31

Kyrin

We sat in the church, the pastor preaching as my family and I took up the front row. Today, everyone showed up. Nothing brings a black family together like funerals and weddings.

The casket was open, which bothered the hell out of Ember but Phoebe and I were just sitting here. I was on my phone with the brightness low as I scrolled through Facebook.

Phoebe tapped me as she mumbled. "Why this woman staring at you?"

I followed her eye and saw that their was a woman staring at me. "Girl I don't know, who is that?"

"I think Uncle Tony people. Bitch better look at the pastor before I whoop her ass."

My eyes widened. "Girl, we in church. Ask for forgiveness."

Phoebe rolled her eyes before looking up and muttering. "My bad God. Satan get behind me."

I chuckled and mom threw me and P a look. We quickly tried to contain it when she did. The service dragged on until the Pastor announced that we were having remarks. Phoebe and I sat up knowing someone was going to entertain us.

Our Uncle Vern stepped to the podium swaying. This dude stayed drunk and saying something stupid so I got ready to laugh. He pointed at my mother. "Ya know Joanna, when my brother first told me he was marrying you, I said 'Boy, you just dumb! You can't turn no thot into a housewife!' But then you settled down and I'm happy to say you ain't a hoe no more."

Phoebe and I started cackling to ourselves and I had to put my head down so people wouldn't see the tears falling down my cheeks.

Our mother flashed Vern a fake smile. "Thank you Vern."

Vern waved her off. "No I'm not done just yet. So my brother went off and married you, had these little children of yours. Raised em well might I say. Now he's dead and damnit, he then lived a good life! Church every Sunday!"

"Every Sunday!" Phoebe emphasizes as she egged Uncle on.

"Exactly Penelope!" He always called Phoebe that damn name. His ass was too drunk. "You was always my favorite niece."

My sister made a face. "Dude, my name is Phoebe."

I popped her as the congregation laughed. Ember stood and walked to the mic. "Alright Uncle Vern, that's enough. Let's go sit down."

She helped him to his seat as the pastor asked for more people. No one moved at first until this woman wearing black and red and a huge hat stepped up to the mic. It was the woman who was staring at me earlier.

"Okay, who is this woman?" I asked lowly to Phoebe who shrugged and looked on for answers from Ember. She shrugged as well signaling no one knew who this woman was.

The woman cleared her throat before speaking. "My name is Laurene Highland. I met Nathan Broussard when I was just shy of 26. Me and that man..." She took a breath. "We were close. It's sad to see him gone now, but I know that he is watching over his three girls and son."

I looked around the first bench for this 'son' she had mentioned and Phoebe muttered. "Bitch, son? Daddy ain't never had no—."

The woman continued. "Nasir, come on up here."

We all watched as a boy walked up to the front of the church and when he turned to face us the whole church gasped. Including me. This teenage boy was my fathers son. He looked like an exact replica of him. We heard a thud and I looked to see that my mother had passed out and hit the floor.

The church was silent when Phoebe smacked her lips. "Over freaking dramatic. Alright Viola Davis get up. Ember get yo momma up."

I watched as Ember and another member of the church helped get momma back into a seat and began fanning her. My eyes then snapped back to the woman who seemed to look worried.

"I'm sorry, I know that I'm causing you distress this morning but not without proof. Nathan always told me that he'd introduce you all to Nasir when the time was right. I have his birth certificate and—."

I cut her off. "Ma'am, we don't need to see all that. Trust me, we know this is our fathers child."

"Nah, let me see it just in case." Phoebe mumbled but the boy heard her.

He frowned. "My momma ain't no liar alright?"

P rolled her eyes. "I never called her a liar. Just not calling her a truther either."

"Alright!" I stood up as I faced the church. "I just want to thank everyone for coming out today. The burial isn't until tomorrow since we had to change plans so last minute. My father loved each and everyone of you all and I know he's smiling down on us knowing you all are here. We extend our thanks to everyone but we need a family moment. Love you all."

People began leaving the church and sending sympathetic nods in our directions as they did. The pastor left the pew shaking his head. Ember sat next to momma who had came to and was just in a daze.

Phoebe was still looking at Nasir with a stank face and he was returning it right back. I turned and spoke to Laurene. "Now ma'am, I understand your situation, but you must also understand ours. We are trying to put our father away and you just brought drama to our funeral—."

"You're dating Janet Jackson." She cut me off as she stared at me again. "You're Kyrin, the smooth talker. The one he had to love from a distance because you always wanted to do your own thing. You act just how he said but he said he was disappointed in you because you started to date Janet... Janet Jackson."

I sat down slowly as I looked on at her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

She shook her head. "Yeah. I do, because if I didn't, you wouldn't be having this reaction right now." My damn father always found a way to screw me. Dead or alive.

Mommas voice caused everyone to snap our attention to her because of the words that fell from her tongue. "Laurene, I will drag your ass out out of this church the same way I did 10 years ago in that club. Don't disrespect my child."

"Aye watch how you handle my momma." Nasir tried to approach our mother.

Phoebe and Ember stood up and blocked his way as P advised him clearly. "Don't walk unless you ready to get walked. These hands rated E for everybody. Go back over there with ya momma new guy. Just cause only two of us moved don't mean the third one not a straight killer."

Shit, she was right about that. Ember and Phoebe always jumped before I did because my jumps seemed to always be a little more deadly. So I tried not to as much as I could.

Nasir looked them up and down before retreating to where he was at first. Laurene chuckled. "You must be Phoebe. The smart mouthed one. He said you were snappy, told me that I reminded him of you. Guess we both don't like biting our tongues."

