Love Thy Neighbor ~ Part 1

Remember How This All Started?

SHAKA'S POV

Shaka: "Hey dad, what kind of tree is that?"
Moz: "That's a weeping willow, Shaka."
Jade: "Oh, poor tree. Even you're sad to be stuck in the boonies of Columbus, Georgia."
My dad takes a deep breath.
Moz: "I could smell M'Dear's cooking from the airport. Smells delicious!"
Cocoa: "Smells like 10 extra pounds."
Moz: "You don't have to eat it."
Cocoa: "Oh try and stop me."
My family is having a family reunion in Columbus. It's our home town. We came for a few days and then back to Seattle we go. I'm excited to see M'Dear and Grandpa. I'm also excited to explore Columbus. Jade...not so much.
Jade: "Uhhh, it's hot here. Africa hot!"
Mazzi: "You're a drama queen."
Jade: "Ok I know I've been doing a really good job at covering, but I do NOT want to be here."
E: "We know!"
The front door opens.
M'Dear: "My baby is home!"
We all open our arms as she walks toward us, but she passes us all up and hugs my dad.
Moz: "Oh I missed you M'Dear."
Cocoa: "You see why I call him a mama's boy?"
Jade just scoffs.
M'Dear: "It has been such a long time since we've seen you. And Cocoa, you and the kids. Oh you're getting so big!"
Jeb: "Ami, come here, come here,"
He starts to pick her up.
Jeb: "Yeowww. Hahaha."
Moz: "Dad?"
Jeb: "Now I don't know if I can hug a man who beat my Falcons with a last-second touchdown catch."
Moz: "Oh ok ok. Uh, could you hug the man that bought you a brand-new Cadillac?"
Grandpa looks shocked.
Jeb: "Boy! Come here and hug yo daddy."
M'Dear: "Ah, Mazzi, you're getting to be such a big boy."
Mazzi: "Uh, M'Dear, I'm ten. I'm a man now."
He lifts up his arm.
Mazzi: "Smell-"
Ami: "Don't do it! You can never unsmell that smell."
I nod in agreement. Jade sighs really loud as she walks and sits down.
M'Dear: "What's wrong with Princess Pouty?"
Cocoa: "She's just upset because her friends are at a party, but we insisted she come to the family reunion."
Jade: "It's not just a party. It's the biggest social event of the year."
Jeb: "You're not happy to see your grandpa?"
Jade: "I'm always happy to see you. Just why couldn't the family reunion be in Seattle?"
Moz: "Because we're the only family that lives there."
Cocoa: "Yeah. You want all of your family members to pack up and come to Seattle so you can go to a party?"
Jade: "Oh my gosh that would be so dope!"
She then looks at her phone smiling and typing.
Jade: "Let me check flights."
I roll my eyes. We haven't even been here 10 minutes yet and she already wants to leave.
Jade: "Um....yeah your reception's kinda bad out here. What's your Wi-Fi password?"
Jeb: "We don't have Wi-Fi."
I try to hold in my laughter.
Jade: "Okay, is that all one word?"
Jeb: "It's not a password. We don't have Wi-Fi."
She looked at him like he's crazy.
Jade: "Yep. This is where I die."
She says sitting down.
~Time Skip~
Moz: "Mmm-mmm-mmm. M'Dear, you put your foot in this chicken."
Ami drops her chicken.
Ami: "Yuck!"
Cocoa: "Sweetheart, it's just an expression, that means the food is really good. M'Dear is the best cook in the family."
M'Dear: "Thank you Cocoa, but my sister Maybelle would not agree."
Jeb: "Millie, now whose pies have won the most reunion bake-offs? Yours or Maybelle's?"
M'Dear: "Oh Jeb, nobody keeps up with that kind of stuff. But if they did, it would be me."
I wasn't really paying attention. I was too busy eating her food. The front door burst open.
Daniel: "HEY EVERYBODY!"
Kids: "UNCLE DANIEL!"
We get up and run over to him.
Daniel: "What's up rugrats?"
We hug him.
Daniel: "All right get off me now. Get off me."
He walks over to the table and we follow him.
Daniel: "Uh, Moz, Cocoa so good to see y'all."
He says grabbing food.
Daniel: "No time to chat, but we'll talk later. Uh listen. Get this. I got a lady friend coming over this evening. And out of all things, I said—Hey daddy how you doing? I told her, right, that I was gonna be the one cooking for both of us this evening. Out of all things. I said, 'Me? I ain't the person supposed to be cooking.' I said, 'You know what? I might go ahead and do that.' You know. Oh my God. It is so good seeing all y'all! I swear M'Dear, you ain't never lied when you said,'Ain't nothing like Sunday dinner with family,' right? Y'all god bless."
And with that he was gone and took all the food with him. We all just look at the table confused and shocked.
Cocoa: "What just happened?"
Shaka: "Uncle Daniel took all the cornbread."
I say disappointed.
Mazzi: "He was so fast."
Ami: "Not fast enough."
She grabs a pan of cornbread. Oh do I appreciate her.
M'Dear: "Who wants some banana puddin'?"
Shaka: "Banana pudding? I love you way more that my other grandma!"
Mom looked at me surprised.
M'Dear: "Oh Shaka, stop! Stop."
She says happy.
Mazzi: "Wow Jade. You're the same color as this pudding."
She looked at him as her mouth drops.
Moz: "Leave your sister alone. Black people come in all shades, and we're all beautiful."
Cocoa: "Jade just takes more after my mother."
Jade: "Yeah but Grandma Daffee is white."
Shaka: "Yeah, and she's still darker than you!"
M'Dear: "Y'all better stop teasing Jade. You gonna need her to help you get a cab someday."
I heard a knock at the door.
Shaka: "I'll get it!"