Page 24 of Make Me Remember

“Well, it’s about damn time. The nigga been talking about you for weeks now, since he was still laid up in the hospital, looking pitiful.” I chuckled as he turned to Jacob. “I’m about to head out. I need a nap. Just in case we don’t talk tomorrow, don’t forget about the family meeting about the Nome business.”

“I’m not gon’ forget.”

“Shiiiid, I don’t know,” he said as he looked at me. “She give you everything you want, you ain’t gon’ see or hear nobody but her ass. That’s a good thing, though.”

I smiled slightly as I listened to them talk. They didn’t seem like uncle and nephew. They sounded more like friends. I admired that. My mama had siblings, but I’d never met them. When they slapped hands, I left my thoughts and mentally joined them. “A’ight, Miss Mekayla. I’ll probably see you whenever you come back.”

“Yes, sir. Enjoy your nap.”

“I promise I will. I plan to be damn near dead in just a little bit.”

Jacob rolled his eyes, shoeing him out of his bedroom, then grabbed my hand, leading me out of his bedroom as well. Once we got up front, I noticed the crowd had dwindled some. I went straight for the door and turned to him. “Don’t forget to ice your knee and ankle.”

“I won’t. I’m happy you’re giving us a chance. I’m gonna prove to you that your decision wasn’t a mistake.”

“I’m happy too. I can’t wait to see how far we go from here. You’re a very handsome man, and I just hope your heart matches. I have to go, Jacob. See you in a couple of days.”

Before I could back away, he pecked my lips but still managed to grab ahold of my bottom lip with his teeth. This man was gonna fuck up my celibacy, and I was looking forward to that shit.

CHAPTER 9

JACOB

“Ican’t let those folks keep us from helping the elderly people in Nome. The Hendersons are known for taking care of our own. We aren’t going to stop doing that because of those muthafuckas. However, we won’t be letting everyone benefit from our generosity. That means we will have to fund the different projects to get water wells dug and aerobics systems installed.”

I was sitting in the meeting with the family, ready to go back home. Mekayla was coming later today instead of early. I was so anxious about seeing her. My attention deviated from the meeting to my phone every few minutes, checking the time. While I knew she had other clients, I wanted to be her first priority. Those other folks could wait.

“Well, that’s gon’ be our charitable work for the year. These people out here can kiss my ass. The older ones too. Just like they have a voice to complain and state their needs, they had a voice to stand up for what was right instead of letting these white folks run all over them. That’s bullshit. We ain’t in the fifties no more. We been out of that ‘yessuh massa’ mentality a long time ago. The civil rights movement wasn’t fought with niggas going along with shit.”

Uncle Storm was hot as fuck. He didn’t want to do shit for the people of Nome, and honestly, I didn’t blame him. While a lot of the older ones weren’t at the meeting when Uncle Storm walked out of that bitch, Nome wasn’t but ten feet wide. They’d heard about it and still kept their mouths closed.

“Storm, what about people like Mister Sidney? He’s immobile and living on a fixed income. We can’t let the environmental people force him out of his home,” Uncle Kenny said.

“Mister Sidney got a mouth, don’t he? His ass can move to an old folks’ home in Beaumont fucking with me. It is not our responsibility to take care of these selfish, entitled niggas. Now, what we can do is build a retirement assisted living place that they will have to pay rent at, versus funding water wells and aerobics systems for houses that look like they about to fall down anyway.”

“You know, Storm, that’s not a bad idea,” Uncle WJ said, clearly thinking it over in his head.

It remained quiet for a moment, then he said, “If all agree to do that, I can get Nesha and Jakari on the planning. All in agreement, say I.”

There was a chorus of I’s. “Any that disagree, say nay.”

The room was quiet until there was a knock at the door. Ever since those people barged in on our meeting, we’d been keeping the doors locked. All my uncles and Aunt Tiff pulled out weapons as Uncle WJ went to the door. When he opened it and we saw a white man standing there, we were all on guard. He handed Uncle WJ a piece of paper then left. We were all confused as to what it could be.

He came back to where we were all standing and handed SS the paper. Aww shit. These people were on that bullshit. Before SS could open it, there was another knock. Once again, Uncle WJ went to the door and came back with Mr. Berotte and Mrs. Taylor. Mr. Berotte didn’t seem to be angry, so hopefully, everything was on the up and up.

“They dropped the charges. I guess they got a lawyer that cares about right and wrong instead of making a dollar,” Mr. Berotte said.

“So, you’re in the clear, Seven. I’m sure that is what that letter is about,” Mrs. Taylor added.

SS opened that letter so fast and read through it. “Hell fucking yeah. They didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. Thank you, Shy and Sidney. Bullshit ass white folks. I feel like I’m getting blacker by the day dealing with those muthafuckas,” Uncle Storm said.

“I’m starting to feel the same way, brother,” Aunt Tiff said.

I glanced over to the other side of the barn and saw KJ come in through the back door. I needed to talk to my nigga. He was so pissed. Talking to him when he was that way was a waste of time most days. I walked over to where he was. When he saw me approaching, he met me halfway. I slapped his hand and hugged him.

“How’s everything going?”

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