settled down to eating various portions of chicken, fries, rice and roasted corn. Napkins littered their table. Breanna sipped wine and the others drank lemonade and cola. Breanna noticed that Jazz was quieter than usual.
‘So, Malakai,’ said Sean. ‘Breanna already invite you round to her gates. Bredren, seems like t’ings are getting serious. You only linked a few weeks ago.’
‘Not that serious,’ replied Malakai.
Breanna gave Malakai a playful punch.
‘It was at the reception after the funeral,’ continued Malakai. ‘Breanna asked me to reach and pay my respects. I met her family. Her Uncle Brenton and everybody.’
‘Uncle Brenton?’ repeated Sean.
Jazz and Breanna paused their eating. ‘You know my uncle?’ asked Breanna.
‘His name rings a bell,’ said Sean. ‘Can’t be that many Brentons around. Not with a name like that. Think my mum might know him.’
‘Oh lordy Lord,’ laughed Jazz. ‘Your mum didn’t go out with my girl’s uncle, did she?’
Everyone laughed except Sean. He smiled politely. Breanna guessed there was some kind of connection or hidden history behind that smile.
‘No, it was nothing like that,’ Sean finally answered. ‘I think they just knew each other back in the day. Friends maybe? It ain’t no biggie.’
‘Lordy Lord!’ exclaimed Jazz. ‘That’s a relief.’
‘What do you mean that’s a relief?’ challenged Breanna. ‘What’s wrong with going out with my uncle?’
‘He is a bit … scary,’ answered Jazz. ‘With those eyes of his. Whenever I see him he always looks like he’s planning to eatsomebody ’cos someone put shit in his best Nikes or something. And that scar on his neck. Ugh!’
Sean stilled as if suddenly frozen.
‘He’s just quiet and shy,’ countered Breanna. ‘When you get to know him he can be really funny. Wasn’t you there, Jazz, when he told us when he was a yout’ he used to go out on street looking for cigarette butts. And he used to t’ief milk and bread from a milk float.’
‘He sounds crazy to me,’ said Jazz. ‘But I s’pose everyone’s got a mad relative somewhere.’
‘He’s not crazy,’ argued Breanna. ‘He had a hard-knock life.’
‘Maybe he got too many knocks on his head?’ laughed Jazz.
‘Them old-school days were rough though,’ added Malakai. ‘My mum told me her older brother had to get the paraffin bottle before he went to school. When he reached school he stank out the classroom with his paraffin fumes all on his uniform. Brothers would chase him down in the playground with boxes of matches. Old-school times weren’t easy. Believe.’
From a small name-brand rucksack that was draped over his chair, Malakai took out a gift-wrapped box. He placed it on the table and grinned widely. ‘I dunno if Brenton searched the streets of Bricky for cigarette butts but I thought he was cool,’ he said. ‘He was about the only one out of the older ones who took time chatting to me at the wake. Anyway, Bree. This is for your birthday. Hope you like it.’
Cleaning her fingers with a napkin, Breanna wasted no time unwrapping the box.
‘Ain’t you supposed to wait until the day of your birthday,’ protested Jazz. ‘You’re so fast, girl.’
The box contained a bottle of perfume. ‘Is it the real t’ing?’ asked Breanna, checking the labels. ‘Not a fake from Nine Elms market or East Street?’
‘What you take me for?’ protested Malakai. ‘Course it’s thereal t’ing. When I come buying presents for my girl I come proper. You understand.’
Leaning over the table, Breanna cradled Malakai’s cheeks with her hands and kissed him on the mouth. ‘Thanks, choc.’
‘I told you she’d like that,’ said Sean. ‘Man can’t go wrong when he buys his girl a proper perfume. Chicks love that.’
‘You two better behave yourself,’ warned Jazz. ‘I ain’t getting fling out ’cos of you two getting it on. I still wanna get my cheesecake.’
‘What’s with the choc?’ Sean
‘So, Malakai,’ said Sean. ‘Breanna already invite you round to her gates. Bredren, seems like t’ings are getting serious. You only linked a few weeks ago.’
‘Not that serious,’ replied Malakai.
Breanna gave Malakai a playful punch.
‘It was at the reception after the funeral,’ continued Malakai. ‘Breanna asked me to reach and pay my respects. I met her family. Her Uncle Brenton and everybody.’
‘Uncle Brenton?’ repeated Sean.
Jazz and Breanna paused their eating. ‘You know my uncle?’ asked Breanna.
‘His name rings a bell,’ said Sean. ‘Can’t be that many Brentons around. Not with a name like that. Think my mum might know him.’
‘Oh lordy Lord,’ laughed Jazz. ‘Your mum didn’t go out with my girl’s uncle, did she?’
Everyone laughed except Sean. He smiled politely. Breanna guessed there was some kind of connection or hidden history behind that smile.
‘No, it was nothing like that,’ Sean finally answered. ‘I think they just knew each other back in the day. Friends maybe? It ain’t no biggie.’
‘Lordy Lord!’ exclaimed Jazz. ‘That’s a relief.’
‘What do you mean that’s a relief?’ challenged Breanna. ‘What’s wrong with going out with my uncle?’
‘He is a bit … scary,’ answered Jazz. ‘With those eyes of his. Whenever I see him he always looks like he’s planning to eatsomebody ’cos someone put shit in his best Nikes or something. And that scar on his neck. Ugh!’
Sean stilled as if suddenly frozen.
‘He’s just quiet and shy,’ countered Breanna. ‘When you get to know him he can be really funny. Wasn’t you there, Jazz, when he told us when he was a yout’ he used to go out on street looking for cigarette butts. And he used to t’ief milk and bread from a milk float.’
‘He sounds crazy to me,’ said Jazz. ‘But I s’pose everyone’s got a mad relative somewhere.’
‘He’s not crazy,’ argued Breanna. ‘He had a hard-knock life.’
‘Maybe he got too many knocks on his head?’ laughed Jazz.
‘Them old-school days were rough though,’ added Malakai. ‘My mum told me her older brother had to get the paraffin bottle before he went to school. When he reached school he stank out the classroom with his paraffin fumes all on his uniform. Brothers would chase him down in the playground with boxes of matches. Old-school times weren’t easy. Believe.’
From a small name-brand rucksack that was draped over his chair, Malakai took out a gift-wrapped box. He placed it on the table and grinned widely. ‘I dunno if Brenton searched the streets of Bricky for cigarette butts but I thought he was cool,’ he said. ‘He was about the only one out of the older ones who took time chatting to me at the wake. Anyway, Bree. This is for your birthday. Hope you like it.’
Cleaning her fingers with a napkin, Breanna wasted no time unwrapping the box.
‘Ain’t you supposed to wait until the day of your birthday,’ protested Jazz. ‘You’re so fast, girl.’
The box contained a bottle of perfume. ‘Is it the real t’ing?’ asked Breanna, checking the labels. ‘Not a fake from Nine Elms market or East Street?’
‘What you take me for?’ protested Malakai. ‘Course it’s thereal t’ing. When I come buying presents for my girl I come proper. You understand.’
Leaning over the table, Breanna cradled Malakai’s cheeks with her hands and kissed him on the mouth. ‘Thanks, choc.’
‘I told you she’d like that,’ said Sean. ‘Man can’t go wrong when he buys his girl a proper perfume. Chicks love that.’
‘You two better behave yourself,’ warned Jazz. ‘I ain’t getting fling out ’cos of you two getting it on. I still wanna get my cheesecake.’
‘What’s with the choc?’ Sean
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