selfare | a.jogia

002.

When you a ghetto star, when you a hood star, you gonna take care of your grandmother, your mother. When you on that next level, you gotta take care of the city, the streets.

-Young Jeezy

"Avan, baby, come in th' kitchen." The voice that belonged to the boy's ninety one year old grandmother barely made way to the air in the living room where he sat.

Still, he smiled and quickly got to his feet, jogging towards the kitchen then poking his head through the open-way.

"Yes, ma'am?" He grinned as the woman jumped out of surprise, narrowing her eyes playfully at the younger boy.

"Boy, you done spooked me."

"Sorry, Nana. What's up?" Avan apologized, fully entering the kitchen then hopping onto the counter.

The older woman gave him a look then shook her head, not even fixing her mouth to tell him to get down because he's only bound to do it again.

Instead she walked pass him and lightly smacked his knee, the action causing him to chuckle.

He loved living with his grandmother.

It was something he planned to do, go back to the hood and care for his nana.

His mother argued that it was far too much responsibility but Avan knew otherwise.

When he came into a little money and saved up enough, he made sure to return to tend to the older woman.

He wasn't going to allow the brittle, frail woman to be on her own any longer in the area where she lived.

So, now at eighteen, on the brim of senior year, and growing facial hair, the boy was happy he made that decision a little over a year ago.

"Y'know them folk moved out next door. Ms. Jenkins and her fine husband." The older woman bounced her brow, smirking as she thought about the older man. Avan made a face in disgust and shook his head. He turned to face the woman at the stove.

"Nana--ew, please--can you not do that?" The boy had trouble finding his words due to the mental image of anything going down between his grandmother and a man half her age.

The older woman only giggled and waved dismissively at her grandson.

"It don't matter now, sugah, he gone." She said almost sadly, making the boy shake his head. He blinked a few times before clearing his throat and raising his brows.

"So..." He said, hoping she'd get to the point of why he had to come to the kitchen in the first place.

The elderly woman tilted her head, forgetting why she called the boy in for a moment before snapping her finger and opening the oven.

"That's right," She said to herself, pulling out what seemed to be her infamous green bean casserole. Avan's mouth watered at the smell, hopping off the counter and taking the aluminum tray from the woman's hands. "That's for--"

"Me?" Avan interrupted the older woman, a hopeful grin on his face.

Nana placed her hand on her hip. "Excuse you, mister, that's one. And two, no it ain't for your greedy behind." The woman snatched the tray from his hands, playfully, and placed it on the counter next to him.