Page 62 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio
Greasy Meats was a brand-new burger spot not far from the Bricks, but not too close to the nearest suburb. The owner, a middle-aged Black guy with a bodybuilder physique, who looked like he’d never consumed a burger in his life, had been in my inbox and email for months. He was trying to get me to film at his new place of business to attract a crowd. Finally deciding to give it a try, I went in yesterday. While the food was delicious, seeing myself consume that much food in the playback had me full already, and I hadn't even eaten anything today yet.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Diverting my gaze from the laptop resting on my lap to a younger face that was uncannily similar to mine, my heart skipped a few beats as I admired my sister. Glee was finally home. Well, she’d been home in Sparkling City with our motherfor a couple of days, but now, she was at my townhouse, where she would remain until she had to be back to Blake U come August. I knew I missed my baby sister, but as soon as her car pulled into my driveway last night, I was able to relish in how much I actually missed her.
“I’m editing this video, so I can post it today,” I replied before turning back to the MacBook.
I tried to post a food vlog at least twice a week, even though sometimes it only happened once. Posting consistently meant sometimes I had to get in the kitchen and whip something together. I wasn't the best cook, but I followed directions well, and with all the recipes floating online, my food could give Gordan Ramsey a run for his money. I rarely cooked, though, because with it being just me in my townhouse, leftover food almost always went to waste.
Glee, wearing her oversized school shirt and a pair of biker shorts, flopped down next to me. She’d gotten the Dominicans to straighten her hair, and the smell of the products mixed with whatever fruity-scented body wash and lotions she used sat down with her. Her hair had grown longer, now flowing past her bra line, and the countless hours she spent walking around campus under that Georgia sun seemed to have lightened her hair. It was now a lighter brown and looked great against her light complexion. I made sure she didn't come up here until she was no longer sick, and while her golden color hadn't fully returned, she didn't look as pale as before. She could only get a few more shades darker anyway. Both of our parents are light-skinned, so we didn't stand a chance. We had just enough melanin in our skin for people to know what we were: beautiful Black American women, and proud of it.
“Ugh, you could have waited for me to get here. Those burgers look too good.”
Glee looked as if she was about to salivate all over my computer, so I playfully nudged her back. It felt good to have my sister here; I thought I was going to have to pop up at that school and snatch her up when she was ignoring my calls. She spent last summer on campus, able to start school earlier than most because of her scholarship. I was glad she decided to come home this summer and start her sophomore year with everyone else. I was planning to have the best time with her over the next few weeks. My hope was that she and Blayke would focus on being young, single women. I didn’t want them to get caught up in the glamour that niggas had in Jagoda Bay, thinking they needed boyfriends, or even “play” friends. She would be going to school for the next ten years, so I wanted her to have fun. But it was equally important to me as her big sister to encourage her to remain responsibility-free—that included other people and their needs and feelings.
“For what it’s worth, there are plenty of leftovers in the fridge. I don’t know how you feel about microwaving them, though. Burgers may be soggy.” I gave a one-armed shrug.
“I’m a broke college student. I’ve had many days eating leftovers of far less desirable things. I’ma tear them burgers up.”
Snapping my neck to my sister just as I was cutting down some of the video, she held in her laughter. Glee was many things, but being broke wasn't one of them. Since she’d gone to school on a full scholarship, that helped my mother out tremendously. She deposited a hundred dollars a week into Glee’s account, and each month when my social media payments came in, I transferred funds into her account as well. Her scholarship also included a meal plan that allowed her to eat at any of the restaurants on campus, plus I randomly sent groceries to their student apartment. If she was eating cheap leftovers, it was because she had her head so far in the books that she chose to eat whatever she could grab to get back to her studies. I’drolled my eyes, but just that quick, I'd smiled. I remembered being her age, not knowing what the fuck I wanted to do. Social media had come through and changed my life, giving me not only a career but a purpose.
Had it not been for that, I don't know what I would have done. My baby sister, though, was a bright soul. She’d been sure of herself from the moment she entered this world. When we used to play dolls, she would always be the one giving our Barbies full check-ups, with a pink stethoscope in her ear and one of our mothers’ white T-shirts that mimicked her white coat, until she was gifted one at seven for Christmas. Calista Glee had been put on this earth to do the right thing, and I was going to support all of her efforts on her current path.
“You know I’m so fucking proud of you, right?” A wave of emotion hit me out of nowhere while eyeing my beautiful sister. She was so driven, so focused, so innocent. The thought of anyone touching a hair on her head made me tear up.
Glee tossed her arms around my neck and placed her bony chin on my shoulder. She was so close that her nose tickled the side of my face.
“I’m proud of you, too, sister. You tend to downplay your achievements, but in reality… you’re in the twentieth percentile, and you're not number twenty!” We giggled as she snapped her fingers. “You have a dedicated fan base that adores you. The Eaters are like a cult with how fiercely they support you. All it takes is for Glow the Pretty Eater to show up at a restaurant, and here come your minions… selling them out. You're totally the female Keith Lee!”
We both laughed as I blinked away my tears.
“For real, you made something out of nothing, and now you’re living it up. You like to boast on me, but you make a doctor's salary without all the hard schooling and dreadful hours of studying. You inspire me, Glow. I love you, sister.”
I still had another two weeks before I was on my period, so I didn't know why I was so emotional. It had to have been my approaching ovulation. The tears fell, but I used my shoulder to swipe them away.
“Mama did good with us, hunh?” I boasted.
Glee rolled her eyes, making me laugh. “She swears that.”
“That’s because it’s true.”
Our mama really did do her big one with us two. A divorced mom raising two daughters in a new city wasn't easy. But both of her girls had made it out of high school without a baby, and one was in college on a full ride, while the other had made a name for herself in the online communities. She had done damn good.
Ping
The alert of a new message appeared on the screen, and I, not thinking much of it, clicked on it. I hadn't heard from the girls in a few days, and as much as I wanted to reach out, I held back. Jisei was my best friend, but she was also a new mom and a new wife. I didn't want to come off as the “worried single friend” and have Ezio side-eyeing me, so I let her have her time. With the other women, I usually sent them a quick "hey" text, but I kept those to a minimum too. The group chat had been quiet since the day after the Sniff-and-Sip. I couldn't even pretend that didn't bother me, especially since I knew they’d been communicating in their other group chats that didn’t include me.
901-428-6632
Pull up on a nigga.
“Oh,so The Eater been holding out. Who isa nigga?”
I didn't know if it was from amusement or confusion, but my heart was racing as I stared at those five words on my computerscreen. The number wasn’t saved, but somehow I knew exactly who it was. I could even hear the message in his deep, southern voice, which was more southern than mine. I hadn't heard from Tunan since the party, yet his image and scent had appeared in my mind more than once over the past week. Tunan was a walking red flag. He wasn't the flashiest, didn't drive a six-figure car, and didn't have the wealth and stature of the men my girls usually date, but just the thought of him made my girl below tingle.
Probably because he knocked the dust off my coochie.
“Are you going to text Mr. Nigga back, orrr…?” Glee snapped me out of thoughts I shouldn't be having, and instead of replying, I closed my computer and placed it on the ottoman in front of us.“Uggh! You’re no fun.”
