Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
I have to hurry up and get down to Lei.
I let out another long breath. “So. . .I know you may think I’m crazy, but I kind of. . .forgive Leo for what he did to my father.”
“I don’t forgive Leo, but I understand. Had I known what was going on out in Glory. . .well. . .I might have slapped Unc up several times. Maybe even came close to killing him.”
“I was on my own out there—”
“You didn’t have to be on your own—”
“I know. I was trying to prove to the family and myself that I could do it and. . .I couldn’t do it—”
“You did it, Moni. Don’t be hard on yourself.”
“Well. . .” I gazed at the garden some more. “I like this house, Banks. And the garden. You should see this place. It’s beautiful here. I can see my sisters having an amazing life in the East.”
“Sisters of the Mountain Mistress. Fuck yeah they’re going to have an amazing life. They’ll be treated like royalty. That’s if you can get the racist motherfuckers out of there.”
“Well. . .it won’t be easy to figure things out, but I want to.”
“Shit.”
I knew he was rubbing his head, trying to get rid of the mounting headache that I had caused. “Banks, everything is going to be okay.”
“Every fucking time I talk to you, I think shit is finally square then the next day. . .shit is not cool at all. It’s a mega proportion shit show.”
“I know.”
“You keep navigating my world on your own, just like when you was in Glory taking care of the girls and struggling on your own.”
I frowned.
“All I’m trying to say is that family matters, Moni. It really does.”
“I know.”
“Not everybody got a family that cares.”
“I know.”
“And many women don’t have crazy ass cousins that will fucking rip guys’ bodies apart if they mess with them.”
“That’s fair.”
“I’m that crazy ass cousin.”
“I know you are.”
“And you know how Mom raised me. Protect Black women at all costs. That’s what she would say, over and over and fucking over. And now you’re out there in the East and motherfuckers calling you a monkey and shit. I don’t even know if Lei is treating you properly. He’s got you closed off like a crazy person. Let’s not forget that his father is fucking insane.”
“Okay. You’re making good points.”
“Family matters.”
“I know.”
“Include your family in this situation so that you can have real support.”
“Well. . .Lei is sending a helicopter over to get you and the girls tomorrow, so there’s a step in the right direction.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I want you to see Lotus Blossom—”
“And talk to Lei—”
“Oh. Wait. No one said anything about that—”
“Shiiiit. Marcelo and I are definitely having a conversation with Lei.”
“Hold up. No one said Marcelo was coming too.”
“Marcelo can’t come? If he can’t, then you better tell him yourself.”
“What?”
“He’s right here and wants to talk to you.”
I widened my eyes. “Alright. Fine. Marcelo can come and I will talk to him, but most importantly. . .make sure you let T.T., Chloe, and Jo know that they’re coming over tomorrow to visit. I want them to pick out their new bedrooms and see the garden.”
“I will.”
“There will be a helicopter around. . .” I considered the tea ceremony and figured the evening would be best for them to come. “It will pick you up around 5p.m.”
“That’s cool. Just let Lei and his people know that they will need to bring two helicopters to get us and that we’re also coming over with some more helicopters of our own so we can park some at the palace pad too—”
“Eh, no one said anything about more helicopters.”
“Moni, how the hell am I going to bring your sisters, Mom, Sid, Marcelo, Gunner, me, our men, my grill, and the deep freezer in just one helicopter?”
I blinked. “Banks, who the fuck said for you to bring all of these people?”
“Mom can’t come?”
“Auntie can come, but dude. . .you named tons of people and then said a fucking grill! We don’t need a grill or a deep freezer!”
“Girl, you’ve been in the East too long. You already forgot that if more than five Black people get together in a garden then it’s a cookout.”
“Oh wait.” I waved my hands as if he could see me. “I didn’t say nothing about a cookout, Banks. No one said cookout. I said come to visit and see the house—”
“You know your sisters are going to be hungry—”
“Fine. I have a chef and staff that can—”
“That chef won’t know how to make my famous Banks’s Baby Back Ribs.” Then, he moved away from the phone and yelled out, “Mom! I need you to defrost the chicken, ribs, and beef patties in the freezer. Moni is having a cookout tomorrow in the East. Let everyone know!”
“We are not having a cookout!”