Chapter 17 Vent
Vent
“See you guys Friday, and congratulations again,” my professor says just before I log off the meeting.
I wait until he gets off the phone before I ask, “You can carry mi to Clova?”
“Now?” he asks, glancing at me.
I nod, sliding off the bed. “It’s a 12:00 appointment.”
He sits up, yawns, then nods. “Alright.” I make my way to the bathroom. I slip into my multicolored polo hoodie, denim shorts, and white Air Forces, then pull my natural hair into a low ponytail.
By the time I open the bathroom door, Nickoi calls out. “Mami?”
I peek out. “Hmm?”
“11:30 now enuh and yuh seh a 12:00 yuh fi reach deh.”
“Mi a come,” I grin, snatching up my comb and brush, tossing them on the dresser. He’s smiling at me now, dressed in a white tee, Polo shorts, and Polo slides. Classic.
“Mi feel like a choppa,” I joke, turning to him.
He laughs. “Yuh wah mi wear mine too?”
“Yes!” I giggle with a goofy smile. He chuckles, opens his closet, and throws on his matching hoodie. Then he steps beside me in front of the mirror. I wrap my arms around him and snap a mirror picture of us. As I scroll through the photos, cheesing to myself, Nickoi walks away laughing.
“Yuh nuh real enuh.” Haha. Hope yuh know a the appointment him a talk bout enuh. Mi know.
“Mi ready now,” I say with a little laugh.
“Come on now man,” he calls, already heading downstairs. As I follow behind, he starts teasing.
“Mami, yuh know seh you a wah late bug though… swear you move like Junior.”
“Hear ya,” I laugh, watching him skip two steps at a time.
“Yuh say yuh have 12 o’clock appointment and a almost 12 enuh, and yuh deh yah a scroll through picture,” he grins.
“Leff mi nuh,” I laugh again, even though he’s speaking facts.
Zara, the only time yuh early is when yuh round Mama.
I pass the pantry and quickly grab a few snacks, then snatch up my cushion from the sofa.
That a fi when yuh ready fi sleep enuh.
I hop in the passenger seat, sipping cherry juice from my custom black Stanley with “Zara” written in pink glitter.
One of my birthday gifts from Auntie. I found it while unboxing more stuff last night, cute and just my style.
We buckle up, and Nickoi drives off. I start snapping a few pics and videos, sipping from my cup. I turn the camera on him and smile.
“Sexy?” I tease. He doesn’t look over.
I lean my elbow on the hand rest, reaching up to play with his hair. He finally glances at the camera, then back at the road. I lift the phone again, watching the video with a smile. “Yuh think mi fi post this?”
He slows at a traffic light and looks at the video, then nods. “Yah.”
“You have service?” I ask, knowing this man always has data even when there’s Wi-Fi around. He nods and hands me his phone. I send $1000 credit to my phone, but curiosity gets the best of me. Mi know mi shouldn’t…
Zara, nuh bother with that!
I ignore my conscience and open his WhatsApp. It’s unlocked. I smile internally. I scroll, nothing suspicious. Until I spot Gutta’s chat. I click. Business talk, mostly. Then I see Sash’s name pop up.
Mi heart skip one beat. Mi can’t tek too long inna the phone cause him a go notice, but mi a chance it still. I skim the conversation.
Gutta: Mi nuh 3 rate Sash enuh mi G but she been a push up pan mi and a das why mi deeven run har… mi see seh iz a easy knock.
My eyes widen. Damn… a so Sash have man a talk ‘bout har?
Nickoi: A so she move man… a Zara cousin… unuh deh though?
Gutta: No sah… she been a push up pan man but mi nuh sleep wid har. She mek Anna feel so though cause she sen some nudes to me.
Shame tek mi fi har.
“Zara, wah yuh a do?” Nickoi asks, glancing over at me. I panic, clear all the apps and hand him back his phone. He takes it, eyes narrowing.
“All the apps clear enuh b…”
I mentally groan. Shit. Mi shouldn’t clear everything. Just WhatsApp. Now yuh look guilty mi girl.
“Mi ask yuh something enuh b…” His tone shifts.
“You know seh Gutta did a mess round with Sash even though him have Anna?” I nod, slowly.
“Zara, yuh did inna mi message dem?”
“Mi just did curious…” I admit, sipping my juice.
“Yuh nuh trust mi?”
“It’s not that.” He shakes his head, tight-lipped. I touch his arm gently. “I’m sorry.”
He sighs. “Since yuh wah know… Gutta and Anna a try work out dem situation. Sash did on to him. Mi nah say him right, but she did know seh him have a woman. Say she was her braider. A Anna first she did talk to, then she start push up pan the man.”
Wait… Sash was friends with Anna? No sah.
“Mi get wah yuh a say, but still… him nuh think bout har when Sash a come on to him? Would you do the same thing?”
“Mi woulda never,” he says firmly.
“Okay. Mi just feel some typa way.”
He explains. “Zara, believe it or not… sometimes man a mess ‘round, but it nuh mean him nuh love him woman. A just the way we grow. Mi used to deh inna mi player phase. Gutta still inna fi him… but me? Since mi get you, mi nuh want nobody else. Even when we leff, mi still neva find nobody interesting. A just you mi pree, but a nuh any woman can get we out of the phase.” That makes me smile.
