

one

Long Beach, California
August 31st, 1995

One thing I came to realize about American families, well, black American families is that when you show up for the first time, they show out. I came here with a backpack with three shirts and two pairs of pants. Now I was putting up bags of clothes and gifts from the 'welcome home' party that just ended a few hits ago.

"How's everything coming along?" I looked over and saw my mom standing in the doorway with a smile, her head shaking as she looked at the gift bags. "You can thank your aunties for this."

"For sure." I said with a chuckle, watching her sit down on the edge of my bed before patting it slightly, motioning me to sit with her. So I did. "You didn't have to do this, you know that right? This party."

She gave me a look. "Of course I did." I leaned into her side as she wrapped her arms around me, her lips pressing to the top of my head. "My baby is finally home."

I smiled, knowing I missed my mom as much as she missed me.

Even though I hadn't truly seen her in years, we always kept in touch. Rather that be with letters or phone calls, I knew my mother. Even if the hug we shared today was the first in over four years.

"I ain't got all day." I heard a deep voice say, followed by a teasing smile. "I got places to be."

"Boy," my mom said and grabbed a pair of my rolled up socks before throwing them at him. "What you talking about?"

He easily caught the socks before tossing them between his hands. "I'm taking sis out to her first party." Mom instantly shook her head in disapproval. "Come on, ma, I'll take care of her."

"Like hell. You know I don't want her running these streets and especially not with your friends." I silently watched the two go back and forth, respectively on my brothers part, before she tilted her head. "Where is this party?"

"Right up the street on Atlantic." He said and winked at her. "So you don't gotta worry about us being all out or nothing, we'll be right there."

I hoped she had said yes. The way my brother describes the parties here sounded magical in my eyes, at least compared to the parties from where I came from.

After mom looked between us both, she huffed noisily and eyed him. "Maru if something happens to her.."

"I'll let you kill me with your bare hands." He said before tossing the socks to me. "Hurry up before she change her mind." He added teasingly but I jumped up and pushed my feet into the new pair of Nike air forces that my granny had gotten me.

When I reached for my jacket, my mom quickly grabbed it and shook her head. "No blue." She said and I raised my eyebrows but she simply sat the jacket down and grabbed a plain black zip up. "Colors carry weight out here. No red or blue at night time, okay?"

I shrugged. "Ok." After I pulled on the jacket, I left it unzipped to display my white Jordan tshirt. "Okay, let's bounce!" Maru said with a clap before ushering me out of the room and down the hall.

"Can I come?" Maru and I looked at the youngest of us, clad in boxers and an old Bruce lee shirt.

"Not yet. You too young, Kai." Maru said, continuously making us walk.

"I'm thirteen!" Kai called out but we were already halfway out the of door, then down the apartment steps.

Maru was someone I grew to know as 'dope.' That what they called him. He was always dressed clean with a gold chain, and his clean style matched his car. A black sixty-four impala.