Chapter 9 Polo
Polo
All now you nuh tell me where we going enuh babe,” I look over at him when he stops at the traffic. He’s wearing black tees and black jeans with his black wallabees. Mi always love fi see him in all black and mi nuh know why.
He has a smile on his face before he looks at me briefly. “So what if a surprise?” He questions.
“You one cya deh surprise me so,” I chuckle, resting my head on his arm. It feels so good to be lying on his arms. Mi a go do this more often.
“Wah can stop me?” He asks and I look up at him and he licks his lips.
“We a go look fi somebody?” I ask and he shakes his head slowly. “Babe all yuh say is that mi fi get ready cas wi a go pan the road… yuh nuh think mi a go curious?” I ask him.
“A somweh yuh did ask fi see,” he says and I furrow my eyebrows as I start thinking.
Somewhere mi ask fi see…
I don’t remember telling him that I wanted to see or go anywhere enuh. I laugh. “A inna me sleep me say that?”
I can see that he wants to laugh but he doesn’t. He shakes his head. “When yuh sleep so dead… yuh deeven turn much less fi say something,” I start laughing hard when he says that. Maybe a the way him say it enuh.
We turn onto a lonely road. I glance at him, and he looks right back at me. “Mi curious bad enuh, babe,” I say. ‘Cause a coulda where him really a carry mi?
That mi a wonder too… Zara, yuh nuh fraid?! my subconscious whispers.
Not really.
“You did ask fi see the business, so mi a go show yuh now and mi hope yuh ready,” he says after a while, surprising me. “Yuh cya be mi fiancée and nuh know dis.”
The word fiancée just roll offa him tongue sweet, like candy. I look at him intently. “Of course mi ready,” I say.
He glances at me again, face serious. Now him mek mi nuh even feel ready again.
“Make sure enuh and nuh bother wid the foolishness. Cause yuh did say yuh understand seh mi a bad man, and when yuh see mi kill a man, yuh freak out. Now yuh say yuh ready fi the business… so when mi bring yuh deh, yuh betta nuh freak out.”
I nod slowly. Why him sound so serious? “Mi nah go freak out,” I say quietly. Even though mi probably will.
No badda wid dat, my subconscious warns.
“Mi nah say this fi scare yuh,” he continues, “But yuh aware seh once yuh get serious wid mi, yuh a go be part of this world, right?”
Aumm… scary. But I know.
“I want to be part of your world, babe,” I say.
He nods. He goes silent for a few minutes. “Mi a go mek yuh meet the gang… not just the inner circle weh yuh meet already,” he finally says, and I nod, a little anxious. Mi nah lie.
“Okay,” I reply, and he turns off the main road.
I look out the window, mentally preparing myself. The car comes to a stop, and I realize we’re at the back of a business place. Nickoi gets out, then opens my door and holds my hand, leading me toward a metal door. The more we walk, the deeper we go under and the more nervous I get.
Just breathe.
“Free up yuhself, Mami,” he says, and I inhale deeply, following him. He pulls out a key, sticks it in the lock, and pushes the heavy door open. Jesus. I step in and gasp.
Mi raatid! Den nuh big drugs business dis?
There are people in lab coats stacking drugs in parcels like it’s just another day at the office.
The place actually look… luxurious. There’s a desk at the side, probably for the boss and the work area is neatly set up beside it.
There’s even a stairway, and up top, more gang members are packing drugs.
Wah kinda operation dis?
What a way dem look professional.
The workers pause when they realize we’re at the door. I glance around and spot Gutta walking over, with Juaqína trailing behind him. I quickly look away and focus on Gutta instead.
“Yuh reach early, man,” Gutta says as he gets to us.
“Yah man,” Nickoi replies casually.
Gutta gives me a warm smile. “Welcome, Zara.”
“Thanks,” I say, still scanning the place. This really look like a professional drug lab. And trust mi people would never find it. Babe really trust mi fi bring mi in here enuh, cause this place a nuh joke.
Maybe him a test yuh.
Could be.
“Mi decide fi mek she know the place,” Nickoi says, talking to Gutta. I look over at him and smile.
Gutta nods. “Mi overstand, mi G.”
After Nickoi finishes talking with Gutta, Juaqína walks over to him and he gently pushes her away. As I start to walk off, I catch her glaring at me from the corner of my eye. Or a mi mind?
No sah… the gyal give yuh bad eye fi real, Zara.
I chuckle to myself, following behind Nickoi as he heads to the front.
I still can’t believe these are Nickoi’s workers.
They all look like bosses themselves. You can tell they’re wealthy, just by the designer fits peeking out under their lab coats.
Nickoi steps up front and the room quiets instantly, everyone waiting to hear what he has to say. Me too!
