Kenney: Still Waters Part 2

Chapter 8

"Here you go, Aunt Jazz."

I carefully walked the pot, with just enough water, over to Jazz. Not too much, not too little, just like she said. I loved helping Jazz in the kitchen. After I got it over to her, I climbed my little eight year old legs back onto the stool by the sink, which was my usual post. Jazz's house was my favorite place, and she always said that as long as I stayed useful, I could come over there as much as I wanted. That's why every time I saw her get up to go into the kitchen, I was always right behind her.

"You never made this before, Jazz."

"You're right, Kenney. I haven't."

I watched her put the pot on the gas stove and turn the fire all the way up. She pointed to the cocaine on the counter next to me. I had seen cocaine plenty of times and knew what it was, but I had never seen her cook it before. I wondered if she was turning it into food. At Jazz and Rico's parties, people usually just cut it up and snorted it, which made me think it was medicine, like daddy's, but now I wasn't sure. I walked the package over to her, then picked up what looked like a bottle halfway filled dirty water and peered at it.

"This looks like water."

She took it from me. "It's not, Kenney. Get back on your stool. I need to concentrate." I nodded and posted back up by the sink. "Kenney, this is not for drinking, ok?"

"Ok." I nodded and pointed to the cocaine. "That's medicine, right? Like daddy's?"

"Yes, but not like daddy's."

"Why not?"

"You take this a different way."

I nodded in agreement and looked back toward the living room, where the music was blasting and people were laughing and dancing. The house was full of alcohol and smoke. The usual Friday night.

"Jazz, did daddy already take his medicine?"

"No. He doesn't need it tonight."

"Why not?"

"He only takes it when he can't sleep, remember?" I nodded. "Hand me the baking soda, Kenney." I walked it over to her and then got back up on my stool.

"Sometimes me and Sammy can't sleep." Jazz paused and looked back at me, then turned her attention back toward the stove. I watched her cloudy white liquid become thicker, slowly turning into a solid. "That looks like candy."

She paused again, and then kept swirling her jar around. "It's not, Kenney. Never eat this."

"Because it's not for kids, right?"

"Right."

I watched her turn off the stove and run cold water into her jar. Then she pulled what still looked like candy to me out of the jar and put it in a baking pan on the counter.

"Is it fudge?"

"No. Fudge is brown."

"Are you giving some to daddy? Can I have some?"

"No. Daddy can't have this and neither can you. This is for our customers."

I nodded. "Ok." Jazz turned to me and saw me eyeing the white powder that was spilled out next to me on the counter.

"That's not sugar, Kenney. That's cocaine. Be careful not to spill it next time. That's money. Nothing in here is to eat, you understand me?" I nodded. "From this point on, do not eat or drink anything in this house without asking me or Uncle Rico first, got it?" I nodded. "If I catch you doin' what I told you not to do I'ma beat your butt. Ya heard?" I nodded again and looked back at the fudge on the counter. "Kenney, look at me." I did. "And your mama's gonna beat your butt after that."