Page 21 of I’m So Mega

I came here earlier to set everything up. When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by the manager. As usual, it was busy with families and children. They were one of the few restaurants that still had an indoor play area. “Allow me to take you to your table, Mr. Manfield.”

He walked us to the back of the restaurant to a table that was covered with a tablecloth and had a small vase of flowers in the center. There was even a little menu that I had printed.

The manager took out a notepad. “What would you two like to start with to drink?” This wasn’t his first time at the Manfield date rodeo.

Megan picked up the menu like she could read the whole thing. Yeah, she recognized words that she was taught in kindergarten, but she wasn’t proficient at reading just yet. You couldn’t tell her that though. “Charles, I think I’ll take an Arell Palmer.”

Charles and I tittered lowly at her pronunciation. I ordered the same thing. “So what’s been going on, lil miss? How’s kindergarten?”

“I love it. I’m the line leader on Wednesdays. The teacher lets me be it so often because I keep them in check,” she said with an attempted snap of her fingers. “On my day, you better not be crocked in my line. I’on play that.”

I laughed because she was way too much sometimes. “Yeah, you gotta keep them in check. If that’s your job, then you take it seriously.”

“I do. You said I have to do everything my hand touches with excellent. I do that.” She turned her little four-year-old nose up.

Charles returned with our drinks. He set them down on the table and gave us the straws. “Are you ready to order?”

Of course I let the lady go first. “Yes, Charlie, can I have chicken tenders with waffle fries. Can you add a little more salt than normal?” She put her hand up.

“Not a lot. I gotta watch my blood press.” When he asked her if she wanted sauce, she thought about it for a quick second.

“Yes, a lil polynes mixed with honey mustard.”

I ordered a chicken sandwich after she handed her menu over to Charlie.

They would always take care of Megan Manfield because she was the part owner with me of this franchised location.

It was a birthday present for her second birthday.

She didn’t know that she owned it, of course.

It was a lot of paperwork to put her name on the papers since she was a minor.

Our food came out, and we started to eat. When she froze halfway through dinner, I was on high alert. My head tilted when she swooped her little pigtail behind her ear. What in the world?

Next thing I knew, some little boy approached the table. “Hi, Megan. You look pretty.”

I know you lying to me. I had to remind myself that it was inappropriate and a crime to pick this lil nigga up and fling his ass across the restaurant. God wouldn’t be pleased.

“Hi, Corbin. You look nice too.” My little sister actually blushed at this nigga. “Are you here with your mom?”

He pointed toward the other side of the restaurant at a woman who sat at a table with a cheesy ass smile.

She thought this was cute. She was over there smiling, and I was over here wondering if she had child life insurance with the added accidental death and dismemberment.

I zoned back in when I heard Megan’s voice.

“This is my brother, Megatron.” She turned her little glazed over eyes to me. “Mega, this is my . . . friend, Corbin.”

The pause before she said friend messed me up. Did this little girl just introduce me to her boyfriend? I stuck my hand out. “Hi, Corbin. It’s so nice of you to interrupt our date.”

Corbin laughed. “You’re funny.” He dismissed me. “Megan, so you want to play with me in the playhouse?”

She gave me those soft, pleading eyes that she knew I couldn’t say no to. “You can go ahead, but remember you have on a dress, lil miss.”

Her excitement made me happy, broke my heart, and made me fearful.

She climbed out of her seat with Corbin’s help, came over and kissed me on my cheek, then Corbin and she ran to the playhouse.

My sister was savage at four. She left me in the middle of our date for someone else.

All I could do was watch her as she played.

I knew that she had shorts on under her dress because the plan was always to let her play.

I just never thought it would be with a little boy.

“I think our kids make a cute couple,” a female voice said from the side of me. She sat down without an invitation. “I think it’s so cute.”

I took her in for a moment. She looked young but old in the same breath.

“I bet you think teenage pregnancy is cute too.” I allowed the shock of my words to register in her mind.

“There is nothing cute about calling a couple of four-year-olds a couple. They are simply two kids playing together. Watch ya mouth.”

“Geez, I was just trying to make conversation. You don’t have to be rude,” she snapped. Her face tightened.

I tilted my head. “You know what’s rude? Not teaching your son to say excuse me when he interrupts someone. I see he got it from his mama, though, because you came over here uninvited talking about our kids were a couple.”

