Mamé's POV
"Mommy, when's daddy coming back?" Kj asked from the back seat.
"We'll see him soon, baby." I responded, even though it was going to be a good week or 2 before we see him again. Kenyana left for New Jersey three days ago, and the kids have been asking about him non stop. We've explained how he has to go away for business for sometime, but they don't understand that it will be a while until the next time they see him. Even though we FaceTime every night, I know it's not the same to them. In two or three weeks, I'll be driving down to Sacramento for Yatta's next performance out there, then to LA.
He apologized to me about the whole Stunna situation multiple times and of course I said I forgive him, but it was the lying part that wasn't sitting right with me. The situation was so little and the argument could've all been prevented if he was just honest, there was no reason to lie at all. I let him know how I felt and we ended up squashing the situation, but I still can't help but to think about his lying ways. If he lied about something as small as a little text message, who knows what else he would lie to me about. I don't want to be that crazy, stalker type of female, but the lying really has to stop before it gets worst. I've been nothing but an understanding and loving wife to him and mother to our children, I've never asked for anything from him but to keep it on the real with me. I don't know who that was that lied to me about something as small as a message, but that's truly not the man I fell in love with.
"Mommy, are we almost at grandma's house?" Cyncere asked, playing with her tablet.
"Yes, we're almost there princess."
"Okay! And are we still going to Disneyland tomorrow?"
"Of course, baby. With your uncles and your cousins." I replied. Karl and Cyncere were too excited, ready to see their family members and to spend the weekend at Disneyland.
Since Karl is now on Winter break, I decided to take them down to LA so they can spend some time with their grandparents and other family members from my side. The drive down to LA from the Bay is about 6 to 7 hours, so we took a flight here and had my cousin Imani pick us up from LAX.
"Disneyland is gonna be so much fun, I haven't been there in years." Imani spoke as we finally entered the city of Inglewood. We passed by Randy's Donuts that looked to be under construction, and Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, which I'll make sure we go to before we leave here. It was packed outside as usual, but I'll try to fit it in to a day where we don't have much planned.
"We used to go all the time as kids, that place is so expensive." I responded as we passed the Forum.
"Who you telling, once we hit 4th grade wasn't no more Disneyland." She spoke.
A couple more minutes passed and we were pulling up to my parents house. I was super excited to see everyone, since the last time we were all together was last month at Karl's birthday party. I helped all the kids out the car, before grabbing the bags. Before I could grab the next bag out the trunk, my brother stopped me.
"Shad!" I was nearly screaming as I jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. My baby brother has been over seas pursuing his dream of playing professional basketball. He's been traveling back and forth between Lithuania and California for two years now. He wasn't able to make it to Karl's birthday party, but sent a couple gifts to make up for it.
"I missed you, lil sis." He smirked. He stood 6'4, a little shorter than the average professional ball player, but he was tall enough to me.
"You must've hit yo head, baby bro." I laughed.
"Is that my baby girl, Cyn? Kj, you growing up! And Neems, you getting big lil man!" His nephews and niece wasted no time latching onto him. As usual, he was pulling out money from his pockets and spoiling them like crazy.
"Can you help with the bags in the trunk?" I took Nehemiah's hand as I carried a bag, making my way into my old home. As soon as I walked through the door, I met with my eldest brother Nasir.
"Nasi!" I called him by the nickname I gave him as we grew up. He used to hate when I called him that, he said it sounded like I was saying Nazi.
"How you been? I actually missed you." He gave me a hug, before picking Nehemiah up.
"Good, living." I replied.
"Y'all got more bags in the car?" He asked and I nodded, while Imani, the kids and Rashad walked in.
"Ight." He spoke before messing around with Karl and Cyn, before we went to help.
"My Ada!" My mom rushed out of the kitchen to hug me. The meaning of Ada was a term for first or only daughter, in the Nigerian language she spoke. I couldn't speak it, but I did understand a lot from when she spoke to me and my brothers when we were younger. I didn't care to learn it back then, but now that I'm older I want to be able to speak it, so I can at least teach my kids.