“Ahhh… mi know mi nuh really come roun’ as often as mi should, but mi definitely affi update unuh cause every single one a unuh a mi fam, yuh zi mi? Mi have a few announcements before mi jump into the business,” he says, his tone serious.
I keep my eyes on him. Nah lie… mi love see him in ‘Boss Mode’.
This isn’t the same playful, always-joking Nickoi that mi cuddle up wid a nighttime.
Not right now. This is that version, the one I met the first time.
The man who had my knees weak from the jump.
He glances at me, and I try not to smile too hard or blush.
I can feel the attention shift, the crew starts glancing at me too, curiosity all over dem face.
Mi see it clear.
“Mi finally bring har here so unuh can meet har in person,” he says, sliding his arm around my waist. “The woman weh been a take up all a mi time.”
They chuckle and I smile, looking at them. “So yeah, Zara… this a mi team,” Nickoi says, glancing around at the group. “Mi nuh really like fi say ‘workers’ cause the whole a we a family. Dem man yah know wah loyalty mean… a dem seh ten toes down.”
“Ready fi anything. A one family enuh,” Gutta says, and the rest echo in unison:
“One family!”
Wha—?
Nickoi chuckles when he sees the confusion on my face. “A we slogan dat,” he explains, smiling.
“Ohh,” I say, returning the smile. He turns his focus back to them and continues.
“Yah… mi cya really call out everybody name one by one cause mi affi cut soon, plus mi have some business fi discuss after this. But unuh will get fi know her in due time. Her name is Zara, and unuh can expect fi see her here more regular. Mark har face… and watch har back too.”
“Yuh naffi tell we dat twice, mi Don,” one man says confidently, and the rest murmur in agreement.
“Yah man… so wah mi have fi announce now is something weh nuh fi leave dis space, and unuh done know di code already,” Nickoi’s tone serious. “Zara is not just mi girlfriend, she’s mi baby mother. Wi a expect a youth.”
The room erupts into cheers. Nickoi raises a hand and continues, causing the room to quiet down. “And yesterday… mi propose to har.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, the cheers rise again, louder this time.
Juaqína scoffs. “Really?” she says, glaring straight at me.
Yes, gyal. Really.
As she keeps staring, well, staring me down, I notice her eyes are starting to water. And honestly… it shocks me. I knew she liked Nickoi, and I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled for me, but tears? Real, real tears?! It come in like she have deep feelings for him, way deeper than I thought.
“Good look, mi G,” Gutta says, shifting the energy away from her. “Swear, it’s a big move.”
“Congratulations,” Junior says as he walks in, closing the door behind him. I smile at him in response.
“This new to we enuh, mi swear,” one of Nickoi’s guys says. “Cause we know the G nuh deh wid woman long enough fi breed or engage to dem. So him affi really rate yuh.”
He grins. “Mi love the look still.”
Nickoi chuckles. “Respect.”
Juaqína quietly walks out the building and closes the door behind her. I catch Nickoi glancing in her direction, but I quickly shift my eyes to the rest of the group as they continue congratulating us.
After a while, Nickoi addresses the room again. “Respect, fam,” he starts, and they all nod.
“Mi have one more announcement: the Outlaw Party. It nah go deh pon the usual date, so mi a go set a new one and link unuh. Just a give unuh a heads-up from early.”
When he finishes, the crew starts heading back to their stations, resuming work and packing. We walk over to the corner where Junior and Gutta are standing.
“Cyaa believe you, outta all people, finally a go be a fadda,” Junior says to Nickoi. “Look how yuh used to hate pickney, bredda!”
I laugh. “Him tell mi him nuh really like kids,” I add playfully.
Junior smirks. “Him a go love fi him own, man.”
“No joke,” Nickoi smiles just as one of his boys calls out to him.
“Soon fawud,” Nickoi says before walking away.
The metal door creaks open again, and Juaqína walks back in. She looks like she was crying. Why she hurt so? She strolls over to us with a smile that I know damn well is fake. “Congratulations, Zara… mi guess yuh get wah yuh want now,” she says, catching us off guard.
Wah she mean by dat?
“Wah yuh mean?” I ask, irritation bubbling. She betta try nuh test mi faith.
“Yow, Juaqína… yuh nuh have work fi do?” Junior cuts in.
Gyal a irritate everybody.
Gutta glances at her, then lets out a low chuckle. “Dat mi a seh too.”
She hisses and turns her full attention back to me. “Mi just a seh… yuh breed so yuh can wul him,” she says with that same fake-ass smile. Her eyes full a hate.
Mi hate yuh too, gyal.
“Girl, mi nuh inna the foolishness wid yuh,” I warn her. Last time yuh fight a gyal come stir up shit, now watch this one.
“Mi nuh inna no foolishness wid yuh neither. Mi just a tell yuh straight, mi know seh yuh mek him breed yuh so yuh can lock him down.” I shake my head, jaw clenched.