"Bitch shut up, you don't know me." Phoebe snapped.

Laurene ignored her as she moved on to Ember who had been silent for a while. "Which means you're Ember. The timid and silent one. He cherished your wisdom on his bad days. When Joanna was sick, he would leave you at the hospital with her and come to see me. He loved you like his own."

Ember shook her head but stayed silent as tears rushed to the rims of her eyes. She stood up and rushed outside the church house and my family members followed. Me? I stayed. Nasir and Laurene stared at me once they noticed I hadn't moved.

"Why are you doing this?" I questioned softly. "We were sending him away... and you brought confusion to our daddies funeral."

"It's my sons father as well alright?"

My face furrowed. "That should have stopped you from doing this as well. There was plenty of other ways to do this. Don't lie and say that it wasn't."

Laurene sighed. "Look, what's done is done. My son deserved to be recognized today as well. He deserved to be front row as well."

"And we could have made that happen!" I raised my voice as I lost my temper for a second before containing myself. "There was better ways to do this. I agree, Nasir deserved to sit front row with us. He's apart of this as well. He's family, but how are we supposed to know if you don't tell us anything until the day of? You decided to show your ass at my fathers church. I just can't respect that. Have a nice day."

I got up and began leaving the church as the men from the funeral home walked passed me to get the casket with our father in it. When I got outside, I was looking for my mom and sisters until a voice yelled out.

"Wait!" When I turned, I saw Nasir jogging towards me. He looked at me. "I'm sorry for how she did that. Dad never told her when she was wrong. She just has a weird way of doing things. It shouldn't have went down like this."

"Don't apologize Nasir. It's not on you."

He sighed. "I guess. Hey, maybe we could hang out sometimes? I'm an only child and other than playing football, I'm pretty bored. It'll be cool having a big sister or three. If you're down for it."

I smiled at him. "Of course I am. I'll put my number in your phone, text me whenever. I might be in LA though."

Nasir handed me his phone and I texted myself and saved my contact as he asked. "You live in LA?"

Nodding, I handed his phone back to him. "Yeah. I do. Only my mother and my older sister Ember stay out here. Phoebe and I stay in LA. Maybe your mom will let you come visit one weekend or break."

"You'd let me come?" He asked excitedly. "Winter breaks coming up soon, can I come then?"

"I don't see why not. Let me know what your mother says and we'll get you a ticket out."

"Kyrin!" Phoebes voice carried from the parking lot causing me to look over. She motioned me to come meet them over there.

Looking back at Nasir, I nodded him off. "I have to go Nasir, but text me."

He smiled. "Alright. It was nice meeting you finally."

"You too." I replied as I began walking down the church steps and towards the parking lot. When I got to my sisters and mother they were all staring me down.

"Da fuck took you so long?" Phoebe asked me.

"I was talking to Nasir." I replied.

She turned her nose up. "Fuck that dude."

I rolled my eyes. "He was only sticking up for his momma. As would we. He seems like a nice kid. Just try to get to know him."

Phoebe smacked her lips as Ember frowned slightly. "How? How are we just going to act like he's apart of this family all of a sudden?"

That made me blink blankly at Ember. "The same damn way we did it for you when you and Joanna showed up on our doorstep." My phone began ringing and I shook my head as I walked away. "I'll be back." I answered and my girlfriends face popped up causing me to smile. "Hey baby."

She smiled. "Hey baby. How're you doing?"

I sighed. "Much better now that you have called. The funeral ended early because you know we can't have a good sane funeral without problems."

"Oh my, what happened this time?"

"Our father had another child."

My girlfriends eyes widened. "What? Stop it."

Chuckling at my girlfriends reaction, I clarified. "He has another child. His name is Nasir. He has to be at least 17 or 18."

Janet shook her head. "Wow and this just came out today?"

"Mhm." I replied. "Mind you mid service J and to top it off, I tried to tell the woman to step off and she cut me off by saying that I am dating Janet Jackson."

She looked blankly for a minute. "I'm sorry, come again?"

"My father told her about us before he kicked the damn bucket. Ain't no telling who else knows. The man was content on screwing up my life."

My girlfriend sighed. "Well, if the woman talks then she talks. Oh well. It's not going to be the end of the world."

"Your career could take a dive." I mumbled.

"Please, half of the Jan Fam was excited when they thought Shawn and I dated. This is nothing new to them. The real fans will still be here and very well shipping me. Don't worry on any of that baby." She advised me.

Another voice from Janet's end jumped in. "Periodt! You two solid as a rock bitch! Oh and I'm loving the weave sis!"

I immediately knew it was Tiffany. "Tiff, thank you, but be quiet."

"She's right though." Janet replied as she lifted her eyebrow.

Tiffany inserted herself into our conversation again. "What that bible verse say? We've come this far by slaves or something?"

"Faith, heffa. We've come this far by faith." I scolded slightly. "Do better."

"Oh. You right you right. Where my baby at?"

I looked up and spotted her by our momma. "By our momma. Wheres my son?"

"Sleep. We gave him crackers like you said and he kept it down. He hasn't thrown up as much today." My girlfriend reported.

"Good. That's good. Tell him I'm coming back tomorrow."

"Kyrin!" A male voice yelled out and I looked up to see Langston standing there in all black.

Looking back down at the camera, I quickly excused myself. "I got to go baby. I'll call you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too!" She exclaimed before I hung up and put my phone in my pocket.

Langston walked up to me. "Sorry I missed the funeral. I got caught up in something." He glanced around and noticed my mother and sisters easing over to us. "We need to talk."

I nodded. "Alright. What's up?"

"Not here." He mumbled lowly. "Ride with me somewhere."