"Ma, I missed you!" I held her tight. She kissed my cheek and took the bag from my arms.
"I missed you, and my babies." She kissed all over Kj and Cyncere, before doing the same to Nehemiah when Nasir brought him back in. They were too excited to see their grandmother, holding her tight and waiting to be carried by her. I smiled at the sight.
"Where's daddy?" I asked of my father.
"That man is in the room blowing up my bathroom, can't ever let that man eat beans!"
I laughed and shook my head, looking up at my middle brother Amare as he walked out of his old room.
"Aw shit, my baby sister back outchea."
"Awww, Mare. I missed all y'all so much." I hugged him.
"Yeah yeah, I bet." He waved me off, but I knew he missed me too. He started messing around with my children, tossing them up and down getting them all hyper and dizzy. I shook my head and began grabbing some bags to put in my old room, the room my brother swore he was going to make into a game room. My parents just rearranged some things and took down all my stuff, making it a guest room. Before I reached the door, my dad stepped out of his room.
"Is that my baby girl?"
"Oooh, daddy close that door!" I covered my nose. He shook his head but did so anyway, opening his arms for a hug.
"I missed you, and I know you missed me more." I smirked as he pulled me into a hug. His big ass arms were smothering me, as old as he is he'll never give up the gym. "Body building self." I pulled away.
"I'm getting right." He was showing off. "Let me take these bags for you."
My dad and brothers helped me put the bags in my old room, letting us get situated. Everyone was energized except for Karl, because I still made him go to school earlier today. He begged me to stay, but it was Friday and the last day before he went on break for three weeks.
"Bye family! I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow, I gotta get home and rest up before work." Imani spoke, grabbing her purse.
"Let me make you a plate." My mama spoke as I helped her in the kitchen. After we all said our goodbyes to my cousin, we ate together as a family then spent some time just lounging around. Karl was stuck on the Xbox with his uncle Shad, while my mother held Nehemiah as she fixed up some soup for my dad.
"Mama you can but that boy down, ever since we got here he been acting like he don't know how to walk." I spoke.
"Aw, leave my baby alone. He love staying with his grandma, ain't that right baby?" Neems smiled, causing my mom to do the same.
Cyncere sat next to me, laying her head on my lap. As I played with her hair, I was reminded that I had to get some gel and conditioner from the beauty supply.
"Shoot, I forgot. Amare, can you take me to the beauty supply?" I stood up, holding onto her little hand.
"Yea I gotchu, I was just finna head out anyway." He spoke as he pulled out his keys.
"We'll be back mama."
"Y'all be safe." She spoke as we walked out. I took out the car seat from my car and buckled Cyncere up in it. After buckling myself in, Amare backed out the driveway and took off.
"It feels good to be back." I looked around at my old neighborhood. "Used to get into hella."
"On Crip." My brother was just being goofy.
"You still talking about some on crip, huh?" I shook my head and he laughed. Once we hit a red light, he pulled out his phone to play some music. The beauty supply wasn't far from our home, more like down the long main street of Crenshaw. Through the speakers of his car, my brother was blasting his music.
"Who's this?"
"Kb, you ain't heard this song?"
"Not at all, Kb? He rap now? That's crazy, his lil gang bangin ass."
We pulled up to the beauty supply and Amare parked. He helped Cyncere out of the car, holding onto her hand.
"Why you got my neicey dressed up as a school girl? Don't tell me she started school and I'm late."
"No, she just wanted to dress up like Karl, since he has to wear uniform."
"Aw, she love her big bro." He smirked.
"Uncle, what's that song?" Cyn asked as she looked up at him.
"It's Crip music, baby. You a Crip?" He looked down at her with a smirk.
"Amare, don't be teaching her that." I hit him.
"Chill out," He laughed. "Say Naybahood, Cyn." He threw up Nh, showing off his bottom grill.
"Amare! Boy you better sto-"
"Naybahood." Cyncere copied everything he did, my jaw dropped. He busted out laughing but I shook my head.
