I’d planned on having this convo sooner, but the way things have gone since I got here, time slipped away from me.
I’ve talked to Nana since I’ve been down here. I make it a point to call her at least every other day, but we don’t video call all that much. Today, I need to see her face, and I’m sure she wants to see me, too.
Questions deserve answers, and I want her to be aware of what’s happening to me. She’s the only person who can tell me the truth.
I think about heading out to the back deck to talk to her, but I think better of it. The neighbors are nosy as hell, and I don’t think a talk about the possible existence of magic is something regular people need to hear. I don’t know how she’ll react to what I have to tell her.
I wait for her to pick up the call, and I set the phone on top of my desk in my room so my hands can be free. I have a habit of moving my hands when I’m explaining something, and I don’t want the phone moving around while we’re talking.
She finally picks up, and seeing her smiling face puts me in an instant good mood. My nana is a stunning, beautiful woman, and no, I’m not biased. People question her age because they can’t believe it. Like, she and Angela Bassett could pass for sisters, and we all still have a hard time believing the Queen Mother of Wakanda is as old as she is, too.
“Hello, my darling boy. This is a pleasant surprise.” I can tell from the background that she is in her sitting room. She gives me a wide smile as she keeps herself busy crocheting another piece. “How are you doing down there with your uncle? Are you settling down pretty well?”
“Yes, ma’am, some things have been good. I’m trying to adjust.” I take a sip of my water bottle, feeling my throat tighten up. “I’ve tried to stay out of trouble, but you know how that goes.”
She laughs when I mention that, putting my mind at ease a bit. “You and that temper were a challenge, that is for certain. I thought the boxing was supposed to help give you the outlet you needed?”
“Yes, it has, and I haven’t gotten into any trouble at school, I promise.” I want to make it clear that she has nothing to worry about, even if I am kinda lying to her about it. Being away from me and not having any influence was one of her major concerns, and I don’t want to add to them. “It’s nothing that I haven’t been able to handle, and Unk’s been great. He’s helped me a lot with how things flow down here.”
“Well, that is a relief. Since he has not called to let me know anything, I can rest my mind knowing that you are doing well.” She stops for a moment to get a sequence on the cloth locked in before she focuses on me again. “So when are you coming up to see me? I have not seen that handsome face of yours in a few weeks, and the last time we talked, there was a girl you were trying to impress. How is that coming along?”
Yeah, she has a gift for understatement at times, and I thought she’d forgotten about me mentioning Zahra. “It’s going okay, so far. I told her about you and maybe her coming up with me to visit.”
“Well, now, that would be very interesting, and I would be happy to welcome her when you come up.”
“Nana, I need to ask you something, and it’s kinda important.”
“Sure, baby, what is on your mind?”
I take a deep breath as I choose my words carefully. “Well, while she and I were getting to know each other, she asked about my parents and where I come from, and I couldn’t tell her because I honestly don’t know anything outside of what you’ve told me.”
Nana nods slow and easy, putting down her piece to give me her undivided attention. “Okay, what questions do you have?”
“I’ll get to that in a minute, but I need to explain something else,” I tell her as I get comfortable in my chair. Okay, so I can’t lie to my nana. It just doesn’t ever feel right. “I had been caught up in a couple of fights away from school. Before you start, I didn’t instigate any of them, but…it feels like something takes over when I fight.”
She continues to nod at what I say to her, and I notice she doesn’t freak out. She might not have been, but it causes a bit of anxiety for me. “Okay, go on, baby. Tell me everything.”
“Well, after a convo with the new friends I’ve made down here, one of them said that my eyes glowed in a deep shade of crimson red.” I keep purging, remembering that she’s always been a safe space. “I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I played it off like it was a camera filter. My eyes had never done that before, and I don’t know what to make of it.”
Nana reacts for the first time during our talk, and now I really want answers. She offers a smile as though she can feel the rising fear flowing through me. “Okay, first, I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you. I need you to understand that. Do you hear me, Ya-Ya?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“This girl that you’ve been seeing, where is she from? Is she from Georgia, too?”
I don’t understand why she asks the question, but I don’t think it would cause any harm, either. “She and her family are from Kindara, Nana, same as you.”
Her eyes widen, and she sits up in her chair, getting closer to the camera. “How soon can you and this young lady come up to see me? I would like to speak to her, too. I have a feeling, but I will not say anything until I see you two together.”
“Nana, is there something I need to know about?”
“I promise, my darling grandson, if I see what I think I will see, and it matches the visions I have been having over the past couple of days, I will explain everything. It may mean more than we know.” Nana gives up another warming smile, blowing kisses at the screen, causing me to blush. “When was the last time you had any nightmares?”
Last night. Almost every night.
But I hesitate to say much. “I had one earlier this week…but that aside, there’s something else that happened,” I say, quickly changing the subject. Now that she’s willing to open the book on Mom and Dad, I figure, why not? “After my first day at school, I had a… I wish I could understand what happened.”
“Go ahead, baby, you know Nana has seen a lot in her life.”
Not like what I’m about to tell her, though. “I spoke into the air that I missed Mom and Dad, and a few moments later, I felt Mom kiss me on my cheek and Dad’s hand on my shoulder.”
When she doesn’t bat an eyelash over my reveal, I sit there, stone-faced, with more questions than answers about my own grandmother. How is she taking all this in stride like she’s done all this before? “Okay, baby, we need to sit down and handle everything that is coming at you. What I need for you to do is understand that this is normal for people like us.”
“Pause, Nana…us?”
“Yes, baby, but this is not something that we need to talk about over a video call.” She clasps her hands together and takes a deep breath. “I honestly thought I would have more time to prepare you, but I guess the gods had other plans. First things first, when you have a chance, and hopefully soon, please come see me, and bring your friend with you. I have a feeling this visit will change everything.”