While she stared at me, a small sense of conviction prickled my skin. Big G, not now, Man. She’s trying to make my sister be a teenage mother. The nudge happened again. I took a deep inhale. “Look, my bad for being so rude. It’s hard seeing my baby sister grow up.”

“Wow, that’s your baby sister? Your mama was getting it in at your big age,” she said with a giggle. “I appreciate the apology.”

When she leaned forward on the table, I held my hand up. “I understand that I apologized for my rudeness, but I still don’t wish to sit here and have random conversation with a woman who is not my wife. I wouldn’t allow her to do it, so I won’t either.”

Yeah, it wasn’t that kind of party. I was here for a date with lil miss. I wanted to sit here, eat my sandwich, and let Megan play for a little while. Ole girl just stared at me as I started to eat my sandwich again. She eventually got the point and left my table.

First it was my baby girl, Maggie, and my niece, Kellie. Now it was my little sister, Megan. Big G, give me strength.

A Short Time Later . . .

Croy:

Aye! I need y’all here now. My house in the Sum not Core. The ladies in Core. DADCOM 1! Riker and Draco are already here.

This had to be serious for that to be put into our group chat. Dadcom 1 hadn’t been used in years. The fact that Croy used it made it worse. He was like our marriage, father guru. When he needed us, that meant that he was having homicidal thoughts, and he needed us to talk him off the ledge.

Ned:

I’m on the way. Corleone and Pops is coming with me.

T.J.:

I’m on da way. My momma got Junior since his mama wanna be outside with y’all wives.

It was like Tumnus was Big G’s reminder to me that Big G duct-taped a few other niggas together and said forget the screws. His wife was just as loose minded as he was. Anyone who could be the apprentice of Galiana had to be. She was a mortician of a different kind.

I was at my house with Samuel and my boys since, like TJ said, the girls were outside.

Even Mama Naomi was with them. That was a rarity because she and Pop Ned stayed missing.

He was still the chief of police, but more importantly, he was now the mayor of Coreland.

Mrs. Naomi was the first lady. If there was no business to handle, then he was gone with his wife.

Over the years, the Summersons backed away from the drug game.

The legal businesses that they’d acquired and the investments made over time had accounted for their income.

There was no reason for them to take the unnecessary risk any longer.

I respected a man who knew when to bow out gracefully.

That allowed Ned Senior and Junior more time to spend with their family.

They were on the retirement plan with the residual earnings.

“Aye, boys! Pack an overnight bag. We’re going to Uncle Croy’s house. Samuel, you rollin’?” I asked him.

Samuel took a sip of his beer. “What? My old ass is invited to chill with the cool kids?” He chuckled lightly, then said, “Yeah, I’ll roll.”

Me:

I’m on the way. I’m bringing my boys and Samuel. Croy have the game room ready for the boys.

I got the boys together, and we got on the road to Croy’s house.

It didn’t take us long to get there. TJ didn’t live far at all from Croy.

When I told Matthew and Joseph that Corleone was there, it was forget about everyone else.

He was their favorite cousin; plus, it was time for the boys’ haircuts. Corleone was their barber.

Croy’s driveway was full. When we got to the front door, it was opened before we knocked. “What’s up, Cousins!”

“Corleone!” The boys ran into his arms. The influence that the men in my sons’ lives had on them was astronomical.

I dapped him. Once the boys noticed Shaun in the background, they ran to him.

I didn’t know he would be here. He and his sister had homes on Fiona and Croy’s property as well.

Shaun just wasn’t there often because of his profession as a professional football player.

Yep, he was drafted to the Carolina Cougars, the team that Liam Christianson retired from.

Shaun was a second-round draft pick, but he worked his ass off to eventually start as a linebacker. He was smooth with it.

Corleone took the boys to the playroom to give them a haircut. He and Shaun were going to play the game system with them. Samuel and I headed to the back deck. The smell of pungent weed filled the air. When I saw the blunt in Croy’s mouth, I knew it was real. Croy rarely smoked these days.

What’s up, family?” I went around to dap everyone. Samuel did the same. I grabbed two beers before I sat down.

TJ’s head knocked side to side. “You see dis man stress like fuck. A damn shame.”