“You’re getting big, man,” he said, hugging his grandson.
“Save some for me,” Nikki said, climbing out of the minivan and stretching her legs.
Nikki hugged and kissed her mother and father, then made her way to the bathroom. Outside, Kevin hugged Jean and shook Jim’s hand once they were finally free from their grandchildren’s embraces.
“Are you hungry? Dinner is ready,” Jean announced once the children staked their claims to their rooms.
“Yes, Grandma! Can we eat outside on the patio?” Mia asked.
“That’s a good idea, sweetheart,” Jean responded.
During dinner, the children brought their grandparents up-to-date on all the Atlanta news, including their friends and activities. Afterward as the family relaxed in the den, each child laid out honor roll report cards, which brought tears to Jean’s eyes. Jim nearly ripped his pocket off pulling out money to reward his scholars.
“I’m going to make some calls, baby,” Nikki told Kevin, then kissed him and handed him the remote control.
Nikki called Zakia who was excited to hear her girl’s voice. They talked about their lives, marriages, children, jobs, and the goodness of the Lord.
They decided to plan brunch with Pam and Eboni. Since Nikki was going to call Pam next, she would invite her. Zakia was sure Eboni would be thrilled to join them as well.
Brunch at the Raven Restaurant turned into a prayer meeting revival reunion. Nikki, Zakia, Pam, and Eboni shared testimonies, laughed, cried, inspired, encouraged, and just had a ball in the Lord.
“Girl, how does it feel to get your groove back with that young man?” Eboni asked Nikki. “Eli be acting like he is as old as your daddy.”
“It must feel good because she doesn’t look a day over thirty herself,” Zakia said.
“Thanks, girl. None of us look like we’re right at forty. And the marriage is just groovy.”
They all laughed, including Pam, who had never married but had a nine-year-old daughter, Taylor, from a relationship she had with an opposing defense attorney. Lately, she had been too busy reestablishing herself in her hometown and taking care of her mother to even think about a relationship, let alone marriage.
“Are you coming back to get the kids after Africa, or are your parents bringing them to you?” Zakia asked Nikki.
“They’re going to bring them to me, but we definitely have to get together like this again when I do come back. This is so much fun. I’m having a ball.”
“It’s great seeing everybody. I really missed you guys,” Pam said.
“Wow, y’all are going to make me cry again,” Eboni managed to sniff out before the tears began to flow.
They all laughed and cried with her.
When Nikki arrived back at her parents’ home, Grace was there with her grandchildren. Damon was already smitten with Mia, who could not have cared less. Shay was curious about LaKisha’s nails and weave.
“Who did your nails?” Shay asked LaKisha.
“I did,” LaKisha responded.
“Could you do mine?”
“Have you ever had tips before?”
“Nope. My mom doesn’t even get tips. We give each other manicures when we do our mother-daughter thing.”
“Is she going to let you get tips?” LaKisha asked.
“Maybe press-ons. Let’s go ask her now,” Shay exclaimed, getting up to go find her mother.
Nikki was out on the patio having a nice conversation with Grace about Sharia and Rae conducting Bible study in prison.
“Mommy, can LaKisha do my nails? Pleeeaaase?”
Nikki looked at LaKisha’s nails.
“Did you do yours, LaKisha?” she asked.
“Yep,” LaKisha answered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Grace corrected.
“Yes, ma’am,” LaKisha responded.
“Do you have tips?” Nikki asked.
“Yep . . . I mean, yes, ma’am.”
“Can you do those designs without the tips?”
“Let me see your nails,” LaKisha said, grabbing Shay’s hands.
Examining Shay’s nails, LaKisha informed Nikki that there wasn’t enough natural nail on which to put any kind of noticeable design. Nikki gave permission to work with the natural nail as best she could, without the tips. After a little more begging, Shay gave up and settled for whatever LaKisha could do with her own nail. Shay would get her granddaddy to take her over to LaKisha’s for her manicure later that week.
N
ikki and Kevin were up early to get the minivan ready to head back south. Jean had prepared a hearty breakfast of western omelets, hash browns, country ham, bacon, chicken strips because of Jim’s blood pressure—not that he wouldn’t sneak a piece of bacon—homemade biscuits, and an assortment of fresh fruit and juice. The morning was clear, fresh, and warm so they ate outside on the patio. After breakfast, Nikki called her friends to say good-bye.
