I cracked another cold Bud and sat down next to my cousin AJ.  He was still in the middle of his beer.  The bar-b-q had moved indoors to get away from the mosquitoes.  Our aunts and uncles, other cousins, parents, and grandma all hung about the dinning area table that connected the living room to the kitchen. They talked and ate while we watched the neighbor's dogs, a couple of Great Danes. AJ lit a cigarette.

"You wanna smoke, cuz?" He asked, as a nicotine cloud spilled upward from his mouth.
"I'm good, dude."

I rocked back once in the cheap lawn chair and came forward, waving my free hand.

"It's good that you don't want to smoke. It's bad for you," said AJ, before taking another drag.

I took a good swig of my beer.

"I ain't never had a beer with you before, cuz," said AJ, his usually squinting eyes opened just a tad.

"This is my first one."

"When did you turn twenty-one?"

"Couple months ago."

"And you're just having a beer now?"

"Yeah."

My cousin AJ is not the most educated but he is also seldom confused. My previous statement, however, did just that...for about fifteen seconds.

"Oh, coool!"