Page 104 of Shâhzâdeh

“He is not my biological brother. We were adopted by the same family.”

It was completely silent in the near empty bridal salon and I was grateful that the only people here were staff and the women that had come with me. Navi had them on the other side or in the back gathering items for me or else I would’ve been even more embarrassed.

“And you didn’t want to LEAD with that?” Jada threw her hands up as though I was the problem and not her simply jumping to conclusions.

“I would think that people would figure out that I wasn’t some incestuous weirdo that was sleeping with my blood brother. Especially when I’ve said multiple times that I was adopted.”

“Girl, people don’t know you and you were raised by white folks. Ain’t no telling what the hell you think is normal. Do you put grapes in your potato salad? Because if so, I’m never eating at your house. Bad enough Xerx doesn’t eat pork.” Jada shook her head like she was utterly disgusted with what that man did or didn’t put in his mouth.

“Jada—”

“I mean girl this is the south. That shit was normal until kids were coming out with three feet and one eye and shit. And even then folks rolled with it. Why you think them mountain folk all got a look to them.” She raised her eyes in that you know look before she was interrupted.

“Jada you trying to get all in this girl’s business and you not even letting her talk.”

“You right, Frankie, that’s my fault. Continue you.” She pointed at me as regally as a queen telling her jester to dance and I could only stare at her and sigh.

“We’re never gonna be friends are we?”

She grinned at me before coming back over and giving me a hug. “Girl, we’re already besties. If we weren’t I would just be talking shit about you behind your back instead of trying to understand this weird shit. I mean I’m trying to get your ass together because I care but if you don’t want that—” She shrugged like she was really trying to fix the problems in my life I’d never asked for her help with.

“I want this conversation to have never happened.”

She tapped the side of her head thoughtfully before she spoke up. “Well, I mean that’s not possible. Well, unless Dom has finally perfected—”

My face crumpled in confusion because I swore this had to be what an acid trip felt like. “Who?”

“Never mind, I’m not really supposed to know about that. Anyway,” She fake zipped her lips and grinned deviously.

“Jada—” I squeezed my lips in my hand so that I said nothing else.

“I know. I’m a lot to handle, right?” Her grin moved from devious to proud and I looked at Frankie for help.

Frankie chuckled and sat back down on the cream velvet sofa and pulled up her tote bag. She pulled out her pump that went into her nursing bra so she could pump discreetly. “That’s putting it mildly.”

“True. But it’s never a dull moment.” Jada grinned as though bringing chaos was her life’s mission and she was just happily fulfilling her destiny.

“But the dull moments are sometimes what make life worth living.”

Her face was filled with disgust and disbelief at my words. “Do you really believe that? I mean I would never want to be classified as dull. I fully believe dull is for when you’re dead. If you spend your life craving the dull then where is the excitement at? No, I don’t agree with your take at all. I rebuke it.” She waved her hands in front of herself like she was actually trying to block my words.

“Yeah, okay so that’s the story of my ex. Can we move on to something else now? I don’t enjoy talking about him.”

“Wait, but you haven’t explained any of it yet. We got background information and now I need the logistics. Like, why did you pick him out of everyone else?” She turned to me on the sofa and looked like I was supposed to give a soliloquy on the tragedy that was my life. Instead of doing that, I gave her the short and dirty of the situation.

“Because I was forced to. Told I had to and basically drug to the Justice of the Peace they knew in order to get it done.”

“Oh, you were in one of those situations.” Her head nodded slowly as though she were finally understanding.

I closed my eyes briefly and exhaled before I opened my eyes to look at her. “I’m going to hate myself for asking this, but what does that mean one of those kind of situations?”

“You know the weird ass Children of the Corn cult like situations.”

“My secular knowledge only stretches so far in the time since I’ve gotten free, Jada. I need context.” I looked at Frankie who was only laughing at me while her boobs got juiced like two oranges.

“I know. It’s so cute you’re like the American version of Nyima. But the Children of the Corn are like a weird ass movie. Basically, the kids kill all the adults to ensure there’s a good corn harvest.”

I rubbed my temple because I had no clue what she was talking about. “That’s nothing like my life.”

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