"Look at what you did."
"Naybahood, Naybahood!" She kept repeating.
"Cyncere, stop." I warned her.
"Wait hold on." Amare kept laughing. "Lemme flick her up right quick, you got my neicey in all blue and everything. Is them lil Crip boots she got on?" He pulled out his phones as he jokes.
"You're actually an idiot." I shook my head head as he took her picture.
"She hella cute, but gon now and get what you need." He spoke.
I took Cyn's hand as we walked into the beauty supply. I was greeted by a worker who I felt like I recognized, but went ahead to the isle where they keep the gel. I grabbed the Black Castor and Flaxseed Eco oil Style gel and some new leave in conditioner. There were many other products that I was tempted to buy, but I only came here to get two things. There wasn't a line so I went straight up to the register, placing my items down.
"She's too cute." The young girl spoke as she looked down at Cyn, ringing up my items.
"Thank you, say thank you Cyn." I looked down at her.
"Thank you!" Her focus was on some lipgloss.
"You want it? Can you ring these up for me too." I grabbed the pink lip gloss Cyn was staring at, then a clear one for myself.
She read the price and I took out a bill to pay for it. She placed it in a bag and we were on our way out.
"Lemme stop by the Slauson? I gotta pick up my grill." My brother asked once we got back in the car. I nodded and let him know that it was fine. Once we pulled up to the swap meet, he prepared to get out. "Y'all gon stay in here?"
I nodded, and he went on about his business. I turned back to Cyncere to see that she was slowly falling asleep. Her eyes struggled to stay open.
"Aw, you tired baby?"
She nodded, before asking to sit with me. I unbuckled her from her car seat and pulled her over so she could sit on my lap. She laid her head on my chest, closing her eyes. As we waited for my brother, I made small talk with one of my old high school friends. He spotted my brothers car and meant to talk to him, but was surprised when he saw me and my daughter. My brother soon made his way out and made small talk as well, before we pulled off to head home.
"I know you didn't." I inspected his grill. "You and Yatta are the same, why do y'all like all these diamonds in your mouth?"
He smirked then laughed, pulling out his phone to play some more music.
It wasn't long before I noticed how much jewelry he had on. From his neck to his wrist, to the pinky ring on his finger, this man was completely iced out. I know damn well that cutting hair isn't paying him that much money to be buying all the stuff he has. I just hope he isn't slanging like he used to, because he was always getting caught up in some shit when we were younger.
Once we got back to the house, I bathed both the boys first before Cyn. It isn't that late yet, so I washed her hair so that it would be fresh for tomorrow. I held the blow dryer over her head for some time so she wouldn't be soaking wet and cold, but then I let the rest air dry while I put some product in. I styled it, putting some of her curls up while the rest fell down. Knowing it would be messed up by the morning, I didn't put too much effort into it, I just wanted it to be parted already so everything would be faster in the morning.
She was begging me to wear her Minnie Mouse pajamas that I was saving for when we stayed at the hotel for the first night, but let her wear it anyway. She also grabbed her red bow to put in her hair, so now I have to make sure I take it out when she falls asleep.
Once I took my shower and got comfortable, we just sat in the bedroom and watched Netflix. Kj was the first to go to sleep since he had a long day. Nehemiah was acting as if he was full of energy. He played around with his toys on the floor as always, rambling on about things I couldn't understand. Instead of watching whatever movie the kids had put on, Cyncere and I were watching her baby brother.
"Mommy, Nemo's so cute."
I laughed, for some reason that was too cute yet so funny to me. We spent the rest of the night just chilling, and my parents came in to check on us before they went to sleep. After getting out our stuff for Disneyland tomorrow, I replied to Yatta's messages. He wasn't able to FaceTime us tonight, but he said he would make sure he does tomorrow. We talked on the phone earlier in the morning so he was able to speak to the kids. So far, I don't like how this tour is going, but I know that I'll have to get used to it soon. Only a few days have gone by, and we have many weeks ahead of us.
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Excuse any mistakes