𝐎𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐠 ᥫ᭡

XXIV

N'laisah Dior Olsen
Monroe, Louisiana

"Hey pops." I say sitting across from him in visitation.

"Hey baby." He smiles.

"How's yo mom? She still in ICU?" He asks.

I look up and blink rapidly, holding back tears.

"Um, yea. But she's getting better." I lie.

"Oh... well make sure you give her this letter I wrote. I sent it to you and I don't want her to wake up thinking I just left her." He gets silent.

I'll bury this with her in her casket with hopes that her spirit finds peace.

"Uh, I'll get it to her." I nod.

"Now tomorrow- ion want you here, I don't want you seeing my death. You don't deserve to have that as your last memory of me." He sighs.

"Are you deada- forreal right na'?" I straight face him.

"Now is not the time to act like yo hardheaded ass mama. I already told Veah earlier today, y'all not coming."

"But it's-"

"Please please baby, just listen for once. This my last wish, don't come to my execution tomorrow. When I'm gone I want y'all to keep living yo lives. Just celebrate my life, don't mourn my death." He pleads.

"Okay pops, if that's what you want." I frown.

"It is."

"I don't know how imma make it without you. I consult you for most of the decisions I make." I sigh.

"Okay, I gotta question."

"Shoot." He nods.

"Sooooo, you know Amari? Dee's brother?" I ask.

"That badass lil boy that used to follow you around?" He scrunches his face up.

"Yea... So I'm like dating him." I scratch my neck.

"You used to torment the hell out that boy. He dating his childhood bully." He cracks up.

"Welllll-"

"If you pregnant Imma kill you and add another murder charge to my record." He cuts me off.

"No sir." I giggle.

Dee ran me them plan b's so it's ftk 👩🏾‍🦼

"How he treating you?"

"Uh, really good. He spoil the heck outta me. He respect me and always complimenting me, inflating my ego and whatnot." I cheese.

"Good, good." He nods.

"But the other day we had a lil argument about me going clubbing. So while I was in the club dodging every nigga who looked at me too long, he was getting twerked on." I make a niggas ain't shit face 😒.

"What he do? He push her away and tell you?"

"Tuh, nope. And lied about it until he figured out I knew." I shake my head.

"Ion think it's cheating but it ain't right either. He gotta make up extra fa that, don't let him think that's okay cuz he'll just do it again and next time he might go farther." He says and I nod.

"Other than that and me occasionally starting fights for attention. I really like him."

"You love him?" He asks.

"Uh-well. You know, I- yeah...NO, I mean not no but not yeah but it's yeah but no. Mane, what that got to do with the price of tea in China anyways?" I shuffle uncomfortably in my chair.