“We’re about to leave, Z. I wanted to say good-bye before we got on the road, then on to another continent,” Nikki said.
“Aw girl, you leaving so soon?” Zakia asked.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see Jay and the boys.
“Next time for sure when you can stay for longer than two minutes. I had an absolute ball at brunch. It thrills me to see the Lord ruling and reigning in the lives of my girls,” Zakia said.
“I hear you, sis. I did want to see Zach before I left so I could give him a hug and let him know how proud I am of him. Girl, I showed his picture on the cover of
Black Enterprise
to everybody in Atlanta,” Nikki said.
“He never ceases to amaze. He already had it going on, but after he finally wised up and got saved, it’s like he has the Midas touch. And I have never been prouder watching him stick by Micah while they prepare for Jaron’s trial.”
“Girl, God has got that situation under control. But thanks for reminding me. I’m going to give Micah a call before I leave and build him up in the Lord.”
“Good idea. He can use all the edification we can give him,” Zakia said, looking out of the window. “Hey, Zach is pulling up. Want to speak to him?”
“Of course,” Nikki replied excitedly.
“Okay, hold on,” Zakia said as she opened the door and handed him the phone. “Nikki’s on the phone. She’s leaving today and is disappointed that she didn’t get to see you.”
“Nikki’s here from Atlanta?” Zach asked, taking the phone. “Nikki, baby!”
“Zachary Wilkes, Mr. Black Enterprise. Man, you just don’t know how proud I am of you. I wish I could give you this big hug I’ve been saving since I saw your picture on the cover.”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word. Are you at your parents’ house? ’Cause I can be there.”
“Oh, please come. I would love to see you.”
“You got it. I just came to pick up JJ. That’s my little partner.”
“Bring him. Oh, I can’t wait to see you.”
“On my way, baby.”
Kevin didn’t think twice about the affectionate hug that Zach gave his wife . . . the genuine brother-sister love between them was all too apparent. He knew all about Zach because Nikki had talked about him nonstop when the magazine came out. Kevin felt honored being introduced to such a brother. Nikki called Taj, who came and took JJ, who was a year younger than Taj, out back by the pool.
“Do you like to swim?” Taj asked JJ.
“Sure.”
Shay came out to join them.
“Mommy said we had company. Hey JJ,” she said. They had not seen each other since Christmas.
“Hey Shay.” JJ said thinking how beautiful she looked.
“What are you staring at JJ?” Taj asked, observing how he was looking at Shay.
JJ looked at Taj with a quick don’t-front-me-while-your-sister-is-standing-right-here look that Taj immediately discerned. In the next split second, as if on cue, they both laughed.
Zach and Nikki came outside.
“We’re about to leave, man,” Zach told JJ.
“Can Taj come with us?” JJ asked.
“His mom is about to leave on a trip, and I’m sure he wants to spend as much time with her as possible before she does. Am I right, Taj?” Zach asked.
“Right, sir,” Taj answered, admiring Zach from his mother’s stories about him.
“Well, can he come to work with us sometime?” JJ asked.
“Now, that sounds very doable. What do you say, Taj?” Zach asked.
“I say that sounds great,” Taj responded.
“JJ comes to work with me during the summer,” Zach explained to Nikki.
“Oh, you have him in Exec training already?”
“It’s all his idea, believe me.”
“I think it will be good for Taj. Help to balance him out. He’s surrounded by athletes. He loves football. Exec training would be great for him.”
“Yes!” JJ said, giving Taj a high five.
“Let’s go tell Mom and Dad,” Nikki said.
Kevin and his in-laws were in the kitchen, where everybody still congregated to talk.
“Mom, Dad, Zach and JJ wanted to run something by you,” Nikki said.
“What is it?” Jim asked.
“Propose your plan, partner,” Zach instructed JJ.
JJ looked each person directly in the eye as he addressed them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I go to work with my Uncle Zach during the summer, where I learn things to help me when I go back to school and earn money to finance my dreams. We would like Taj to come too, when he can. It’s really fun.”
“Wow, Zach. Man, what are we going to do with you? That is the sharpest Junior Executive I have ever seen. I don’t think you were that sharp at that age,” Nikki said.
“Not even close,” Zach agreed.
“Maybe once or twice a week, because Jim has plans,” Jean said. “You can share him a little bit, right, sweetheart? After all, it will be beneficial to his development and overall well-being.”
