Quickly, I decided that I had to eat it. I was running late for a meeting with a woman whom I hadn't seen in damn near twenty years. My mother.
A little over an hour later, we were pulling up to a neighborhood favorite, Momma D's Soulfood restaurant in Brooklyn. I agreed to meet Yazmine here because it was a familiar place to both of us. Almost every trip home included a stop here to grub.
I spent a lot of my evenings here as a youngster when my mom would help Momma D with the cooking back during its first year or so of business. Mom would leave her full time job and head straight to the restaurant to help free of charge. It was my parents’ way of demonstrating helping our own to get ahead without expecting something in return. Momma D would sneak me her sweet cornbread every night and tell me to keep it between us. I had no doubt that Ms. Brimm would enjoy it, too.
Once seated in the humbly scaled restaurant, I observed Rayna’s body language. In worse terms this place is a step up from a hole in a wall, but she seemed relaxed yet aware of the modest eatery. The place can hold about twenty-five people. The thin gold picture frames displaying those considered patrons of importance were clearly outdated. Some of the leather chair pads were torn and the laminate floors were worn, but the food was sinfully delicious from aged recipes.
I watched as Rayna took it all in. She glanced at the dignitaries framed above our table as she sat her purse on the chair next to her. She wore cropped blue pants, a white blouse, and blue suede wedges. Her hair is up in a ponytail and her make up was very modest. It was almost as if she knew what costume to wear today, this entire weekend for that matter. I liked her style.
“Momma D and my parents were good friends back when I was a kid. My mother put in crazy hours, free of charge, to help start up this place. She would waitress and cook, doing whatever needed to be done. I try to come here as often as possible to keep in touch. I wasn’t surprised when my mother requested to meet here.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You're meeting Yazmine here?”
I nodded, slightly amused by her apparent unease. She shifted in her seat. Momma D's yelping, “Azmir Divine! I remember when the doctors pulled you from your Momma's snatch and held you in the air. You was the biggest baby I ever saw and look at you now, living just as large!” woke me from my thoughts.
I could recite her greeting word by word. It never changed. She always came out of the kitchen to greet me with the same fervor. Momma D's smile was so big and bold, her eyes glistened with pride and joy. Rayna's eyes widened and danced, caught off guard by Momma D's gregariousness.
I stood as she smothered me in her gripping embrace. Her jheri curls touched my chin as she was just a few inches shorter than me, an amazon of a woman.
“You look as splendid as ever. Who’s been courting you? I see the glow,” I teased.
Per usual Momma D ate it up, blushing from ear to ear waving me off. Her eyes traveled over to Rayna who was watching in amazement.
“Now who is this?” Momma D asked curtly. This was my first time bringing a woman to the restaurant.
Rayna looked tensed but maintained a gracious smile. Her beauty and poise never escaped me. I was grateful to have her there with me—for me during this monumental turn of events in my life. The last thing I wanted was her put off. She sat genteel and demure. I was suddenly caught up just looking at her.
“This here is Rayna Brimm, a valued friend. Ms. Brimm, this is the illustrious, Momma D.”
Rayna stood and extended her hand to Momma D. It seemed like minutes had passed before Momma D budged, but Rayna didn’t crack, she waited respectfully.