Page 20 of Don Caselli

Me and Greene stressed everyone out because while I had at least applied to college, Greene was on her own path. She didn’t know what she wanted to do, but she eventually found her lane. Being an assistant to the Caselli family wasn’t a bad job, not when her female boss noticed she was having car trouble and bought her a brand-new car.

I almost wanted to ask if they were hiring because putting my life on the web wasn’t what I thought it would be. Then I thought about traveling the world and all I had been able to do, and I learned to quiet the noise, and focus on me.

“Mommy!” I hollered as I walked through the door, knowing she was home because I could smell the curry in the air.

The smell of the curry cooking in the bottom of the worn metal pot that had housed many meals of rice and peas was the best thing in the entire world.

“Kitchen, Navy!” she hollered back.

Her Louis Vuitton Never Full that she insisted on using for a work bag was hung on the back of the kitchen chair. She had her belt and pants unbuckled as she was opening up a can of peas and looked over at me.

Mommy’s brown skin glistened with sweat as the kitchen window was opened. The sound of the bus bolting down the street could be heard in the kitchen, as the warm air cruised through the window, along with the steam from the pots.

“Did you make enough for me, too?”

She put her hand on her wide hip, something I had inherited from her, and pursed her lips. “Navy, you just come over and never tell us what you doing.”

My mother was born in America, but you couldn’t miss the hint of an accent that she picked up from my grandparents. “Well, I’m sorry if I wanted to walk over and visit my parents.”

“Oh please,” she sucked her teeth.

I laughed and leaned on the free counter, careful not to get in her way. The galley kitchen was already a tight squeeze for the both of us, but I just wanted to be in my mommy’s space. It had been a week since I had been over to visit her and my father.

If I came over too soon, then she would have known something was wrong. Avril Perkins knew me better than I knew myself, and she would catch me in a lie before I could get it to form. I was nervous to tell her that me and Antwan had broken up because I was afraid of her response. My mother never looked at Antwan as my ticket to something better. I think she wanted us to work because she knew how much I loved that boy.

Since fourth grade, when he pulled my hair and then pushed me, I had loved that boy. Our families knew each other, and every labor day, you can count on his grandmother to sit right with mine on the parkway while we celebrated. This wasn’t a little bullshit breakup because our families wanted this for us, and I felt like I messed it up.

“Navy Bleu Perkins, what is the matter?” She held the onion in her hand and sliced it easily, all while she was staring at me.

“Mommy, why something had to be wrong?”

“I know you, gul.”

Laughing, I became serious. “Antwan broke up with me, Mommy.”

She stopped cutting the onion and looked at me. “Go on playing with me, Navy.”

“I’m serious. We’ve been broken up a week and I don’t think we’re going to work it out this time.” I slumped my shoulders, feeling the tears threaten to fall.

I hated all this crying because I thought I had got it all out, and here I was in my mother’s kitchen crying about it again. It was one thing for me to end things because I knew we were growing apart, but for him to end things because I got out of Landon’s car, hurt because he knew me.

He didn’t want to hear my explanation and didn’t even try to sit and talk things out. My mother washed her hands and then pulled me into a hug. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s alright, Mommy. I know how much everyone loved Antwan.”

She pulled me back as she stared into my eyes. “Navy, we loved Antwan because he grew up with you kids. That doesn’t mean we loved him more than you. I only want my child happy, and I can tell you both weren’t happy anymore.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I questioned as the tears fell down my face, and she swiped them away. Her long nails gently touching my cheek.

Her eyebrow raised. “Would you have listened to me?”

“No,” I sulked.

She laughed. “Exactly… child bull headed.” She imitated my grandmother’s accent, and we both laughed. “Happiness is all I want for you, my Bleu. If that means that you have to find it somewhere else, that is alright, too.”

“What about Daddy?”

“He’ll be alright… we can find those tickets on sale, or you can get a content creator invite or some mess like that.”

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