“So Anna a him girlfriend?”
He pulls into the shop’s plaza and my mind drifts back to the fight. “A yasso Talia and har friend dem gang mi,” I say, watching his jaw clench.
“Babe… don’t get upset.” I have to say. He’s silent, focused. I reach out again. “And I trust you, okay? Mi just fass. Mi shouldn’t have gone inna yuh phone. I’m sorry.”
“That good, mami,” he says, softening. I peck his lips once, then twice.
“You have enough money?” he asks.
“Yeah mi good,” I nod.
“So wah yuh a go eat?” I hold up the snacks.
He bursts into laughter. “That a nuh nothing, mami, memba yuh a eat fi two.”
“If mi get hungry mi get patty,” I smile.
He nods. “Take care, and call mi when the hair almost done.” I nod again and hop out the car. He honks and drives away. I make my way up the stairs, only to groan when I hear a familiar voice. Not him again.
“Watch mi wife,” the man slurs, stumbling toward me. Jesus Christ.
“Good day,” I grin politely, stepping past him.
Inside, Clova’s munching on her lunch. “Wah gwaan Zara?” she asks, mouth full of chicken.
“Just a wonder how mi a go get mi hair done,” I smile, settling into the chair.
“You always a gwaan like yuh wah egnore mi,” the drunk man mumbles, still lingering.
Clova and Marie laugh. “Wah the word yuh just use, Piro?” Marie cackles.
He just grins. “Unuh gwaan yaw.” He leans on the door.
“Yuh cya stay deh so, Piro… somebody might open it and lick yuh,” Clova warns.
“Mek dem lick mi den,” he shrugs.
Then eventually, we decide on a curly style. Clova starts on my hair, and as we chat about literally anything, my eyes starts getting heavy.
A few minutes pass. I hear laughter. “Dem feel mi ramp!” Piro shouts from outside, and I stir awake to see a woman now sitting near my bag.
“Hey, you can pass mi cushion please?” I ask. She hands it to me.
“Thanks,” I say, curling into the chair and just like that… I’m out again.
***
Thursday
“Tomorrow is the big day!” Mommy says excitedly, and I laugh, sitting on the sofa while I wait for Nickoi to come downstairs. He’s supposed to bring me to his mother’s house.
“Saying!” I grin, the nerves and excitement bubbling beneath my skin. “Can’t believe I made it this far.”
“A God, man,” she replies, and I nod in agreement.
“Where’s Mama?” I ask, expecting to see her face pop around the corner.
“She excited yuh see round a har church sister she gone get hairstyle,” Mommy replies, making me laugh.
“Hey, my grandma hot enuh,” I say through my laughter.
“Mi a tell yuh,” she chuckles.
Just then, Nickoi comes downstairs and I instantly blush. He looks different today. Clean. Fresh. White tees, brown Gucci shorts, matching brown Gucci slides, and crisp white socks. Simple. But buzzy. Still, it could never touch when him in all black.
“How you a smile so?” Mommy asks, grinning knowingly. I drop my eyes to my phone, laughing.
“A Nick?” she presses, and Nickoi looks at me with that little gleam in his eye, the one that makes my stomach tighten in the best way.
“Stop nuh, Mommy,” I say, cheeks still warm.
“Ms. Michelle… Good Afternoon,” he greets politely, and I hand her the phone so they can talk. He gives it back a few minutes later, then nods.
“Mi ready,” he says. I follow him outside, sliding into the passenger seat and putting on my seatbelt as he does the same. The moment we pull off, he says, “Mi a go buy a Crown.”
I smile. “That’s the only car yuh don’t have besides a Bentley?”
“Mi nuh have every car, but yeah,” he replies casually.
“So how come yuh never drive the red Porsche?”
“You affi be careful when yuh a drive certain car,” he says, focused on the road. “Mi rather drive the common car dem.”
“Yeah. Less eyes,” I say.
“Yeah,” he nods. He makes a few stops, picking up food, then buying black and gold Berger paint. I raise an eyebrow at the cans when he hops back in.
“What’s that for?” I ask.
“December a mi father month… so mi a go paint him grave,” he says quietly.
I nod slowly. “Okay.”
As we drive through the Garrison, I notice groups of street men on both sides. They look terrifying, if I’m being honest, most of them masked with kerchiefs wrapped around their faces. Nickoi honks the horn and they immediately respond.
“Up mi Don!”
So he’s not just a Don in the business world…
He pulls up to a large house surrounded by towering walls. “This your mom’s house?” I ask. We’re at Johns Road.
He nods and circles around to my door and opens it, helping me out. Two tough-looking men walk over, and Nickoi knocks fists with them like they’re brothers. Then he leads me to the house and I follow closely behind.
“Yuh finally come today,” Nicki says with a bright smile as she hugs me. “Come in… a my house this.”
She rubs Nickoi’s back affectionately. “Yuh good, mi bwoy?”
“Yah, mi Gov,” he says, walking inside.
“Him ever Gov,” I murmur, and Nicki laughs.
Inside, I glance around curiously. “Where are the twins?”