Page 21 of Don Caselli

I wasn’t rich by any means, but I did well for myself. My parents didn’t need to worry so much about me, and I could move out on my own. Any chance that I got, I loved to spoiled my parents. Both Avril and Rohan worked very hard their entire lives to raise me. Both of them still worked. My father worked as an MTA train conductor and had no plans on retiring. My dream was to retire them both.

Until I could do that, I spoiled them whenever they allowed me. “Daddy working a double?”

“Yep. The landlord is increasing the rent, so we need to work a little bit harder. I won’t be pushed out of our home. Your grandparent’s rent is increasing too, so we’re trying to make it work with paying ours and theirs, too.”

My grandparents were both retired and on a fixed income. My aunt and uncles, along with my mother, all chipped in to pay the difference that their social security didn’t cover. I had been helping out with whatever I could, along with Greene, and they didn’t like us to help.

In my grandparent’s eyes, we were still babies and shouldn’t have to help with that kind of stuff. I wanted my family comfortable, and it was the reason I set my camera up and recorded, even on the days that I didn’t feel like it.

“Anything I can do?”

“Other than being the best daughter and granddaughter, no.”

“Mommy, let me help. I have some savings, and I can help… I can even move back in to help with some bills, too.”

She kissed my cheek and went back to cooking. “If you want to move back home, you are always welcomed… paying rent isn’t an option.”

Frustrated, I folded my arms and watched as she continued to prepare dinner. Once it was done, she would eat and then sit my father’s plate in the microwave before she got settled for bed. Before I moved out, I would wait up for him and we watch the night news while he ate his food.

Once she was finished, she packed up two plates of food, grabbed her cigarettes along with her wallet, and we left. I watched as she lit her cigarette and took a puff, as we walked down Bedford avenue toward my grandparents’ house to drop off their food.

The beeping of the horn caused us to snap our necks in that direction. “Going to Nana and Poppa’s house?”

“Look at you, Greene girly… that car is nice.” My mother smiled as she blew smoke in the opposite direction as we walked over toward her car.

“My boss got it for me… she got tired of my car breaking down all the time.”

“Good people.” My mother leaned on the car and continued to smoke her cigarette as Greene looked at me.

Her eyes were silently asking if I had broken the news to my mother. “Yes, she knows.”

Greene blew out a sigh of relief. “Good. Antwan’s loss… Don’s gain.”

“Oh please, Greene.”

“Don?” my mother managed to hear that.

“My boss’s brother, who, by the way, is a billionaire.”

My mother flicked her cigarette and then stomped it out. “Billions mean nothing if he’s not a good man.”

“He’s a nice guy, Auntie. Seems like he likes Navy.”

I folded my arms, considering if I had enough reach to slam her head into the steering wheel. “Landon isn’t thinking about me. Bye, Greene!” I dismissed her and continued up the block.

She beeped her horn as she headed down the block toward her apartment. “You like this, Don?”

“Don’t know him enough to even like him. He is a nice guy, but everyone is until they’re not.”

My mother looked at me. “Antwan didn’t support that you didn’t want kids and wanted to tie your tubes… while I don’t understand it, I respect your decision to do what makes you happy. Make sure you go into anything new telling them. When expectations are set, there is never any room for miscommunication.”

“I hear you, Mommy.” I smiled as we continued up the block to my grandparents’ house. Her hand slid in mine, and we walked up the block swinging our arms, while holding the food bags steady with the other.

“You will findany reason to pull out that kindle to read,” London, one of my content creator friends, said.

We were in a sky box waiting for Maliek Dubrow to come out and perform. He had some openers, which in my opinion he didn’t need. If you were a true Maliek Dubrow fan, then you knew that he loved to put other local artist on whenever he performed in their city. This was his farewell tour, and a brand had invited all of us girls to attend the concert in the box that they had rented out for the concert.

I loved music just like the next person, but when it came to concerts, I wanted the main act and that was all I had the attention span for. As I was knee deep in reading Mel Dau’s catalog, I looked up and noticed that the opening acts had finished.

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