Christmas in the Hood by Nikki Turner Read Free Book Online

her grandma said, ignoring her question.
    Gigi finished eating, all the while keeping an eye on Grandma, who seemed to feel better after she had eaten. Once the dishes were washed, they bundled up and were just about to head out the door when Andrew came out of his bedroom.
    “Where you two headed?” he asked sleepily.
    Gigi tried not to groan. She was looking forward to spending the day alone with Grandma, but she knew if Andrew decided he wanted to come, her grandmother wouldn’t stop him.
    “Out,” she said with an attitude.
    Andrew didn’t bother to ask any more questions. “See ya,” he said, heading toward the kitchen, where Grandma had left him a plate in the microwave.
    “Andrew, don’t get in any trouble,” Grandma said.
    Smirking, Andrew didn’t bother to respond.
    By the time they made it to the shopping strip on Third Avenue in the Bronx, the streets were already bustling with people headed to work. Gigi took in all the activity and the Christmas decorations and smiled. She loved this time of year. She looked over at Grandma, whose thin arm was wrapped around hers, and patted her gloved hand.
    “Where to?” she asked.
    Grandma pointed to a clothing store, and they headed inside.
    They spent hours trying on clothes and buying so much that Gigi knew they would have to catch a cab back to the block. They bought gifts for the entire family: Andrew; her younger sister, Lulu; her mother, Carmen; and Andrew’s mother, Maria.
    By the time they were done, Gigi was exhausted, and although Grandma looked exhausted, too, Gigi had never seen her look happier.
    People were getting off work as they were headed home, so it took them a while to catch a cab. They finally decided to stop at a bodega, where they both ordered hot chocolate.
    “So you got everything you wanted?” Grandma asked after taking a sip.
    Gigi grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and wiped whipped cream off Grandma’s upper lip.
    “Yep,” she said.
    “What about your tuition?” Grandma asked, looking down as she stomped snow off one of her Timberland boots. “How do you plan to pay it?”
    “With the money from my job,” Gigi said, shrugging as she took another sip of her hot chocolate. “The school lets me make deferred payments.”
    “I’ll get the money for your tuition,” Grandma insisted.
    Gigi knew that if her grandmother said it, it was just as good as done. She felt bad because her grandma always put them first. “But what about your operation?” she asked.
    Grandma just smiled, patting her hand. “Now, baby, you just let me worry about that,” she said.
    Gigi sighed. Grandma did everything possible to make sure her family was all right. Still, Gigi couldn’t help but feel guilty.
    “What you want for Christmas, Grandma?” she asked as she gathered their bags so they could catch a cab.
    “I just wanna see both y’all happy,” she said simply.
    Gigi smiled. “Come on,” she said. “There’s gotta be something.”
    Grandma thought for a minute. “It would be nice to get these old kidneys fixed,” she admitted.
    Gigi felt like crying. Her grandmother never complained about her condition, and to hear her admit that she was bothered by it made Gigi more determined than ever to find a way to get Grandma the one thing she wanted for Christmas.
    *  *  *
    Back on the block, residents braved the cold weather even though over two inches of snow had fallen earlier. The freezing wind carried with it the rotten stench from the garbage bags piled at the curb in front of the six-story tenement building.
    Sporting a bubble North Face jacket, Andrew chilled in the lobby, awaiting the night rush. He watched as a cab dropped Grandma and Gigi off in front of the building.
    Two pimped-out BMW 525s, one red, one black, pulled up. The Diaz brothers hopped out like they owned the block. Though they didn’t hold the deed, in the drug game, 141st Street was their prized possession. Their deadly crew had the area on lock. Chico was