Page 8 of Cannon
I stood near the window, sipping a glass of Teremana tequila, watching people pretend they weren’t glancing at me every few minutes like I was an exhibit in a damn zoo. They were waiting for me to snap and if someone fucked with me, they might get a show.
Reese floated around the room like a real hostess, her laugh just a little too loud, eyes scanning every corner like she was waiting on something to go wrong. Like she knew me being home might come with a body count.
“You good?” she asked when she finally reached me.
“Yeah. You really ain’t have to do all of this for me.”
“Everyone missed you.”
I didn’t believe her. I hadn’t been close to our adoptive family since I was about sixteen and that’s who was mostly here. They just wanted to see if what they heard about me was true. Had I gone crazy? They wanted to look in the eyes of a violent psychoand hope that he didn’t turn on them. They were just here to get some new gossip. Maybe a new thrill.
“I ain’t miss them.”
“Cannon,” she whined my name before hitting my arm.
“What? I didn’t. These people don’t fuck with me and you know it. They all think it’smy fault…”
“Everyone knows it wasn’t your fault…” she said.
We were referring to our adoptive father who was killed because of me.
Nathan Price was the smartest man I ever met. A cardiologist, with a firm handshake and a wide laugh, he and his wife adopted me and Reese when we were still babies. He wasn’t just a provider, he was a dad. Took us in when no one else would. Made us feel wanted. Made us feel like his.
He used to call us his “double blessing.”
And Shelly, his wife, loved us too. At first.
But after he died…well, was killed. She lost her mind.
By the time I was ten, I wasn’t a kid no more. I was the man of the house. I made sure Reese ate. Got to school. Did her homework. I learned to keep the lights on and the social workers off our porch. I made one promise to myself back then, just one: they will not take us from each other.
I kept it. Even when it cost me.
“It was my fault and I’m still making peace with it,” I replied when I took another sip.
“You are so hard on yourself,” Reese said as she rested her hand on my shoulder before turning away.
When she walked away, my nigga Choke walked through the door.
“Welcome back nigga,” he said as he dapped me up.
“Why the fuck you come to this shit?”
“Cuz’ I knew that Reese was gonna have some good food and liquor,” he laughed.
“Yeah, it’s over there. Get you a plate and meet me out back,” I replied as I walked away.
When I got outside, I sat on the patio furniture amongst the tiki torches. It was after ten and my nephews were asleep. People still mingled inside and on the lawn. I wanted them to all leave but I maintained my composure. I just didn’t want Reese to think that I was going to keep showing up to her lil family parties. I was not gonna be around here for Thanksgiving or no damn Christmas. I hated shit like this. She better get it out of her system now.
I watched Choke hug and speak to Reese before he made it outside. With a plate of soul food in his hand, he sank in the wicker chair across from me.
“I’m surprised they let yo crazy ass out,” he laughed.
“I know how to work the system.”
“You caught three bodies, nigga,” he said as he set his plate to the side and pulled out a container of weed and a couple of Swishers.
“I had to. You know how it goes. Niggas gotta be put in their places. I’m peaceful until I’m pushed.”
