to laugh all night long while the adults simply shook their heads and added him to the prayer roll. This was a brand-new audience filled with Black and White people. Some knew Huggie, some didn’t, but it didn’t matter; he was the star of the hour. People were clapping and egging him on while his poor wife kept tugging and pulling on his too-snug burgundy suit jacket, trying to get him to sit down.
“Huggie! You cut this mess out. This is a wedding, not a disco!” Mama yelled. “You’ve gone too far!” She stepped away from the door and Lauren quickly closed the gap, leaving just enough space so she could peek out and monitor the situation.
“Hey! I’m gonna get-you-too! Another one bites da dust! Hey! Hey! Hey! Another one bites da dust! Ohhhh! Oreo, Oreo, Oreo-yo-yo-yo!” the silly man sang at the top of his lungs, giving the lyrics everything he had within him.
I don’t believe this… Aiden had the audacity to be clapping his hands to the beat. He and a couple of his friends, all dressed like a million bucks in their tuxedos, were cracking up, tripping over one another as Huggie gave his show. And the man wasn’t even drunk, and here his ass was showing out as though he fancied himself like James Brown, sliding back and forth and making his neck disappear like a shy turtle’s.
Does Aries have a clue what is going on out here? Never mind. He’d probably join in… She grimaced.
She fought embarrassment and amusement all at once as the crowd clapped for Huggie, some even dancing alongside him now. Finally, Daddy stormed towards the DJ booth, abruptly demanded that the music be turned off, and got everyone back into their seats, restoring calm and order. Well, everyone except Uncle Huggie.
“What’s wrong, Landon?”
“Huggie, sit your behind down.”
“Man, we just out here waitin’ and I tried to give the crowd a little pre-show. Been waiting so long, my stomach is growling and I smell the food from the room next door. It’s probably getting cold.” He pointed at the adjoining store where the reception was taking place. “Sweet potatoes! Ribs! Cornbread! I can smell it. Out here teasin’ a nig—I mean…” He looked about sheepishly, taking note of the people in attendance, including Aries’ biker friends. “Teasing a man. Why Lauren on CP time?”
“Would you please be quiet?” Daddy’s eyes shifted about as he tried to rest his hand on Huggie’s shoulder and push him forward toward the seats. Huggie didn’t budge. “She’s marrying a White man, right? I was hoping the way they keep punctual would rub off on her. Or maybe he’s not truly White. Maybe he was just dipped in that same flour you had in yo’ beard the day I met him? The bag did feel pretty light!”
It was impossible for the laughter to be any more deafening at this point. Only Huggie could get away with jokes like this and folks not be offended. He truly did have a rib-tickling flair. “I know they better not have used that flour that was in your beard to fry the fish for the reception tonight. Tryna cut corners ’nd shit.”
Daddy sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. “Are you through, Huggie?”
“In all seriousness, you look good, brother-in-law.”
“Thank you,” Daddy stated dryly.
“Beard look better today, my man… You went from Moses, let my people go, to Al Sharpton, Jim Crow Jr. Did you use one of my sister’s perms in it, man? Don’t lye. Spelled, L.Y.E.”
“As soon as you sit down, Mr. Richard Pryor, we’ll get the show on the road. You’re holding everything up.”
“Shiiid, I’ll sit down,” Huggie grumbled as he made his way to his chair. “I’m taking the toaster back I gave them though. It might still have a few crumbs in it from this morning’s breakfast, but it still works good.” This caused another outburst of laughter. Lauren closed the door and found her bridesmaids surrounding her, and that was when another round of laughter started.
“Y’all ain’t no kind of help. Uncle Huggie needs absolutely no encouragement.” She hurried to get into her shoes. A few moments later, she could hear the music playing for the groom to enter. Her body tingled all over when she imagined how her husband-to-be looked.
‘On Top of the World,’ by Imagine Dragons, was the song of choice for this moment. After a couple of minutes, it transitioned into, ‘That’s What Friends are For,’ by Dionne Warwick.