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My head popped up because I’d been holding in pee for a while. To my knowledge, public porta potties were the only bathrooms nearby. I didn’t know the Catholic church was letting people in to use the bathroom.
“Oooouu, I’m coming!” I raised up from Armias’ lap at the speed of light to catch up with Kyree's wife, Kamaria, and his twin sisters, Kyana and Kyomi. I’d been cool with them since we met last year, but we’d gotten even closer over the past few months. They’d added me to the female cousins group chat and everything, so the girl’s definitely fucked with me.
“You want me to come with you?” Armias questioned.
“Damn boy, let that girl breathe,” Peaches cackled. “She’s just going across the street to piss.”
“Lourdes?” He looked directly at me.
“Nephew clean ignored your ass,” KG laughed.
“I’m good, baby. I shouldn’t be too long.”
“Alright…” he stood up to have a better view of the church across the street. “They got a lil line so it should take you no longer than 15 minutes. After that I’m coming to check on you.”
“What you think we gon do? Get to the bathroom and jump her?” Kyana quizzed incredulously.
“Shit, that’s what I’m wondering,” Kyree laughed. “He must don’t trust y’all with his girl.”
“Nigga, stop being messy,” Armias chuckled. “You know damn well this is not about me trusting them.”
“Then what are you worried about?” Kyomi asked.
“That’s what I’m tryna see,” I giggled. He was always protective but it was kind of embarrassing that he was acting like he had to come with me and his cousins to the bathroom.
“It’s Mardi Gras time,” Qaylo looked at us like we were crazy. “It’s nothing but drunk, unruly muthafuckers everywhere.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” Kamaria said politely while holding up her massive keychain that contained a purple bedazzled pepper spray, a pink taser, and a heart shaped alarm.
“Yea, and I got these,” Kyomi held up her fist in a perfect fighting stance. I immediately knew that she could fight based on that alone.
“I know that’s right, baby!” Her mom hollered with a half empty bottle of Dusse in her hand. I loved animated drunks.
“Girllll,” Kyana laughed. “Come on before I pee on myself, y’all.”
We shuffled away giggling and talking about how extra everyone was being. We were all New Orleanians, so this wasn’t our first rodeo with Mardi Gras. We knew what we were dealing with and drunk people were the least of our problems. Hell, we were drunk, too. We weren’t all the way fucked up, but we had surpassed tipsy. That’s why we couldn’t stop laughing at everything.
“I can’t believe the church made us pay to pee!” Kyana hollered as we exited the church.
“I can believe it,” Kamaria laughed.
“No, for real," I giggled. “At least it’s a pass for the whole parade, though.”
They gave us wristbands that served as a multi-use pass for the duration of the parade. The bathrooms in the church were clean and spacious, so I was more than willing to pay for the convenience of using them versus the porta potties.
“Lourdy, why you and Ali didn’t bring Louri with y’all tonight?” Kyomi tittered.
“Oh bitch, you got jokes,” I giggled. “Go tell it to her daddy.”
Some people brought their babies to parades because despite all the alcohol and partying, Mardi Gras was a family holiday for New Orleanians. Louri had an infinite amount of festive, Mardi Gras outfits so I would have considered bringing her to a few low key, daytime parades if she was at least five months old. But she was only a little over a month old, which meant she had no business being at any parade. Armias and I believed in that strongly.
“Psshhh, y’all won’t be able to keep my girl from the fun next year.”
“She’ll definitely be at some parades next year because she’ll be one. But I still won’t bring her to the lit, night time parades because a child is not about to come between me and my drunk fun.”
“I know that’s right!” Kamaria screamed and slapped palms with me. I wasn’t sure why she was co-signing me because her five year old son and three year old daughter were definitely at the parade.
“Bitch, my nephew and niece are here,” Kyana blurted out what was on my mind.
