New year

The first day of the year
We go to Miss Connie's house
For dinner, for games, for Netflix
For drinks, to laugh and meet up again
Most of us have not seen each other
Since last year this time

Miss Connie cooks everything we like
To eat. She has gumbo with giant crab legs.
I don't know how to crack them and I think that's just too much work for a meal.
She has black eyed peas because every black family knows you have to have black eyed peas on January 1 for good luck throughout the year.
She has greens. I think my sister made those. She has cakes and all sorts of drinks. Most people are drinking Miss Connie's sweet tea but I am having wassil with E&J. Wassil is just hot apple cider.

This year Renea has her young niece Zuri, 5 and nephew Josiah, 10 with her. They are beautiful children. Zuri is the color of dark chocolate with amazing hige eyes and thick dark eyebrows that come together like Frida Khalo's. Josiah is the smart boy. Probably the smartest in his class. He likes to talk and read books about animals. "Do you know how many bones are in a giraffe's neck?" I don't. By the fourth question he tells me I have a lot to learn. He is right.

Josiah had to take a Benadryl because he had some banana pudding and his tongue got all itchy and tingly. We found out that he is allergic to bananas.

"Do you know what I can do that you can't I ask him.
"What?"
"Eat banana pudding." I laughed because I'm petty.

After we eat and sometimes during, we play games. We always get too loud. This year Migena gave Uraeus a psychic reading in her room and Miss Connie said she was practicing witchcraft.

Then a group of us gathered in the living room and Miss Connie talked about the youth Bible retreat and how one night Jaylen, 15 was defending R. Kelly.

"Defending him?" I asked.

"Yep."

She said he said that no woman would just like there and get peed on unless she wanted it. Some of the adults agreed. This is the world today. This is what we teach our boys about women.

Then Miss Connie wants to know why nobody ate the chocolate cake and why is there still macaroni and cheese and potato salad and chicken and who is going to take what home.

These are good problems
Too much food
We leave with our take away
Loving on each other
And hope that we will see each other again
This time next year