Street Metals

It must’ve been the exhaustion kicking in over the long drive back to the Thibodeaux home but Jasmine and Magnolia were laughing so hard about something that Jasmine had to lower the music to interrupt her sister. Through her catching her breath she said,

“Maggie May, you so stupid. Put cho Mama on the phone.”

“Yo Mama and yo Daddy ain’t here Jazzy.” Magnolia rolled her eyes as she poured water into her tea cup.”

“They at church?”

“Gurl, not in the least. I would ask you if you sittin down, but that would be stupid cuz I know you’re driving.”

“Daddy ok? He ain’t have another spell or nothin did he?” Jasmine was concerned enough to get another pre-roll out of the glove compartment.

“That’s an interesting choice of words, but nah, ol Johnny is just fine. Physically that is.”

“Mags, what the hell you tallem bout?”

“He think Mama cheatin on him.”

“What the fuck?” Jasmine couldn’t contain her laughter. “Da hell has been goin on down there since the last time I was home?!”

“Gurl everybody done lost their minds. Ever since Meela, packed her shit and moved to Atlantic City, Daddy been super depressed, so Mama, bein Mama, been lookin up all kinds of remedies and support groups.”

“First of all, Jasmine interrupted. “I still can’t believe she did that shit. That place is like the armpit of the country. I don’t give a good, gat damn what nobody say. The zombies there are worse than the ones that were left down there cuz of Katrina. Occasionally she’d send me a picture of the sunset from her rooftop, but other than that, Ion really hear from yo sister.”

“Don’t chu dare put her all on me. She your baby sister too.”

“True, but I’m still pissed at her fuh leavin Daddy like that. She know she his favorite.”

“That’s cuz she evil just like him.”

“Watch yo mouth Mag, Daddy ain’t evil. That dementia tryin to take him. And I ain’t mad at Mama tryin any and everything to help heal him.”

“But he stopped goin to church, Jazz.”

Jasmine being the middle child has been straddling the proverbial fence between her parents and her sisters for years.

“And? I’ma keep it funky with you, Mag. Daddy was getting tired of that church anyway. He told me once when he was feelin good that St. Barnaby’s ain’t the same no mo. He said Pastor lost his compassion and that he don’t feel love in the man.”

“Daddy told you he hates Pastor?!” Magnolia gasped as she brought her tea and cornbread through the breezeway and out onto the back porch overlookin the pool and sat down.

“No fool. Daddy don’t hate Pastor. He said he don’t feel love from him no mo. Member when we first joined? Pastor was so welcoming and loving. He preached about loving our neighbor, loving those that wronged us. To forgive folk and what not?”

“I’m listenin.”

“Well Daddy was put off about somethin he said about gay folk.”

“Well, not fuh nuthin, Pastor just tellin what the Bible say.” Magnolia rebutted.

“The Bible also says some shit bout beatin slaves but we don’t do that no mo do we?”

Magnolia sucked her teeth.

“What? Tell me I’m wrong. My thing is Jesus was all about love. If he were walkin among us today, I don’t think he’d like the way the so called church demonizes what they don’t understand. I believe in science.”

With that Magnolia could hear her sister light her pre-roll

“Oh, here we go. I think you need tuh ease up on yo so called medicine.”

“Ewe, you get defensive when you get proven wrong. I’m sayin one of my favorite lessons in science class was Gregor Mendel’s pea plant experiment. It’s the base-line of genetics.”

“So, you think folk are born gay?” Magnolia said through a mouth full of cornbread.

“I do. And you don’t have to Mag. I know we was brought up to believe that it’s satanic and shit. I don’t. Not seeing the shit I’ve seen in the ER. Poor young men mutilating their own genitals cuz they scared to tell anybody they feel trapped in they own body. No fuck that. I’m not worshippin anything that makes someone feels so bad bout they existence they harm themselves. I believe Daddy feel the same way, but ain’t nobody listenin to him cuz of the dementia.”

Magnolia sighed. “And Meela?”

“I just hope she come home and forgive him before it’s too late. "