Page 187 of Lau Ahi
“Jasmine, nigga, and she wants baby number two. I’m about to make sure she gets all she can handle. Li and Xerx got their baby girl. Bhal got a two for one, y’all niggas not gone keep playing in my face like this.” He stood up and fixed the lapels of his tuxedo jacket.
Mir shook his head like we didn’t all know something was wrong with Yacouba. “Babies aren’t a competition, fool.”
“Right. And then Ori’s ass would say that and be the one to drop triplets in his girl. They got that kind of love-hate relationship for that shit to happen. Hell, she’s already a twin so it ain’t much for the egg to split again.”
“You’re ridiculous.” He wasn’t wrong, though.
“Good luck with that.”
“I would tell you the same since it’s your wedding night, but you might be getting your ass beat later, Ori.”
“There’s always pleasure to be derived from pain and everything else in this world, Couba. You got to remember to take the good with the bad.”
“And with that, I’m getting the fuck outta here so we can do this shit and be done. Because the last thing I need a visual of is Ori’s big ass being tied up and spanked or some shit.” I wanted to laugh at how disturbed Yacouba looked at the thought. We’d seen men tortured but me playing with my bride was too much for him.
“Nobody needed that visual, Yacouba, damn!” Liam stood up and now he looked disturbed but I didn’t even bother to correct any of them. The only person who had ever had me restrained was Asha but I would absolutely let her do it again whenever she wanted.
I stood up then ready to present my wife with her wedding gift. “One last moment of your time and then we’ll be done. Besides, this next part will have Jasmine begging you to take her back to the room. Bring y’all’s asses so we can get this done.”
BY LAND AND SEA
ASHA
They’d walked into the ballroom in a stunning formation. I’d been sitting there silently brooding over the fact that I was watching the procession of the fire twirlers by myself. This was one of the few moments that I’d been without Ori since we’d spoken our vows. He’d kept me by his side for hours as though the thought of letting me be too far from him was unbearable. Even when I was with my friends or having the first dance with my father and then Pappy he’d been close by. Watching. Protectively hovering to ensure I was good.
He was going to break me.
I’d felt the first cracks weeks ago. The woman I used to be was disgusted at the way this man so easily impressed current me. Silently called me a fool for believing him despite how many times he proved he was exactly who he was. I asked Sasha last night if I was a fool for being so happy. Because when I had a minute to myself I realized I was exactly that. Happy. Not content, I was joyful. And I had been looking forward to today and everything that came with it. She told me that the me who wanted to protect my heart was more afraid of no longer having a voice if I let the happiness take over. I’d been cautious, I’d waited to discern Ori’s character and he’d never hidden who he was. And he’d killed for me. Run to me when he thought I was in danger and ended a man’s life for putting me in harm’s way.Had felt like a failure for not keeping me safe. Only my dad had ever shown me that type of vulnerability and disappointment within themselves. Sasha’s last piece of advice was not to let the protections that saved me in the past become the fortress that prevents me from striving to grasp my future.
Imagine the doctor who studied the brain needing someone else to make sense of hers.
Which is why I was so confused why Ori hadn’t been with me for the start of theSiva Afithat the fire knife dancers were performing. But all my questions were answered when the men’s side of the bridal party came walking forward half naked their delicate bits only covered by loincloths with strategically placed grass in the front of their… packages.
It was mesmerizing them striding out in perfect unison with Pappy being in the lead followed by Ori, his cousin Grant who was an American footballer and the rest of the bridal party coming in two by two.
They seemed to shine in the dim light thrown off by the fire on the stage that was set in the grassy area just outside the ballroom. Midas and Nev had to have added an extra insurance rider for the night to allow this to happen. I don’t know why the women in this room thought they were getting a peep show but several started to whistle as though they didn’t have any sense. I saw Jasmine sit up and look around at the bitches and I knew she would start fucking some shit up even with her son on her lap.
“We welcome you all to this event. To welcome you properly and to welcome my granddaughter-in-law into the family.” Pappy looked comfortable without his shirt; his body still fit despite his age and I wondered if he was going to lead this dance or move out of the way.
I heard the call and despite not understanding the words he was saying I could feel them resonating in my spirit. Pappywas smiling but the rest of the bridal party had a solemn intensity about them. They fanned out around him with Ori being closer to his grandfather in a formation that ensured each of them could be seen. The smallest sound of drums could be heard but it was as if the tempo had been slowed down and the sound lowered so that you were instantly enthralled by the sight in front of you. It was clear that men were supposed to be the center of attention and whatever spell they’d cast before they’d entered the arena was more potent than fentanyl because everyone in the room was affected. The feeling was only intensified when they slowly sank to the floor in the unison causing their bare legs to poke through the grass skirts they were wearing.
I was seeing far too much thigh and quadriceps despite how the grass had exposed much of Ori’s leg. If I saw even the slightest flash of metal from his piercings I was going to have to shut my entire reception down.
An immediate gasp that was decidedly feminine and filled with appreciation swept through the room and now I wanted to be the one to look around at everyone here like they truly had me fucked up. But I couldn’t. Ori’s eyes were fixed on me and I couldn’t break away from his gaze if I tried.
The men swayed while still balanced on the balls of their feet in a deep squat to the cadence the drum beat out. It was wild watching them move in unison, reminiscent to the step competitions that I’d let Tee drag me to so I had a better grasp of Black American culture. Their movements were precise but also fluid and graceful evoking a masculinity that wasn’t normally brought to the forefront when you thought of the Hula.
If this was even what they were doing. Their hands began to move sharply, thighs still engaged as they moved across the floor on their feet, their dicks coming dangerously close to escaping whatever minimal confines they were in. The men in the bridalparty all stood slowly from where they were allowing Ori, pappy and Grant to take center stage.
They chanted in unison their powerful voices invoking my ancestors to wake up my soul. I recognized that what they were doing was welcoming me to the family, paying homage to the past by telling a story. The three of them were in sync until Ori was the last one dancing. He drew closer to me before he came to rest in front of me, head bowed in supplication as someone blew a conch shell, ending their dance.
This felt different. Ori played submissive while we were alone but this felt like he had no issue with everyone knowing how he felt about me.
The guests were clapping but he kept his head lowered until I raised it up to look at me. His eyes held emotion. The kind that he’d attempted to suffocate and snuff out when he realized it was there. But today he wasn’t hiding it. Today it burned as brightly as the fires that had been twirled so beautifully to announce their entrance into the reception. Hot.
Molten.
The type of heat that had been long suppressed but was now allowing it to flow freely for all to see.