“Yeah, Daddy, it’s a great opportunity,” Nikki added.
To help with Jim’s reassurance that no one was trying to impose on his time with his grandson, Zach jumped in. “Yeah, Mr. Jim, he’ll only be gone for a few hours on the days he comes to the office. You won’t even miss him.”
Taj went over and rubbed his granddaddy’s shoulder and said, “You come first, Granddaddy. I’ll only go when you don’t have anything else for me to do, okay?”
Taj’s words seemed to be the only ones that soothed Jim.
“Okay,” Jim said as he got up and left the room.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, JJ,” Taj said as he gave his new partner five, then followed his grandfather into another room.
“He’ll be all right,” Jean said. “All he wants is what’s best for these kids. I think it’s great what you do for our boys, Zach.”
“Zakia tells me that it’s my calling.”
“Well, I’m glad you answered it,” Nikki said.
Zach wished Nikki and Kevin well on their trips back to Atlanta and to the Motherland and let Jean know that he would be picking Taj up at eight o’clock sharp.
W
hen the alarm clock went off at six-forty-five, Taj got up and dressed before he went to the kitchen for breakfast. He was waiting in the kitchen with Jim and Jean when JJ rang the doorbell promptly at eight. Taj answered, looking dapper in his navy-blue suit, white shirt, and burgundy paisley tie. Jim had helped him shine his black shoes the night before.
“Good morning, partner,” Taj said.
“Good morning,” JJ responded. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I am. Grandma, Granddaddy, I’m leaving.”
“Wait a minute,” Jean yelled as she and Jim came hurriedly out of the kitchen. “Well, don’t you look nice, JJ? Where’s your Uncle Zach?”
“He’s in the car on the phone, ma’am.”
Jean went out on the porch as Zach finished his call, while Jim sized up the two little executives before him.
Well, at least the boy will be well balanced
, he thought as Taj hugged him before heading to the car.
“Zach, don’t you want to come in for some breakfast, a cup of coffee, or something?”
“No thank you, Ms. Jean,” Zach said as he got out of the car and approached her. “I’ll have Taj call you from the office. He’ll be home by lunchtime. Don’t want to keep him all day the first day. Not that Taj can’t handle it. It’s Mr. Jim that I’m concerned about,” Zach said, smiling.
“Thanks for understanding, baby,” Jean said.
Jim watched in silence as Taj and JJ slid into the backseat of Zach’s Benz.
“He’ll be fine. Did Nikki and Kevin get off okay?” Zach asked.
“Yes, they did. Made good time too. They called to let us know they made it back safely,” Jean said.
“That’s great. Well, we’ll see you this afternoon,” Zach said as the boys waved good-bye.
Jean threw them a kiss, and Jim went back into the house to wake up his granddaughters.
At the office, JJ introduced Taj around. Taj was intrigued with the graphic art displayed in the advertising department. However, he opted to work in the legal department with JJ. Zach had mentioned that he could never have too many attorneys. So Taj, along with JJ, decided to do their part in providing Zach with what he needed: young, brilliant legal minds.
As promised, Zach and JJ dropped Taj off at Jean and Jim’s at lunchtime but planned for him to stay a full day the next time he came into the office. Taj went to get a reading on his grandfather so that he could figure out exactly when that would be. A huge grin appeared on Jim’s face when he saw Taj come out onto the patio.
“What are we going to do now, Granddaddy?”
“First you are going to get out of that monkey suit.”
They both laughed as Taj went to change clothes.
“Now that the prodigal grandson has returned, I’m going over to Bea’s to see how she’s doing,” Jean told her husband. “I’m taking Mia with me to visit with Taylor. Shay has LaKisha, and Taj has JJ to play with.”
“Mia has me,” Jim said.
“Of course she does, darling. They all do. But now that Pam and Taylor have moved back, Mia has someone her age to play with. We’ll see you later. Shay is in her room. Take her with you if you and Taj head out somewhere, or drop her off at Bea’s. I would take her now, but she didn’t feel like going anywhere.”
“Then we’ll be here until you get back,” Jim said.
Jean and Mia stopped at the grocery store to get some fresh fruit and juice on their way to Bea’s house. When they arrived, Pam opened the door.
“Hello, Ms. Jean,” Pam said. “Come on in. Hi, sweetie. Aren’t you a doll?”