Page 44 of Don Caselli

“You good.” I took it from her, and she balled it up to put in her bra.

Navy spoke to her for a bit before we were back on our way. The minute we turned onto the block, the grill was by the stoop, and her father was sitting around a card table with three other men. My car was parked right by them as they slammed dominos down and talked shit.

“Rosario, had it? Oh, we getting fucked up!” Greene ran over toward us and looked at the both of us. “Hey Don… now you get to see a piece of my life.”

“Burple, chill.”

“I’m gonna put my stuff in the house… you good?”

I looked at her. “I’m good.”

She took the tub of what I assumed was ice cream or Italian ice and headed up the stairs past her mother and another woman who looked similar. They both were smoking cigarettes and slapped Navy’s butt and teased her about the shorts as she walked up the stairs past them.

“Come on, I’ll get you introduced.”

I pulled Greene back quickly. “His last name… I know it’s not Perkins.”

She smiled. “I forgot you have manners. You should really use them often. His last name is Abrams.”

“Bet.”

She skipped over toward the card table, and her grandfather wrapped his hand around her and leaned his head on her. “Poppa, this is Navy’s friend… Landon.”

Ro looked up and nodded. “Thought I was gonna have to keep the car another day… pull up to work in it.”

I laughed. “You good, Mr. Perkins… rock out with it for work.”

“Ro, man. Call me Ro. Mr. Perkins is my father and his ass dead.” He snorted, as if him saying his father is dead was funny.

The other two men turned and looked. “How are you, Mr. Abrams?”

“Wah happen?” he asked as he shook my hand.

“Means what’s up?” Greene explained because I was confused. “These are my uncles, Joseph and Kemar.”

They both dapped me up. “Come sit and let us take some money from you,” Ro said and started counting out the dominos for me.

“Navy Yavy is my baby deh know?” her grandfather said.

“I can tell she’s very loved.”

“And you wanna love her, too?” Her uncle Joseph questioned.

“Eventually, yeah.” I was honest because I knew my intention wasn’t to play this stranger and no attachment game with her forever.

It worked now because we were still getting to know each other. “You know she used to have a boyfriend, right?” Ro replied this time, as he shuffled between his dominos.

“I’ve heard.”

“Chill out on my guy… didn’t she just break up with homie?” Her uncle Kemar jumped in, and I silently thanked his ass.

Between her father and other uncle, they were ready to see if I was wasting her time and I respected it. “He broke up with her, and I should tap his fucking jaw,” Ro grunted as he put the bottle of beer to his lips.

“Antwan always been a little fucking sweet,” Joseph replied.

“The boy is good… misguided and clearly blind,” her grandfather defended him. “She wasn’t his forever, and I respect that. My Navy Baby deserves to be someone’s forever. Both my color girls do.”

I thought her grandfather was into some racist shit before I realized that Greene and Navy were literally named after colors. “I can’t sit here and make a bunch of promises on the future because all of that is in Navy’s hands. I can say that if things move more seriously, I plan to take her serious and honor my word when it comes to her.”

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