Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

XV. Lil Don (Part II)

The last time we were all in one room was the graduation party thrown by Johnny at his mother's house. I can't even start to explain the energy boost brewing in my chest right now. Politely excusing myself past Cynthia, I drop the bottles off at their destination as I ignore the complaints regarding my lack of following directions of only bringing out one bottle instead of two.  Lucy's Aunt Doris getting drunk on an extra bottle of Jesus Juice isn't my problem right now. The complaints are underwater noise as I excitedly scoot my way past the bodies of the room to greet Javon at the door.

"D!" His holler exudes my same internal excitement. "Aw, man! It's been too long!" Javon pushes past Ginger, earning a frown from her, and holds his arms out to embrace me with a firm squeeze. "Look atchu', man! Yo!"

I laugh back, "Me? Look at you, J! How long it's been, man?"

"Two years," he estimates with a slight squint in his eye. Even when thinking, our mutual laughter never stopped. Javon was my best friend growing up. I can't believe it's been this long since we've been in contact.

Javon was right. It'd been somewhere around two years since we last saw each other and about eight months since we last spoke.

Our fall off was a slow, gradual one that split us in half because our lives were going in separate directions. It was after his first year of college that Javon stopped coming to Charlotte. He was starting for Bama Crimson Tide by then. Ananda got married and moved down there, flying Big Mama out for holidays too. I always knew because Dalvin stopped bringing me leftovers from her house when I saw him. I love Ma Anita and Cliff's cooking but nobody throws down on cakes, pies, and cobbler like Big Mama. Javon was doing big things though. We still talked on the phone a lot back then. Once I went to Minneapolis, we lost contact. He was too busy playing football on tv and I was too busy trying to play music on tv without my father. It just happened.

"You looking like you oughta' be out on the field with me!" His exclamations are accompanied by the room's laughter. He punches my left bicep but my size allows me to eat it like it's nothing. "Damn, Don! What you pullin' 'round with you all day? Cain't be no less than 180!"

Javon's surprise is a common thing for people I haven't seen since high school. Ma Anita kept me fed and to keep up with work without getting fat, I had to get my workouts in. It wasn't on purpose. I never really cared about my physique too much. I've always been a long, skinny kid and playing sports kept me toned with the little speed bumps I'd gotten on my arms. Like I said, I just wanted to make sure I didn't get fat. One day, I woke up buff. The ladies love it so I never let it go.

Laughing, I take a step back from Javon as he continues to punch and poke at my body with a sense of disbelief. "I'm 'bout 200, I think? Last time I checked it was somewhere 'round there," I chuckle. "The cornbread just started stickin', I guess." My shrug is a display of my own confusion of how my physique changed so drastically. "And, y'know, I was workin' down nea' at Mr. Hollingsworth's furniture spot. I was moving big ass couches all day, everyday."

"Well I'll be damned," Javon laughs in a state of disbelief as he watches just how much has changed. "Say, where Lucy at? I gotta' say what's up to her."

Johnny points to the back door from the couch, resting next to Ali and Paulette as all of the smiling faces watch Javon's every movement. "She should be back there with her man and his mom— Huhn," Johnny raises from his seat. "I'll go with you."

The brief exit of the man of the hour allows the room to settle in its joy, excitement levels falling back to their original levels as the happiness returns to a call variation. My eyes double-take over my shoulder just as I check my surroundings. I'm intrigued to see that Cynthia still hasn't moved a muscle. She holds onto her arm behind her back, knees locked as the tension restricts blood from returning to her brain. My head tilts at her. Instead of reacting, she turns away, retreating back to the kitchen. Wondering if anyone else in the room has noticed what I have, I look back to my friends. Just as expected, Paulette seems to have noticed the exchange though her feelings of indifference toward Cynthia bring nothing more than a shrug that is followed by a hand waving the acts off before she sinks deeper into the couch with Ali.