Page 138 of Lau Ahi
“Points well made. She and her people are victims of empire just like everyone else in the world.”
“Seems like her father made good if he’s got the kind of pull he needs to get the attention of the elders.” Yacouba walked over straightening the cuffs of his sleeves. His jacket was slightly broader than mine was and I knew Mr. Leon was probably wondering where he was going to get enough fabric to make all of our shit. None of us were small men by any means but thankfully his shop was able to accommodate us. He’d taken everyone’s measurements but had Yacouba try on a jacket to ensure he got his cut correct.
“But can we get back to what we were discussing?” Jahmir was tossing the attention back on a topic that wasn’t up for debate and I knew he was doing it to rile me up.
“I wasn’t aware that what I wanted for my wedding was a discussion.”
“It is if you think you’re about to put my Black ass in a fucking skirt! How long are them shits, O? I’m not about to have Jazzy baby cutting off my supply because my dick and nuts were flashed to everybody in attendance. You're not about to ruin my marriage while you start yours.”
With the angry look on his face, I knew he was serious. It wasn’t funny but he had to be out of his mind if he thought that I was going to stop his wife from getting at him. Besides leaving their own wedding ceremony to go fuck, they’d done it at everyone else’s wedding. I didn’t expect them to break their tradition now.
“Just think of it as easier access for when you and Jasmine sneak away when y’all think nobody’s asses are watching.”
A grin broke over his face and I was sure he was replaying each time he’d snuck somewhere to fuck his wife. It was crazy to me that he hadn’t broken her ass in half yet. Yacouba was big as fuck and Jasmine was a solid foot shorter than him, if not more. She had not only tamed his ass, as much as you can tame a fucking honey badger, but had birthed their big ass son like a champ. For baby Yasir to not even be two years old yet, he had to be clocking in at over the one hundredth percentile for height and weight.
Shit, if we do eventually think about having kids how big will they be? Asha is tall as shit so would that mean she’d give birth to a pre-schooler?
I shook my head at the thought of fatherhood because it wasn’t ever something that was on my mind. Especially not with the way my father had been with me. Yeah, Pappy was a great example of fatherhood but he’d raised my sperm donor. And that meant no matter how hard you tried you could still raise a fuck up.
I didn’t want that on my conscience.
“Okay, so what moves do we have to learn?” Yacouba looked like he was all in now that we’d brought up how Jasmine might be ready to pull his grass skirt off while he was dancing.
“I never would’ve thought that I’d see the day where you would be plotting new and exciting ways to entice the same woman into your bed repeatedly.” Jahmir shook his head slightly awed at how Jasmine had calmed Yacouba down. Even when he was locked up he could still run the family business with ease. But Jasmine had him turning the crazy on and off and turned into a puddle of emotion around his wife.
“She’s not just a woman, she’s my wife. And I know you’re not talking, Mir. My ass didn’t think you were ever going to makea move on Ny and now look at y’all. I’m ready for you to tell me she’s pregnant again.”
Mir’s brows dipped confused at what Yacouba said. “She just gave birth.”
I barked a laugh looking at the two of them arguing back and forth. “You act like you care! You ain’t been able to get up off that girl and I swear to God Priest be taking over your body or some shit. Y’all keep saying that Jada ain’t wrapped too tight like this nigga ain’t standing right here.”
“Not too much on Sweets.”
I turned to look at Smoke’s ass because, of course he would speak up now. “Is that all you heard?”
Smoke shrugged from his spot halfway across the damn store and I could only shake my head at how obsessed this man was with Jada. If this is what they were wishing on me I needed to call Auntie Babette or Jemma to work a root of protection over me. Whatever love spell these niggas were under needed to miss me.
Too late for all that, isn’t it?
“You know his ass was tuning us out until we brought up his favorite subject. He don’t even realize his ass is in the wedding I bet.” Jahmir was now leaning back, watching Smoke who glanced around at all of us.
“In it? I’m working it.” Smoke looked confused at the thought of participating in our ceremony. It was funny how he was still wondering what the hell he meant to us. His posture was loose, but he was scanning the store and the street. He was in a t-shirt and jeans with his locs braided off his face ready to handle whatever came.
“The hell is wrong with you, man? You just never going to accept the fact that you’re family.” Yacouba pulled off the jacket he’d been trying on before placing it back on the hanger.
“I accept it but I still don’t trust anybody else to do security for y’all’s shit but me and Omega.”
Yacouba rubbed his eyes like the distance between Smoke and Omega was stressing him out. “Can you please call that nigga your brother like you claim him?”
“Hell no. Cause then I gotta claim that other muthafucka and I’m trying to end his fucking life. I call him Omega out of respect. When he’s no longer a twin then I’ll call him my brother.”
“That makes a twisted bit of sense and now I’m worried I've been around you niggas too fucking long.” Yacouba shook his head as Mr. Leon came out from the back.
“The fabric for the custom ties and pocket squares will be in before the end of the week. I hadn’t worked with kapa before so I ordered more than enough.”
“Are they sending you the kapala or do I need to have one of my relatives provide them for you?” I wanted everything to be right so I wasn’t going to leave anything to chance.
“No, the company that you directed me toward had more than enough for me to choose from. Since you didn’t have specific colors I’ve ordered one for each of you. All with keeping with the colors of your land.” He smiled excited to do something out of the norm and I knew he was going to execute it like he did everything else.
