The Come Up

Chapter 50 - Ma's back

I watched as Devin hauled Mom's second suitcase into the large living room, he set it down with a light thump and then ran back downstairs to get the last bag. The entire time Mom remains seated on the living room couch watching him, brows furrowed with confusion. 

"What's goin on between you and that boy?" She asks. I look at her like she had grown three heads. 

"Nothing."

"Sure look like something. He just drove me to Albany and literally moved me into your house. Something is going on." Ma insists. 

Devin drops the last bag and then politely dismisses himself. 

"Thanks so much Dev, you're the greatest." I hug him before he finds his way out. As soon as I turn my head around, there she is again, staring at me, waiting for an answer she was never going to get. 

"Are you hungry?" I ask as she adjusts her arm and twists her body so that she can see me moving around in the kitchen. 

"Little girl, I am your Mother and you can't tell me if you and that Devon-"

"Devin." I correct. 

"-If Daniel is your boyfriend?" She continues. 

"He's not my boyfriend, Ma. He just cares about me and wants to help with what he can." I assure her. I open the refrigerator and take out the left over pasta with tomato sauce. I then open the freezer and take out the garlic bread. 

"All I'm saying is Darius needs to learn his place. You already have Trev. There's no reason for him to be helping you out like this." Se sucks her teeth. 

I warm up the pasta and toast the garlic bread to a crisp as mumbling and hissing come from the living room where she either knew I wasn't listening or didn't really care. 

I walk out with the plates in my hands and set it down on the table in front her. 

"Chile." She looks at me with empathy. 

"What is this? Why you trying to kill me?" She asks putting her hand to her heart. 

"It's pasta, Mom. It's really good." I explain. 

Ma pokes at it with a fork then swirls the noodles around on the utensil. She puts it into her mouth and I smile, waiting. 

She makes a strange face. 

"Sweetie, let me cook some real food for you. You up here eating the white people food and you not even making it right." She fusses. 

She winces from the pain of her healing wounds and manages to get herself up. 

"You don't need to be cooking nothing, Ma. You just got out." I raise my voice in worry. 

She fans me off and begins the preparation. I hadn't eaten good since thanksgiving realistically. So a part of me didn't mind her cooking. Devin had brought me some groceries while I was in Miami and left them in the refrigerator. Sometimes I wonder if he even has time for himself the way he looks out for me. It could just be Mac telling him to do all this, but it could also just be Devin.  I text him 'Thank you' a dozen times. 

Even though Ma literally just got here, already the place feels more like home. I lay in the couch, cuddled up into my comforter while we talk about back home and how everything has been going. Minutes pass and soon, I can smell the seasoning sizzling in the pot, it wraps itself around me like the blanket I am under and fills my nose. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. 

"Yea, Pookie ain't been around much. He helped me pack up some stuff from the house yesterday but I don't think he stayin by his Aunt's house. I don't know where he stayin, long as he safe and out of trouble." She says. I hear the pot shifting on the stove.